Available 4" and 6" tall
Thursday, July 26, 2007
Copper Letters and Wall Lettering
Available 4" and 6" tall
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
New showroom display
We are pleased to announce that we are now displaying at Don's Appliances kitchen showroom in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania at 5958 Baum Blvd.
Thursday, July 12, 2007
Range Hoods – How to choose an exhaust system
Purchasing a range hood can be a costly and confusing business. Not only do you have so many designs to choose from, but what power of fan do you need? What kind of filters? What’s the difference between the metals used, or whether it’s a commercial unit or custom made?
Internal or external fan
Safety features
Metals & construction
Commercial or custom made
All right reserved
Fan/ blower
Power: CFM
Blowers are rated by CFM – that is, how much air they move, and the requirement is based on the stove top you have. The more heat produced the bigger the blower you need. Check with the manufacturer of your stove for their recommendations as well as your local code requirements. A general guide is: for every 10,000 BTUs your cooktop produces, you need 100 CFM. For example, a cooktop producing 90,000 BTUs would need a 900 CFM unit.
You should purchase an adequate size, but don’t go overboard. If you choose a fan much larger than you need, you could end up ventilating your whole house!
Internal or external fan
An internal unit is positioned inside the range hood and pushes the air outside through the duct. An external unit sits outside of the house, on an exterior wall or roof and draws the air out. These are useful for larger fans where noise can become an issue. Note: often external units will require 10” duct and so you must also check if that is a feasible option with the structure of your home.
Safety features
Consider purchasing a unit with built in heat sensors. These will turn the fan on should excessive heat be detected and draw the heat out of the kitchen. Make sure you also chose a unit that is UL listed and HVI certified.
Filters
Different companies have different options – from regular mesh filters, baffle filters and stainless steel trays that trap grease. Modern units have filters that are dishwasher safe. Baffle filters give a professional restaurant style look but can be more expensive. What you chose is usually a personal preference on style rather than function.
Above: Standard mesh filters by Broan
Metals & construction
By far the most common metal used to range hoods is stainless steel. Increasingly popular are range hoods painted to match your appliances, zinc metal and especially copper, a more expensive metal but highly sought after by homeowners who want something different and more dramatic in their homes.
Custom copper combined with
stainless trim
Custom painted
to match appliances
Copper also comes in different thicknesses, often measured in gauge or weight. The lower the gauge number, the heavier and thicker the copper. Roofers, for example, commonly use 16oz or 20oz copper (technically called “soft copper”). For our range hoods, we only ever use 48oz copper – much heavier duty & creating a much stronger hood that is far less likely to dent or ding with every day use as well as being less susceptible to surrounding heat.
With heavy duty copper comes a heavy range hood and so requires a sturdy internal structure and welded seams. Welding copper is a highly skilled and labor intensive job, far more so than welding harder metals such as steel. It provides a completely seamless and much stronger range hood. Although thicker copper is much harder to work with, the final result is most definitely worth it in looks, quality & durability! Your hood should be built to last decades.
Commercial or custom made
Commercial hoods may vary from $30 to thousands of dollars and as with most things, what you pay is usually what you get. Low CFM fans and cheaper construction accompany the lower priced units. If you need a big fan for a big range or want a specialty item, be prepared for a higher sticker price.
Clients choose custom & bespoke pieces for a variety of reasons: special requirements, made in USA, handmade versus machine made, or simply because they want to go back to traditional craftsmanship & embrace true quality craftsmanship at its finest. And for us, custom made is more personal - it's made for you.
© The Metal Peddler, Inc 2007All right reserved
Friday, February 02, 2007
New Copper Designs for 2007!
A belated Happy New Year to all of our customers!
We are very excited about 2007 & the new products we are bring to you & plan to bring this year. In 2006, we moved premises to a new larger workshop, giving us much more potential for new designs & expansion.
To start off 2007, we have added to our exisiting lines & created whole new ones.
Inspired by the great coppersmiths & Master Craftsman of the late 19th Century & early 20th Century, our hand-cut & hand hammered copper house numbers are made in an Arts & Crafts font.
Each copper number is approx 4" tall & finished with a medium dark patina to look aged & beautiful.
Perfect for an arts & crafts bungalow or to stand out from the neighbors!
Our copper mailboxes is a brand new line that we hope to expand this year. Currently we offer 3 designs of handcrafted solid copper mailboxes. The design shown is our Art Nouveau inspired mailbox.
Each mailbox is finished with a patina - pictured left is our dark Rome patina, but it is also offered in 2 lighter colors. The patina is protected with a high grade protective clear coat.
Each mailbox is available with or without the hanging brackets which can hold the newspaper or outgoing mail.
We are very excited about 2007 & the new products we are bring to you & plan to bring this year. In 2006, we moved premises to a new larger workshop, giving us much more potential for new designs & expansion.
To start off 2007, we have added to our exisiting lines & created whole new ones.
New Lines of Copper Products
We have created a variety of copper switch plates & outlet covers, available in smooth copper & hand hammered. Currently we offer a variety from single to triple switch plates, combination outlet & toggle covers as well as rocker switch plates.
We have created a variety of copper switch plates & outlet covers, available in smooth copper & hand hammered. Currently we offer a variety from single to triple switch plates, combination outlet & toggle covers as well as rocker switch plates. Inspired by the great coppersmiths & Master Craftsman of the late 19th Century & early 20th Century, our hand-cut & hand hammered copper house numbers are made in an Arts & Crafts font.Each copper number is approx 4" tall & finished with a medium dark patina to look aged & beautiful.
Perfect for an arts & crafts bungalow or to stand out from the neighbors!
Our copper mailboxes is a brand new line that we hope to expand this year. Currently we offer 3 designs of handcrafted solid copper mailboxes. The design shown is our Art Nouveau inspired mailbox.Each mailbox is finished with a patina - pictured left is our dark Rome patina, but it is also offered in 2 lighter colors. The patina is protected with a high grade protective clear coat.
Each mailbox is available with or without the hanging brackets which can hold the newspaper or outgoing mail.
Monday, September 18, 2006
Keeping Prices Low
Last week, I wrote an article about the price of copper. Given the big increases in the cost of copper over the past year, we have done our best to keep the prices of our copper products as low as possible.
How do we do this?
It's important to note that we do not compromise the quality of the copper we use. We use the same grades of copper today as we did before the prices rose so dramatically. Instead, we have been striving to keep costs low in other ways.
Internet only. All of our business is conducted over the internet only. This means we do not have the costs of a showroom, parking lot, sales staff, company brochures or mail order catalogues. We work at maintaining a good presence in internet search engines by managining our website content rather than paying for expensive advertising & much of our business comes word-of-mouth from happy customers recommending us to their friends and family.
No frills packaging. While it's very nice to receive a product in fancy packaging and boxes, we realize that you're not buying a beautiful pot rack or fence post cap for the box it comes in! As some of our items are an unusual shape, having boxes made & printed for these items would drive up costs, so instead we use simple packing & boxes that get the items to you safely.
Paperless invoicing. As much as possible, we conduct business by phone or by email. All customers that provide an email address should receive a detailed receipt by email within just a few minutes. This serves as your invoice, reciept and packing information. If you need a paper record, it can printed off from the email. Should there be any delays or you do not receive an email, we will of course be happy to send a paper copy if you let us know.
No 1-800 number. As much as we'd love to provide our customers with an 800 phone number to call us, our phone bill would increase 20-fold at least!
Relocation. Our recent relocation has enabled us to double our production space as well as office and store room space but for the same costs. This means that we can buy copper in bigger bulk & produce more products and so making it more cost effective.
Over the past year, we have had no choice but to increase some prices as copper became more expensive, but we do feel that the 7-10% increases are very low compared with the 70% increase in the overall cost of copper.
Click to read our previous article price of copper
How do we do this?
It's important to note that we do not compromise the quality of the copper we use. We use the same grades of copper today as we did before the prices rose so dramatically. Instead, we have been striving to keep costs low in other ways.
Internet only. All of our business is conducted over the internet only. This means we do not have the costs of a showroom, parking lot, sales staff, company brochures or mail order catalogues. We work at maintaining a good presence in internet search engines by managining our website content rather than paying for expensive advertising & much of our business comes word-of-mouth from happy customers recommending us to their friends and family.
No frills packaging. While it's very nice to receive a product in fancy packaging and boxes, we realize that you're not buying a beautiful pot rack or fence post cap for the box it comes in! As some of our items are an unusual shape, having boxes made & printed for these items would drive up costs, so instead we use simple packing & boxes that get the items to you safely.
Paperless invoicing. As much as possible, we conduct business by phone or by email. All customers that provide an email address should receive a detailed receipt by email within just a few minutes. This serves as your invoice, reciept and packing information. If you need a paper record, it can printed off from the email. Should there be any delays or you do not receive an email, we will of course be happy to send a paper copy if you let us know.
No 1-800 number. As much as we'd love to provide our customers with an 800 phone number to call us, our phone bill would increase 20-fold at least!
Relocation. Our recent relocation has enabled us to double our production space as well as office and store room space but for the same costs. This means that we can buy copper in bigger bulk & produce more products and so making it more cost effective.
Over the past year, we have had no choice but to increase some prices as copper became more expensive, but we do feel that the 7-10% increases are very low compared with the 70% increase in the overall cost of copper.
Click to read our previous article price of copper
Wednesday, September 06, 2006
Price of Copper
Many people are becoming more aware that the price of copper is climbing, and climbing on a daily basis. Not many people are fully aware of why it is increasing or just how fast is has risen.
Applications of copper
Copper is one of the most widely used metals in the world, and has been for many many centuries. It is so versatile that its uses include telecommunications & electrical wiring, plumbing & tubing, cooking instruments, roofing & architecture as well as uses as a compound salt in other applications. Copper is traded daily all over the world as a commodity, just like gold, silver & titanium. While not reaching the prices of precious metals, copper is constantly in high demand.
Copper is a non-toxic metal, unlike lead and mercury. It is a good conductor of electricity and heat. Minute quantities are essential for human and plant health, indeed many people go as far as wearing copper bracelets and report feeling healthier. Even in the copper industry, there are no known "occupational illnesses" reported from working with copper. Add it all up, and copper is not only good to work with, but very desirable.
Demand for copper
At the same time that copper is becoming ever so popular once again as a decorative metal in the home & garden, it is also in massive demand around the world, in countries such as China as they industrialize and build new infrastructures and communications. Several years ago, China overtook USA are the world's largest consumer of copper.
Industry continues to consume copper, with 40% of US copper consumption going into that arena. But use in the home is picking up as people switch out to copper wiring, with such usage tripling in just 5 years.
Supply
As with all economics, pricing comes from supply and demand. As demand increases, how can the supply keep up? At many times, it just cannot or does not - not just because it cannot be mined & refined fast enough either. For example, Chile supplies 1/3 of the world's supply of copper, but in August of this year, the Chilean copper miners went on strike. Strikes are not uncommon nor limited to Chile or even South America. When one country or even major operation shuts down, the stocks that are available increase in price.
Pricing has therefore been rising for the past couple of years and doesn't show any signs of turning back.
Is it all doom & gloom? We hope not! Copper is as useful and desirable today as it was thousands of years ago - much more so in fact, as the world's need for copper increases and new applications are found. At The Metal Peddler, Inc we speak to customers every day who are drawn to copper, its usefulness and its beauty. We have strived to keep our prices as low as possible & we don't compromise the quality of copper that we purchase either! While we might be paying 70% more than we were a year ago, you - our customer - are not. Of course, there may come a day when we have no choice, but in the meantime we do what we can for our customers & clients, to achieve what they want at an affordable price.
Related article: Keeping Prices Low
Applications of copper
Copper is one of the most widely used metals in the world, and has been for many many centuries. It is so versatile that its uses include telecommunications & electrical wiring, plumbing & tubing, cooking instruments, roofing & architecture as well as uses as a compound salt in other applications. Copper is traded daily all over the world as a commodity, just like gold, silver & titanium. While not reaching the prices of precious metals, copper is constantly in high demand.
Copper is a non-toxic metal, unlike lead and mercury. It is a good conductor of electricity and heat. Minute quantities are essential for human and plant health, indeed many people go as far as wearing copper bracelets and report feeling healthier. Even in the copper industry, there are no known "occupational illnesses" reported from working with copper. Add it all up, and copper is not only good to work with, but very desirable.
Demand for copper
At the same time that copper is becoming ever so popular once again as a decorative metal in the home & garden, it is also in massive demand around the world, in countries such as China as they industrialize and build new infrastructures and communications. Several years ago, China overtook USA are the world's largest consumer of copper.
Industry continues to consume copper, with 40% of US copper consumption going into that arena. But use in the home is picking up as people switch out to copper wiring, with such usage tripling in just 5 years.
Supply
As with all economics, pricing comes from supply and demand. As demand increases, how can the supply keep up? At many times, it just cannot or does not - not just because it cannot be mined & refined fast enough either. For example, Chile supplies 1/3 of the world's supply of copper, but in August of this year, the Chilean copper miners went on strike. Strikes are not uncommon nor limited to Chile or even South America. When one country or even major operation shuts down, the stocks that are available increase in price.
Pricing has therefore been rising for the past couple of years and doesn't show any signs of turning back.
Is it all doom & gloom? We hope not! Copper is as useful and desirable today as it was thousands of years ago - much more so in fact, as the world's need for copper increases and new applications are found. At The Metal Peddler, Inc we speak to customers every day who are drawn to copper, its usefulness and its beauty. We have strived to keep our prices as low as possible & we don't compromise the quality of copper that we purchase either! While we might be paying 70% more than we were a year ago, you - our customer - are not. Of course, there may come a day when we have no choice, but in the meantime we do what we can for our customers & clients, to achieve what they want at an affordable price.
Related article: Keeping Prices Low
Wednesday, August 16, 2006
Fence Post Caps - Size Guide
What's the difference between nominal, standard, full and actual?
Fence post cap sizes can be confusing. So far this year approximately half of our customers have called asking "what's the difference between a nominal size and an actual or full size?"
In USA, a nominal size, such as a Nominal 4x4 is just a name. You may be surprised to learn that it is not actually a 4 inch square cap nor your fence post a full 4 inches square. Many lumber yards cut the posts to be a little under 4 inches, sometimes as small as 3.5 inches although we have found much variance across the country.
Example
Nominal 4x4 - Actual Size 3.5 inches
Full 4x4 - Actual Size 4 inches
Nominal 6x6 - Actual size 5.5 inches
Why the difference?
Also, think about selecting a cap up to 1/8 inch bigger than your post. This will give you a small clearance of 1/16" around each side to slide the cap on more easily.
Fence post cap sizes can be confusing. So far this year approximately half of our customers have called asking "what's the difference between a nominal size and an actual or full size?"
In USA, a nominal size, such as a Nominal 4x4 is just a name. You may be surprised to learn that it is not actually a 4 inch square cap nor your fence post a full 4 inches square. Many lumber yards cut the posts to be a little under 4 inches, sometimes as small as 3.5 inches although we have found much variance across the country.
Example
Nominal 4x4 - Actual Size 3.5 inches
Full 4x4 - Actual Size 4 inches
Nominal 6x6 - Actual size 5.5 inches
Why the difference?
Years ago, a 4x4 did indeed measure a full 4 inches. Over time, builders & engineers realized that they could get just as much strength from a slightly smaller piece of wood. We have found, however, that lumber yards may differ even within towns & cities, let alone state to state and some nominal 4x4 posts may be 3.75 inches.
In addition, untreated lumber such as cedar posts tend to be closer to the true stated size, such as a full 4 inches or 6 inches.
I recommend measuring your fence posts before you buy your caps. Take a random sample of your posts and measure with a ruler or tape that shows 1/8 inch. If your post measures 3.5 inches, you want a nominal 4x4 cap.
Also, think about selecting a cap up to 1/8 inch bigger than your post. This will give you a small clearance of 1/16" around each side to slide the cap on more easily.
Friday, July 07, 2006
Relocation News!
The Metal Peddler, Inc is moving! New information, such as important dates etc will be updated here. Click on the following newsletters for the information so far!
Relocation Dates
- When we will be closed and how you can get in touch.
Updated 8/15/06 - Re-opening & Ordering information!
Announcement
- Read about why we are relocating & where we are moving to.
Updated 6/1/06
Relocation Dates
- When we will be closed and how you can get in touch.
Updated 8/15/06 - Re-opening & Ordering information!
Announcement
- Read about why we are relocating & where we are moving to.
Updated 6/1/06
Relocation Dates
August 15th 2006 - we have now re-opened! Note: Please bear in mind we currently have a backlog of orders to fill and ship to our customers. If you have placed an order, we will get it out to you as soon as possible!
If you wish to place an order, caps, tiles & hooks will be sent out as soon as possible. Other items, such as pot racks may experience a delay.
Previous information....
Last month, we announced that we are relocating our business 500 miles away to Pennsylvania.
Click here to see the announcement. As with all moves, things are very busy! But we are making great progress and will be moving lock, stock & barrel at the end of July!
Dates & schedule:
July 14th, 2006 Orders placed after this date will not be processed until we re-open.
August 14th, 2006 Expected date for re-opening! Update: The anticipated date of Aug 10 has been moved back to August 14th due to some unexpected delays with our new office. We apologize for the inconvenience!
Email communication:
Email addresses will remain the same. Visit our contact page for addresses.
July 23th- August 1st: We will not be able to respond to emails during this time. Emails send just before & after these dates may experience delays while we pack & unpack the workshop.
Telephone & Physical Address:
Our new number & address will be available on our contact page as soon as we are situated & are back online.
Thank you to all of our customers who have helped our business grow! We look forward to working with you again!
P.S. Don't forget to sign up for our newsletter to receive our Grand Re-opening Discount for August!!
If you wish to place an order, caps, tiles & hooks will be sent out as soon as possible. Other items, such as pot racks may experience a delay.
Previous information....
Last month, we announced that we are relocating our business 500 miles away to Pennsylvania.
Click here to see the announcement. As with all moves, things are very busy! But we are making great progress and will be moving lock, stock & barrel at the end of July!
Dates & schedule:
July 14th, 2006 Orders placed after this date will not be processed until we re-open.
August 14th, 2006 Expected date for re-opening! Update: The anticipated date of Aug 10 has been moved back to August 14th due to some unexpected delays with our new office. We apologize for the inconvenience!
Email communication:
Email addresses will remain the same. Visit our contact page for addresses.
July 23th- August 1st: We will not be able to respond to emails during this time. Emails send just before & after these dates may experience delays while we pack & unpack the workshop.
Telephone & Physical Address:
Our new number & address will be available on our contact page as soon as we are situated & are back online.
Thank you to all of our customers who have helped our business grow! We look forward to working with you again!
P.S. Don't forget to sign up for our newsletter to receive our Grand Re-opening Discount for August!!
Thursday, June 01, 2006
The Metal Peddler, Inc is relocating
Summer 2006
Update now posted. Click here for details!
Over the past year, our business has been successful enough for us to outgrow our current premises. While this is great news for business, it does mean that we have had to consider moving from our current location to accomodate our customers' orders and allow us to expand even further. We will be able to increase our levels of production by employing more Craftsmen as well as increase the range of our product line.
We are very pleased to be moving our business, workshop & home up to Pennsylvania. This will be a 500 mile move. Over the next few weeks, we will be slowing down business until the shop needs to be moved. There will also be period when the shop will close down & all production will cease for short time while we pack up equipment, tools & machinery.
This will mean a couple of things for our customers.
Custom orders will be on hold until our new larger shop is re-opened. Until we relocate, in-stock items, such as standard fence post caps & backsplash tiles, will continue to be sold and shipped as usual. During the relocation, these will experience delay until we re-open.
Some items, such as pot racks, are standard items but often made to order. You may experience a small delay in shipping. Please bear with us during that time.
If you have any questions, please email or call. Visit our "Contact us" page for more information. We will announce dates of the relocation soon, as well as our new contact details.
Update now posted. Click here for details!
Over the past year, our business has been successful enough for us to outgrow our current premises. While this is great news for business, it does mean that we have had to consider moving from our current location to accomodate our customers' orders and allow us to expand even further. We will be able to increase our levels of production by employing more Craftsmen as well as increase the range of our product line.
We are very pleased to be moving our business, workshop & home up to Pennsylvania. This will be a 500 mile move. Over the next few weeks, we will be slowing down business until the shop needs to be moved. There will also be period when the shop will close down & all production will cease for short time while we pack up equipment, tools & machinery.
This will mean a couple of things for our customers.
Custom orders will be on hold until our new larger shop is re-opened. Until we relocate, in-stock items, such as standard fence post caps & backsplash tiles, will continue to be sold and shipped as usual. During the relocation, these will experience delay until we re-open.
Some items, such as pot racks, are standard items but often made to order. You may experience a small delay in shipping. Please bear with us during that time.
If you have any questions, please email or call. Visit our "Contact us" page for more information. We will announce dates of the relocation soon, as well as our new contact details.
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