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    Making custom brass hardware

    Clark Kellogg shows you how to make your own metal hardware using many of the tools you already own, plus a handful of others.

    Author Headshot By Clark Kellogg #287-Jan/Feb 2021 Issue
    Article Image
    Match the look to the piece. Kellogg uses simple polishing and shaping techniques to adapt the look of the tabs to the style of the furniture he’s building. Note how age and oxidation have given the installed tab at center a warm, matte look.

    Synopsis: When you’ve spent months designing and building a future heirloom, why settle for hardware that looks store-bought? You can make your own using many of the tools you already own, plus a handful of others. Here’s a list of what you need to get up and running to make your own hardware, and a starter project that will teach you the skills you need.


    Although I like to think of myself as a woodworker, almost every project I build tends to involve at least a few metal components, if not by design then by necessity. Commercial hardware is generic in both style and function, and therefore often poorly suited to the task. If I’m going to spend months designing and building something intended to outlast me by 100 years, why settle for hardware that looks store-bought or mediocre?

    The good news is that you already own many…

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    Comments

    1. user-6001446 | Feb 07, 2021 05:41pm | #1

      Enjoyed this article!, very interesting and informative. It has me wanting to do this starter metal working project to add an elegant touch to a hall table project as a first attempt and then go from there. The magazine article on page 22 points to an "Online Extra" for an expanded list of Clark's metalworking tools. I've looked but cannot find it - is it posted?

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