Metalworks Forgery

Nope - don't call your local constable - not that type of forgery!

This is our our workshop keeps warm in winter - we fire up the forge and handcraft some lovely stuff in metal.

Below, Paul is working on scrolls for a client's custom balustrade.

And a very short video for you for the "live action" effect - hope it loads for you:)

Trolley Dollies

Oh Gosh! Not only are our workshop boys an attractive bunch of lads, but they can actually make your life easier too!

Thank you Wanaka Wastebusters and the Elsie and Ray Armstrong Trust for helping to keep Wanaka Cleaner and Greener.

News...

Hopefully you can read the print in the article!

Has Ernie Shrunk?

or are we involved in an artistic sculptural collaboration with Martin Hill?? You decide! More to come...

Whiskey A Go Go

Whiskey or Whisky? Depends where you are from really... Wikipedia has this to offer on the origin of the word:
Whisky is a shortened form of usquebaugh, which English borrowed from Gaelic (Irish uisce beatha and Scottish uisge beatha). This compound descends from Old Irish uisce, "water", and bethad, "of life" and meaning literally "water of life". It meant the same thing as the Latin aqua vītae which had been applied to distilled drinks since early 14th century. Other early spellings include usquebea (1706) and iskie bae (1583). In the Irish Annals of Clonmacnoise in 1405, the first written record of whiskey appears describing the death of a chieftain at Christmas from "taking a surfeit of aqua vitae". In Scotland, the first evidence of whisky production comes from an entry in the Exchequer Rolls for 1494 where malt is sent "To Friar John Cor, by order of the king, to make aquavitae".
And we have something a little easier to swallow - our "ambidextrous" Whisk(e)y Room sign. Perfect for your home bar, your outdoor barbecue area or wherever you have a space approximately 2m wide!
Manufactured from mild steel with a rusted finish and complete with holes already drilled for ease of attachment, this sign was originally destined for a bar in the region, who have now gone with a new sign with the "e"-less spelling.

So it is time for the Whiskey To Go Go! It could be yours...come and see us at 54 Ballantyne Rd

Ring My Bell

We are pleased to announce that Ernie (once again!) has earned an award for his work - this one presented by the Wanaka Art Society Incorporated for his piece "Cowbell", pictured below, in the Sculpture category.

Congratulations Ernie! This item (along with more sculptural works and all sorts of other things to ring your bell) available for viewing personally at our gallery space - 54 Ballantyne Road Wanaka.

Lip Service

Looking for something a bit special for your lover - well aside from our much talked about marshmallow forks (always the perfect answer for your Valentine!) our "Kissing Gate" below could also do the trick.

Currently residing on our Gallery wall as an art piece, it was originally designed as a - you guessed it - gate...function as well as form!

Mount it above your bed! (The Kissing Gate that is.)

HAPPY VALENTINE'S

Gallery Teaser

For those of you who have visited our website, you will know by now that we also have a Gallery onsite, which houses some of the artistic works of Ernie Maluschnig.

So for all you virtual onlookers, we now take a step just inside the door - fresh and clean for 2010 after a bit of a Christmas clearout (congratulations to the new owners of several of Ernie's original pieces!)

In view are two of Ernie's sculptural works: "Slice of Heaven" in the foreground, and a two piece work (2nd in a series, 1 peice partially obscured) entitled "Rusty Sails 2".

Also shown are several other pieces including a custom mirror on the left (sorry - sold this morning!) a bespoke pair of nest tables with a hand-beaten bell displayed on top, a 5-foot candelabra, custom "kissing" gate (partially obscured), sunflower sculpture and one of a pair of handcrafted leaf/flower motif chandeliers.

So for the tactile experience (and to get a proper look at the obscured pieces!), all welcome to the "real" gallery at 54 Ballantyne Road Wanaka.

The "C" Word

I'm not going to mention the "C" word, but that time of year IS creeping up on us again.

"Hmmm, what to get for presents?" I hear you say... well we have a couple of solutions for you!











Firstly, our inaugural "Ferrous Fiesta" will be running for the first week of December. We will have all sorts of specials and deals on a selection of our Gallery and Workshop items. Pop in to 54 Ballantyne Rd Wanaka to view for yourself, or check us out online

Secondly, we have listed some other items for sale on Trade Me. Click on the following links to be taken directly to the auctions via the magic of technology!

AS SEEN AT PASSION FOR FASHION!
Funky Fashionable Belt Buckles:

Flower Design (pictured left)
Triangle Design
Blob Design








ALSO AT PASSION FOR FASHION!

Handbag Style Magazine Racks


available in two colour finishes.



PLUS:

Business Card Holder










Business & Rack Card Holder

Passion for Fashion

Not one to miss an opportunity, our Prue this year coordinated a "top fashion team" to present the more wearable side of some of Metalworks' creations at the recent Passion for Fashion event, held in conjunction with Wanakafest.

Showcasing our handmade belt buckles, handbag style magazine racks, various fire tools and accessories, plus an appearance by the D-Fa prototype dog, the three "metalworkers" strutted their stuff to industrial music on the Lake Wanaka Centre catwalk.

All items displayed during the evening are now available from our Gallery space at 54 Ballantyne Rd Wanaka or by mail/email order from metalworks@xtra.co.nz

Sorry - models (pictured above) not for sale. Look out for us again next year!

Mid Winter Treats

Well, it's fire season for sure, so below we have a small selection of some of our products which can help you get through winter!

COPPER WOOD BIN

One of the best things about Winter is a warm open fire in the evening - especially if it is snowing outside!

One of the worst things about winter is lugging your firewood to feed the open fire! Well, tis the season to turn your wood-woes into wood-wows!

Flash up your fireplace with one of our copper wood bins - sturdy and practical and tidy and the copper adds a further touch of warmth, even when your fire is not going.

We can make these to custom size, so come and talk to us about what you require.

TREAT TIME

We have blogged about them before, but if you have an open fire (or a gas cooktop - not endorsing it but it has been done!) then a marshmallow toasting fork is really the best compliment - and a great way to keep those sugar levels up from a hard day on the slopes!

FIRE POKERS & ACCESSORIES

We only have a few of these left in stock (rather a popular time of year for these items!) but if you have a design in mind, or want us to make you one of our standard designs then come on in and see us. We can craft you a single poker right through to an intricate fireside set with poker, tongs, brush stand etc.

The photo below show a log rack with a pair of tongs and a poker.

AND NOW FOR SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT
Winter means long, dark evenings, and is quite often the time of year we notice (or at least use more) of our lighting.
Could you do with a bit of a makeover for your lights? Lamps to shades to custom chandeliers, if you can think it, we will try to reproduce it in metal!

Below is detail from a custom chandelier, the lightbulb fits inside the leaf pattern.

Doggy Update - The Pack Has Arrived

As promised - some photos of the newly expanded
D-Fa Doggie Family

Standing to attention for D-Fa leader of the pack, Mark.

Keeping watch next to one of Ernie's sculptures
A fine looking pack!

Precision Workmanship

Not to blow our own trumpet, but here is a big "tooot!" to Metalwork's own Ernie Maluschnig.

For the third year in a row, Ernie has won the "Riverhead Gold Cup" for precision smallbore rifle shooting.

With the following winning scores from a possible 200.20...
2007 198.7
2008 194.6
2009 198.12

...you can certainly see why Metalworks Wanaka is known for our precision workmanship!

Congratulations Ernie!

It's A Dog's Life

Things have been moving and shaking here at the Metalworks workshop recently!

Our prototype dog (pictured below) has been a busy, busy boy. His full time occupation as a top model for d-fa dog equipment recently saw him cavorting in the good ole US of A, showing off the latest in d-fa developments.

Upon his return to New Zealand soil, he has been featured in the line ads of the Upper Clutha Messenger - "Spot The Dog" (if you could through all the fog recently!)

Now he would like to announce an expansion to his brood! Coming soon, Metalworks will house several new doggequins, which will help our prototype in representing the d-fa line. Stay tuned for an update on these fresh new faces - we will bring you pictures as they come to hand!

Stainless Steel Menu Stand

Metalworks and DB Breweries have been collaborating on a joint venture recently. Ernie's brief was to design a functional menu stand distinctive enough to reflect several different brands.

The results: Monteiths, Tui, and Heineken branded stands in Stainless Steel or Rustic Style with our latest stand going to the newly opened Goode Brothers Bar in Botany Town Centre, Auckland.

The picture show a sample of one of the basic stands, prior to branding. Comes with "Flip Top Lid" (just like the Reach Toothbrush!) to easily fit the menu behind the glass and sturdy castors for easy relocation of the stand.

New Rack Card

As I heard someone say the other day, "a recession is the best time to market your business". Well we must be ahead of our time (this week!) as we have just launched our new rack card.

Available now for viewing in several local businesses, and also available from our workshop/gallery here at 54 Ballantyne Road, it gives an overview of just some of the services we offer - from art, to structural, to lighting, to aviation.

We quite often get asked "Metalworks, so what do you do?" Well now you know!

The Mega Brazier

Just in time for the Arts Trail at the recent Festival of Colour, the boys at Metalworks created and unveiled what is now being dubbed the "Mega Brazier". This was tested (and tested well!) on the final day of the Festival, when Metalworks opened it's workshop to the public, showcasing recent works from our team plus sculpture by Ernie Maluschnig from our Gallery.

The brazier was alight throughout the day and once teamed up with our hand-forged marshmallow toasting forks, cranked out the most delicious toasted marshmallows...a fine and unexpected treat in the crisp and chilly autumn weather!

The Mega Brazier is now available for sale (as are our toasting forks), and currently on display outside our premises if you would like a closer look.

Metalworks Teams Up With Trade Me

Metalworks are proud to now be part of the Trade Me community, with our first "internet" sale occuring last month.

From time to time we will be loading up some of our popular or more unique items for sale to the New Zealand (or indeed the International!) market. So log on and select us as a favourite seller so you are kept in touch with any new listing that occur.

We will also be blogging our new Trade Me listings so you can also keep informed that way.

CLICK HERE FOR ALL OUR CURRENT LISTINGS









Handcrafted Designer "Handbag" Magazine Rack
Go to Trade Me Auction (auction now closed)









Hand Forged Marshmallow Toasting Forks
Go To Trade Me Auction (auction now closed)







Unique Handcrafted
Metal Flower/Leaf
Chandelier (1 of a pair)
Go To Trade Me Auction
(auction now closed)



Happy Trading!

Featured Item - Marshmallow Forks

A great gift idea at any time of year, our hand-forged marshmallow and toasting forks have seen a resurgance of interest lately!

Here are the specs and some photos for those who can't get to our gallery:

Marshmallow Fork (2 prong) - approximate length 72cm

Toasting Fork (4 prong) - approximate length 74cm

Crafted from mild steel with stainless steel tips.

Orders appreciated now to ensure a timely Christmas delivery!

Grass Kart

A few weeks ago, the Grass Kart Team from Mt Aspiring College travelled to Invercargill to compete in a 2 day inter-school event.

The team members, Jack Mercer, Jack Coote, Tim Gardner and Matt Martin, had been regular additions to the Metalworks workshop for the last couple of months, designing and creating the Grass Kart under the guidance of Ernie, Steve and Johannes (our permanent boys!)

They recently sent us in some photos of the event - good to see a bit of dirt flying in the last photo!

Well done boys! We hope this motivates you to compete again next year!