Category Archives: News / Blog

Turning Antiqued Brass into Gold (Award!)

True to our reputation as a top-quality architectural metal fabricator who can handle the most challenging projects with gorgeous results, Foreman has done it again!

We’re incredibly proud to announce we’ve won another Gold award in the National Ornamental & Miscellaneous Metals Association’s (NOMMA) peer-judged International Metal Craft Competition – the 2022 Ernest Wiemann Top Job Competition for Outstanding Craftsmanship. This time we were honored for the beautiful precision work we did for the Ritz Carlton cigar bar in Clayton. We’re especially excited by this win because it marks our second Top Job award on work we’ve done for the Ritz – last time was for the stunning mirrored copper ceiling features we did for their banquet area. It’s been an impressive, multi-phased project.

The finished project is simply gorgeous, crafted with a mirrored copper plate that is so unique, it can’t help but grab your gaze. Next time you banquet at the Ritz, your eyes will immediately turn to the captivating reflective copper finish on the ceiling, stove hood and soffit in the kitchen serving area. It really is stunning.

The antiqued brass accents fabricated for this impressive bar area presented numerous challenges in measuring, material handling and craftsmanship. On top of the gorgeous finished look of the project, the job had its challenges such as a radius where horizontal and vertical components intersect. We made every effort to protect the integrity of the surfaces due to the notorious reputation brass has as a soft metal prone to scratching and dinging during fabrication. We had to hustle at the end but were able to get a great looking finish on what can be a tricky metal.

Our skilled fabricators are the best, and they love the fact they get to build “cool stuff” like this. Count on Foreman Fabricators for everything from simple brake metal to your most complicated metal fabrication project.

The Players:

As with any project, Foreman was just one component among the companies involved in making the Ritz Carlton cigar bar project a reality. Foreman respects and appreciates the role each company played in the success of this project. Special thanks to Gravois Planing Mill for choosing us for this project.

The Ritz Carlton, Project Owner. https://www.ritzcarlton.com/en/hotels/st-louis
The Johnson Studio at Cooper Carry, Architect. https://johnsonstudio.com/
Gravois Planing Mill, Millwork Contractor. http://www.gravoisplaningmill.com/
Foreman Fabricators, Metal Fabricator. https://foremanfab.com/

Careful! The Wrong Stainless Steel Can Be an Expensive Mistake.

Choose the Right Metal for the End-Use Environment.
Stainless steel is prized for its strength, durability and aesthetic qualities, so it’s often the “go-to” or “default” choice for many metal fabrication projects. But there are over 150 grades of stainless steel, and your end-use application should drive the type of stainless you select for the job. While most stainless fabrication projects will use something from the 300 series of stainless alloys, such as 304 stainless, other applications might require something different to give you the best results.

Stainless steel is not rust-proof, it is just more resistant than other metals. It does “stain less” but can be marred in some conditions. To select the right type of stainless steel (or other metal) for your job, you need to consider the end-use of your finished product, and the environment it will be used in.

For example, will your metal item be exposed to –

Chlorinated water, like from a pool or fountain?
Plant fertilizers, chemicals or pesticides used for lawns, gardens and planters?
Deicing salt and chemicals used on streets, parking lots, stairs and walkways?
Hot/cold temperature extremes, like those found in some factories, kitchens or intemperate climates?
Other unique exposure factors?

Choosing the wrong stainless steel for your application can negate the benefits you thought you were getting, so think about your material choice. Foreman Fabricators can help you choose your material wisely.

By the Way, Do You Even Need to Go with Stainless Steel?

But wait! Depending on the application, stainless steel isn’t always the best choice. It’s more expensive than mild or carbon steels, and it takes extra effort to fabricate. For example, stainless steel requires more tack welds than carbon steel, it often requires the use of additional support fixtures to prevent warpage during welding, and it takes extra steps to avoid distortion when joining pieces of different thicknesses. Knife-sharp edges from shearing must be deburred for safety, and even more extra steps are required to properly finish stainless steel welds. That adds up to plenty of time and labor costs that simply might not be necessary for your project. So, the question is: “Does the end-use application of my fabrication justify the expense of using stainless steel?”

Foreman Can Help You Select the Right Metal for Your Job.

Foreman Fabricators has the experience and expertise to help you make the best metal choice for your project, whether it’s a particular type of stainless steel, or a carbon steel, or brass, bronze, copper, aluminum or more. Count on Foreman to help you choose the metal and fabrication process that will reflect your budget.

Clean, Modern Painted Steel Balcony Rails with Stainless Cable Infill Make a Statement at 4101 Laclede

Stainless cable infill railings add the perfect finishing touch to a St. Louis construction project. The new condominiums at 4101 Laclede in St. Louis are nearing completion. Foreman Fabricators was selected by the general contractor to help on this project. The modern luxury condos needed sleek, linear balcony railings to complete the architect’s vision.

Foreman built the steel rails with stainless cable infill to the exact specifications of Trivers & Associates, the development’s architect. Black painted steel flat bar forms a solid, secure frame thanks to our clean, precise welds. Horizontal stainless cable and tensioners complete the railings while allowing full safety and visibility with a sleek modern look.

We even handled a technical challenge. The railings on the east side of the building needed to be constructed in a different configuration, while maintaining a uniform appearance, than the ones on the south side. Working closely with the contractor we easily adapted the rail design to accommodate the varying configurations. Just another reason why Foreman is the choice of high end developers and contractors in the Saint Louis area.

We bring our skills, flexibility, and communication expertise to every job, from luxury condominiums to one-off custom designs.

Our partners on this job:

http://www.rainericonstruction.com/

https://trivers.com/

News about 4101 Laclede:

https://nextstl.com/2015/12/first-central-west-end-condo-project-since-2009-proposed-for-4101-laclede/

https://www.bizjournals.com/stlouis/news/2018/04/26/mixed-use-development-in-central-west-end-coming.html

Bronze Handrail Fabrication for St. Ambrose Church in St. Louis

See Our Bronze handrail at St. Ambrose Church on The Hill

Chances are, You’ve Seen Our Work. Foreman Fabricators has been making pieces of St. Louis landmarks since 1959.

St. Ambrose Church, in the heart of the Italian “Hill” neighborhood, was founded in 1903, and was built to its current state in 1926. Foreman recently helped with some bronze handrail fabrication inside this historic community church.

St. Ambrose contacted Foreman about fabricating some bronze handrails for the steps in the sanctuary because some parishioners had fallen on them. To address this safety issue, we went on-site, took measurements, and provided the Church with some samples of polished bronze so they could choose the materials. Then we designed and fabricated custom bronze railings which included steel flange inserts and bronze cover plates so no fasteners would show upon final installation. The result and was beautiful, and fully fitting for this wonderful historic landmark on The Hill.

Brake Metal – Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Stainless Steel door jamb cladding

Frequently Asked Questions for Brake Metal

“What is brake metal?”

Brake metal is simply metal bent with a brake press, a metalworking machine. The brake press bends metal sheets and creates precise bends in the metal, creating “brake metal”, aka “break metal, cladding”.

“Do you do brake metal?”

We fabricate brake metal every day, miles every year. Foreman Fabricators fabricates a wide variety of metals. Many glaziers and contractors, and property owners throughout St. Louis count on us to get brake metal pieces they need, fast and accurately.

“How fast can you turnaround my brake metal order , how quick can I get it?”

How soon do you need it? Tell us your deadline, we’ll figure out how to get it to you. We have a system in place in order to be flexible with scheduling. We have shipped orders in the same day, or while people wait.

“Can you make this shape?”

Most shapes and configurations are possible. Our capabilities on shapes and sizes are dependent on the type of metal and metal thickness. Send us your sample or drawing with dimensions, it’s the best way for us to be able to tell you what’s feasible. Our brake metal operators are experts. If it’s possible to make a requested shape with brake metal, our fabricators can do it, or we can likely recommend alternative ideas to fulfill what you envision.

“What’s the longest piece you can bend?”

Our equipment can handle 12 feet, or 144” is typically the longest brake metal we do, that covers almost any job we’ve encountered. Standard sheet lengths we keep in stock are 8’, 10’ & 12’. Once in a while, a customer wants a longer piece of brake metal, and we can help them with it, but that’s atypical.

“How thick can you bend?”

Some metals or alloys bend easier than others, but as a general guideline, ¼’ is the limit. Tonnage is a factor as well on the bending thickness. The longer the part, the thinner it will need to be in order stay within our tonnage. Shorter lengths allow us to exceed ¼”. Send us a drawing or call to discuss your project, we’ll give you a specific answer and a quote.

“What size sheets do you have in stock?”

We keep plenty of stock on our floor so we can turn your order around fast. Standard stock material is 4’ in width and includes 8’, 10’ and 12’ lengths, so we can custom fabricate to your exact specs quickly in any length you need, up to and including 144”. Other lengths and widths can be provided, let us know what you need.

“What thicknesses of metal do you carry?”

These are the thicknesses we keep in stock. If you don’t see what you need, don’t worry, it’s very likely we can order whatever you need and have it in short order.

Prefinished & mill finish Aluminum- 0.40” & 0.63” and up to 0.080” & 0.125”.
Steel & Stainless Steel- 20ga-11ga (including galvanized & galvanneal)
Light amounts of Brass and Bronze in same thickness range

“What finishes do you have in stock?”

We carry mill finish anodized aluminum, pre-finished aluminum, stainless steel, steel, brass and bronze sheets, checkerplate, perforated sheets, wire mesh, woven wire cloth, and some flattened and expanded sheets. If we don’t have what you need just let us know, we can order whatever is required. And we can supply a myriad of colors and custom finishes after fabrication by painting or applying coatings. Examples include painting, powder coating, anodizing, galvanizing, etc.

“Does your inventory match field conditions, other vendor’s color?”

Matching an existing metal finish is not an easy task. Metal finishes can be inconsistent from vendor to vendor and even from batch to batch from the same vendor. Weathering and age is also a factor for older construction. We deal with this all the time, it’s part of our job, so fortunately we have experience in this. Although we can’t guarantee an exact match, we will develop a strategy and do everything we can to get as close as possible.

Sample Brake Metal Orders:

Sample Order 1

Sample Order 2

Sample Order 3