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"BY HAMMER AND HAND DO ALL THINGS STAND"
H. J. Nick And Scottsdale Art Factory LLC believe in fully educating our dealer representatives, potential customers and future master craftsman in the creative process. We also believe in full transparency and providing the correct information or sources that allows the facts about how each product is made to be evaluated with out bias or sales hype.
We provide this information derived from hundreds of years of collective knowledge of the facts as the experts of the worlds major universities, master craftsman and our own extensive experience conclude about wood working and joinery in relation to the creation of investment quality furniture, doors, Etc.
Much of this information is derived by the study of wood working and master crafting processes from the historical records all around tfv he world0. We have developed relationships with some of the worlds leading architectural universities professors, students and best known experts in the study of lost arts and crafts of all types and cultures. These relationships have been nurtured in the hope of continuing our family tradition of promoting and teaching future master craftsman who will carry on the American Arts and Crafts Movement into the 21st century and beyond.
We offer use of our facility and the sharing of the experience of our master craftsman in return for these contributions when available.Thus allowing for hands on experience training in the lost arts. We also allow use of our facility for project development in related fields under any accredited school program. Products produced in these programs are sold and proceeds are used to fund the advancement of these programs with no weight to profit.
We also offer the use of our facility for the advancement of environmental energy saving designs in connection with government funded Go Green development. These energy saving designs must be associated with our natural material, building projects such as doors/windows etc. without effecting the artistic value. This is a not for profit program provided by SAF LLC in hope of advancing new technology in conjunction with arts and crafts as it relates to our contribution to the world of fine art craftsmanship.
We believe through the arts all the lives we touch are elevated to a higher level. Through creating these beautiful hand crafted furnishings we can help you create your dream environment as well as make it possible to pass to your heirs cherished family heirlooms and a little immortality. We believe all of our customers are intellectually sophisticated and understand the real value of creating and appreciating these family heirlooms.
We understand how difficult it is in todays market place to determine the genuine article from the fake or faux. For this reason we believe when presented with the true facts of how each product is made and the materials it is manufactured from, our customers have the ability to make informed decisions. Decisions that are best for them and their financial investment based upon these facts. When you purchase a quality hand built family heirloom future antiquity, you are investing not wasting your money on a fake future yard sale item.
We believe you will also conclude from this information as we have experienced over our many years, only by using the best natural materials and master handcrafting, can you achieve the creation of a family heirloom investment quality furnishing or door. The use of true solid timber, genuine stones, top grain leathers, fine fabrics, and solid wrought iron in the hands of master craftsmen will never be replaced with modern methods of mass production.
Note: Warp-Resistant Engineered Core usually translates into; "How can we use paste board and veneered materials and make them sound better than the tried and tested solid wood doors?"
Just another way of trying to make a negative into a positive sales tool. There is no substitution for hand hewn, pegged and doweled solid full length timber construction, which is built to stand the test of time.
Many manufacturers have veneered the surface and cored the center all of the premium long lengths of lumber just to keep the cost of materials down and the profits up. Always keep in mind that if it is a veneer or "engineered" it usually means that they are using less quality materials while trying to make it appear and sound better. The expected result is usually reflected in the limited warrantee and is never positive.
For Example: Many companies make this statement: Honduran or Brazilian Mahogany wood is used to manufacture our premier selection of "Solid Entry Doors Or Furniture".
Simply Omitting Some Important Negative Facts. These doors are made up of scarf joints
and splice joints and glue in order to use scrap materials to make long lumber. The joints are then sanded filled and finished to hide the joints. Sometimes shorter sections of wood inside the door are used to make a frame, and then particle board and a thin mahogany veneered surface is added by a laminating machine. 
The plain scarf is not preferred when strength is required, so it is often used in decorative situations, such as the application of trim or moulding. The use of modern high-strength adhesives can greatly increase the structural performance of a plain scarf. However when used in exterior products such as doors this method is never used by top quality door builders. The scarf is a method of using scrap pieces of wood to make long lumber. The end results are never positive.
Scarf joints and splice joints are used when longer premium lumber is not available or scrap is being used.
tand
The Doors Shown Below Are Created by Gluing Together Scrap Pieces Of Mahogany Using a Method Known As Scarf Joinery, Combined With CNC Machine Carving And A Hollow Tube Cold Bent Metal Faux Painted Grill.
The scarf joint in woodworking, there are two distinctly different categories of scarf, based on whether the joint has interlocking faces or not. A plain scarf is simply two flat planes meeting on an angle relative to the axis of the stock being joined, and depends entirely on adhesive and/or mechanical fastening (screws, bolts, etc.) for all strength. Structured scarf joint includes hooked, keyed, and nibbed scarfs and are some of the many example of interlocking scarfs, offering varying degrees of tensile and compressive strength, though most still depend on mechanical fastening to keep the joint closed.
A splice joint is a method of joining two members end to end in woodworking. The splice joint is used when the material being joined is not available in the length required. It is an alternative to other joints such as the butt joint and the scarf joint. Splice joints are stronger than unreinforced butt joints and have the potential to be stronger than a scarf joint. They are more visible than a scarf joint but may be preferred when more strength is required.
Splices are therefore most often used when structural elements are required in longer lengths than the available material. The most common form of the splice joint is the half lap splice, which is common in building construction, where it is used to join shorter lengths of timber into longer beams. The splice joint should never be used in quality furniture or door building.
Source info: EIA US Office P.O. Box 53343 Washington, DC 20009 United States of America info@eia-global.org Tel +1 202 483 6621 Fax +1 202 986 8626 www.eia-global.org
Also using this illegal foreign wood it could also mean bug infestation certificates of origin as well as de-infestation and are required on all imported woods due to the likely hood of bug infestation such as bed bugs. Click this link below for wood imports- Florida Entomologist report.
Mortise and tenon, simple and strong- The mortise and tenon joint has been used for thousands of years by woodworkers around the world to join pieces of wood, usually when the pieces are at an angle close to 90°. Although there are many variations on the theme, the basic idea is that the end of one of the members is inserted into a hole cut in the other member. The end of the first member is called the tenon, and it is usually narrowed with respect to the rest of the piece. The hole in the second member is called the mortise. The joint may be glued, pinned, or wedged to lock it in place. This joint is also used with other materials and, for example, is a traditional method for Stonemasons and Blacksmiths.
A mortise is a cavity cut into a timber to receive a tenon. There are several kinds of mortises.
Open mortise - A mortise that has only three sides. (See Bridle joint).
Stub mortise or "suicide" joint - A shallow mortise, depth depends on the size of the timber; also a mortise that does not go through the work-piece (as opposed to a "through mortise"). the back is wider, or taller, than the front, or opening. The space for the wedge initially allows room for the tenon to be inserted, the presence of the wedge, after the tenon has been engaged, prevents its withdrawal. Sometimes called a "suicide" joint - since it is strictly a "one way trip".
Through wedged half-dovetail - A wedged half-dovetail mortise that passes entirely through the piece.
A tenon is a projection on the end of a timber for insertion into a mortise. Usually the tenon is taller than it is wide. There are several kinds of tenons.
Stub tenon - A short tenon; depth depends on the size of the timber; also a tenon that is shorter than the width of the mortised piece so the tenon does not show (as opposed to a "through tenon").
Tusk tenon - A kind of mortise and tenon joint that uses a wedge-shaped key to hold the joint together.
Through tenon - A tenon that passes entirely through the piece of wood it is inserted into, being clearly visible on the back side.
Teasel tenon - A term used for the tenon on top of a jowled or gunstock post, which is typically received by the mortise in the underside of a tie beam. A common element of the English tying joint.
Top tenon - The tenon that occurs on top of a post.
Feather tenon - A round-shouldered machined fillet or feather which is glued into a machine (router) made slot or mortise on each side of the joint.
Generally the size of the mortise and tenon is related to the thickness of the timbers. It is considered good practice to proportion the tenon as 1/3rd the thickness of the rail, or as close to this as is practical. The haunch, the cut away part of a sash corner joint that prevents the tenon coming loose, is one third the length of the tenon and one sixth of the width of the tenon in its depth. The remaining two-thirds of the rail, the tenon shoulders help to counteract lateral forces that might tweak the tenon from the mortise, contributing to its strength. These also serve to hide imperfections in the opening of the mortise.
Mortis And tenon is an ancient joint and has been found joining the wooden planks of the "Khufu ship", a 43.6 m long vessel sealed into a pit in the Giza pyramid complex of the Fourth Dynasty around 2,500 BC. It has also been found in archeological sites in the Middle East, Europe and Asia. The 30 sarsen stones of Stonehenge were dressed and fashioned with mortise and tenon joints before they were erected between 2600 and 2400 B.C.
The finger joint - (Also known as "box joint" or "comb joint") is made by cutting a set of complementary rectangular cuts in two pieces of wood, which are then glued. To visualize a finger joint simply interlock the fingers of your hands at a ninety degree angle; hence the name "finger joint." It is stronger than a butt or lap joint, and often forms part of the overall look of the piece.
The history of the finger joint is believed to have begun with wooden produce boxes or crates in the days before modern, man-made materials. Finger joints were originally cut by hand with saws and sharp chisels. In modern times they are easily and quickly made with a table saw or router and a jig or fixture, which can be shop-made or purchased from a specialty woodworking supply store. A finger joint jig typically consists of a moving fence with an indexing pin that is used to evenly space out the cuts. The fence is moved over a cutting blade making a cut that is then moved over the indexing pin so the next cut can be made.
The strength of a finger joint comes from the long-grain to long-grain contact between the fingers, which provides a solid gluing surface. The number of contact points also allows for more gluing surface as opposed to a butt joint or a rabbet joint.
A dovetail joint or simply dovetail is a joint technique most commonly used in woodworking joinery. Noted for its resistance to being pulled apart (tensile strength), the dovetail joint is commonly used to join for example the sides of a drawer to the front. A series of pins cut to extend from the end of one board interlock with a series of tails cut into the end of another board. The pins and tails have a trapezoidal shape. Once glued, a wooden dovetail joint requires no mechanical fasteners.
The dovetail joint pre-dates written history. Some of the earliest known examples of the dovetail joint are in furniture entombed with mummies dating from First Dynasty of ancient Egypt, as well the tombs of Chinese emperors. The dovetail design is an important method of distinguishing various periods of furniture.
Dovetails can be cut by hand or by machines, often with an electric router and using one of a range of commercially available jigs or templates. Although it is technically a straight forward process, hand-cutting dovetails requires a high degree of accuracy to ensure a snug fit and so can be difficult to master. The pins and tails must fit together with no gap between them so that the joint interlocks tightly with no movement. Thus the cutting of dovetails by hand is regarded as a mark of skill on the part of the craftsperson.
The angle of slope varies according to the wood used. Typically the slope is 1:6 for softwoods and a shallower 1:8 slope for hardwoods. Often a slope of 1:7 is used as a compromise - perhaps using a dovetail template for marking out.
When being cut by hand, there are two schools of thought as to whether the pins or the tails should be cut first. For pins first, the pins are laid out and cut by the chosen method, then the outline of the pins is transferred to the face of the tail board. For tails first, the tails are laid out and cut and then the outline is transferred to the end grain of the pin board. Each has advantages and it is a personal choice as to which is chosen.
Hand cut dovetails can often be distinguished from machine-cut dovetails by the width of the pins. It is possible to have pins that are almost triangular when cut by hand that are not possible when cut with a router, owing to the thickness of the router bit's shank. These narrow pins are known as London Pins.
A through dovetail joint (also known as plain dovetail) joint, where the end grain of both boards is visible when the joint is assembled. Through dovetails are common in carcass and box construction. Traditionally, the dovetails would have often be covered by a veneer. However, dovetails have become a signature of craftsmanship and are generally considered a feature, so they are rarely concealed in contemporary work.
A half-blind dovetail is used when the craftsman does not wish end grain to be visible from the front of the item. The tails are housed in sockets in the ends of the board that is to be the front of the item so that their ends cannot be seen. Half-blind dovetails are commonly used to fasten drawer fronts to drawer sides. This is an alternative to the practice of attaching false fronts to drawers constructed using through dovetails.
The sliding dovetail is a method of joining two boards at right angles, where the intersection occurs within the field of one of the boards, that is not at the end. This joint provides the interlocking strength of a dovetail. Sliding dovetails are assembled by sliding the tail into the socket. It is common to slightly taper the socket, making it slightly tighter towards the rear of the joint, so that the two components can be slid together easily but the joint becomes tighter as the finished position is reached.
The full-blind dovetail obscures the mechanics of the joint altogether. This variant is used in fine work when the craftsperson requires the strength of a dovetail but without the visual intrusion of the interlocking pins and tails. Two versions of this joint are the secret double-lapped dovetail and the full-blind mitered dovetail. The former presents a very thin section of end grain on one edge of the joint, whilst the latter does not. When used in drawer construction, a "full-blind dovetail" is known as a "French dovetail."
Some of these ancient joints and has been found joining the wooden planks of the "Khufu ship", a 43.6 m long vessel sealed into a pit in the Giza pyramid complex of the Fourth Dynasty around 2,500 BC. It has also been found in archeological sites in the Middle East, Europe and Asia. In traditional Chinese architecture, wood components such as beams, brackets, roof frames and struts were made to interlock with perfect fit, without using fasteners or glues, enabling the wood to expand and contract according to humidity. Archaeological evidence from Chinese sites show that by the end of the Neolithic, mortise and tenon joinery was employed in Chinese construction. The 30 sarsen stones of Stonehenge were dressed and fashioned with mortise and tenon joints before they were erected between 2600 and 2400 B.C.
A butt joint is a joinery technique in which two members are joined by simply butting them together. The butt joint is the simplest joint to make since it merely involves cutting the members to the appropriate length and butting them together. It is also the weakest because unless some form of reinforcement is used (see below) it relies upon glue alone to hold it together. Because the orientation of the members usually present only end grain to long grain gluing surface, the resulting joint is inherently weak.
A bridle joint is a woodworking joint, similar to a mortise and tenon, in that a tenon is cut on the end of one member and a mortise is cut into the other to accept it. The distinguishing feature is that the tenon and the mortise are cut to the full width of the tenon member.
The corner bridle joint (also known as a slot mortise and tenon) joins two members at their respective ends, forming a corner. This form of the joint is commonly used to house a rail in uprights, such as legs. It provides good strength in compression and is fairly resistant to racking, although a mechanical fastener or pin is often required. The bridle joint is very popular in workbench construction.
A Butterfly joint is a type of joint used either to hold two or more wooden boards together or to keep two halves of a board that have already started to split from splitting further. They may also be used to stabilize the core of a knothole, preventing it from dropping out over time. A butterfly joint resembles two dovetails connected at the narrow part. A negative of the hole is cut out of the board the butterfly will be placed in and the butterfly is then fitted, keeping the joint together. The wood used for the butterfly is usually a contrasting wood, often walnut.
Coping or scribing is the woodworking technique of shaping the end of a moulding or frame component to fit the contours of an abutting member. Most English speaking countries outside the US use the terms scribe and scribing. Coping is commonly used in the fitting of skirting and other moldings in a room. It allows for clean joints between intersecting members when walls are not square to each other. The other method of fitting these moldings that is commonly used is the mitre joint but this technique relies upon the walls being at 90° to each other for neat results.
Coping is only ever used for internal corners. External corners are always mitered. The main reason that scribed joints are used is that timber shrinks in width far more than it does in length. By using a scribed joint rather than an internal mitre joint the effect of shrinkage is minimized. Also it is possible to arrange the scribed joints pointing away from the most common viewpoint (usually the doorway of a room) and so present the best appearance.
Coping is also commonly used in cabinet making for moldings and frame components. The rails in frame and panel construction are commonly cope cut to fit the profile of the stiles. The technique is also common in the construction of doors and windows.
Frame and panel construction (also called "rail and stile") is a woodworking technique often used in the making of doors, wainscoting, and other decorative features for cabinets, furniture, and homes. The basic idea is to capture a 'floating' panel within a sturdy frame, as opposed to techniques like slab drawer fronts which are simply single pieces of material with exposed end-grains. Usually, the panel is not glued to the frame - it is left to 'float' within it so that seasonal movement of the wood comprising the panel does not distort the frame.
Frame and panel construction at its most basic consists of five members: The panel and the four members which make up the frame. The vertical members of the frame are called stiles while the horizontal members are known as rails. A basic frame and panel item consists of a top rail, a bottom rail, two stiles, and a panel. This is a common method of constructing cabinet doors and these are often referred to as a five piece door.
In larger panels it is common to divide the panel into one or more sections. To house the extra panels, dividing pieces known as mid rails and mid stiles or muntins are added to the frame.
Pocket-Hole Joinery, Pocket-Screw Joinery, or Kreg Joinery involves drilling a hole at an angle into one work-piece, and then joining it to a second work-piece with a self-tapping screw. The technique, in addition to doweling, has its roots in ancient Egypt. Egyptians clamped two work-pieces together and bored a hole at an angle from the outside work-piece into the second work-piece. They then inserted a dowel with glue, and cut it off flush with the outermost surface.
A rabbet (also known as rebate) is a recess or groove cut into the edge of a piece of machinable material, usually wood. When viewed in cross-section, a rabbet is two-sided and open to the edge or end of the surface into which it is cut. The spelling rabbet is probably a derivation of rebate, the latter being more common outside of North America. An example of the use of a rabbet is in a glazing bar where it makes provision for the insertion of the pane of glass and putty. It may also accommodate the edge of the back panel of a cabinet. It is also used in door and casement window jambs.
Tongue and groove joint A strong joint, the tongue and groove joint is widely used for re-entrant angles. The effect of wood shrinkage is concealed when the joint is beaded or otherwise moulded. In expensive cabinet work, glued dovetail and multiple tongue and groove are used. Tongue and groove or T&G is a method of fitting similar objects together, edge to edge, used mainly with wood: flooring, parquetry, panelling, and similar constructions. Tongue and groove joints allow two flat pieces to be joined strongly together to make a single flat surface. Before plywood became common, tongue and groove boards were also used for sheathing buildings and to construct concrete formwork.
Solid parquet boards with tongues on the right sides of the boards and grooves on the left sides. Grooves are also visible on the near ends; the far ends are tongued.
Each piece has a slot (the groove) cut all along one edge, and a thin, deep ridge (the tongue) on the opposite edge. The tongue projects a little less than the groove is deep. Two or more pieces thus fit together closely. The joint is not normally glued, as shrinkage would then pull the tongue off. For many uses, tongue and groove boards have been rendered obsolete by the introduction of plywood and later composite wood boards, but the method is still used in good-quality flooring. Plywood may also be tongued all round to fit it flush into a framed structure, and plywood for sub-floors used in platform framing is often supplied with tongue and groove edges.When joining thicker materials, several tongue and groove joints may be used one above the other.
A dado (US and Canada), housing (UK) or trench (Europe) is a slot or trench cut into the surface of a piece of machinable material, usually wood. When viewed in cross-section, a dado has three sides. A dado is cut across, or perpendicular to, the grain and is thus differentiated from a groove which is cut with, or parallel to, the grain. A dado may be through, meaning that it passes all the way through the surface and its ends are open, or stopped, meaning that one or both of the ends finish before the dado meets the edge of the surface.
Dougong (simplified Chinese: 斗拱; traditional Chinese: 斗拱; pinyin: dǒugǒng) is a unique structural element of interlocking wooden brackets, one of the most important elements in traditional Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Malaysian and Singaporian architecture. The use of dougong first appeared in buildings of the late centuries BC and evolved into a structural network that joined pillars and columns to the frame of the roof.
Diagram of bracket and cantilever arms from the building manual Yingzao Fashi (published in 1103) of the Song Dynasty.
Dougong was widely used in the ancient Chinese during the Spring and Autumn Period (770–476 BC) and developed into a complex set of interlocking parts by its peak in the Tang and Song periods. The pieces are fit together by joinery alone without glue or fasteners, due to the precision and quality of the carpentry. After the Song Dynasty, brackets and bracket sets became more ornamental than structural when used in palatial structures and important religious buildings, no longer the traditional dougong.
Dougong inside the East Hall timber hall of Foguang Temple, built in 857 during the Tang Dynasty
In traditional Chinese architecture, wood components such as beams, brackets, roof frames and struts were made to interlock with perfect fit, without using fasteners or glues, enabling the wood to expand and contract according to humidity. Archaeological evidence from Chinese sites show that by the end of the Neolithic, mortise and tenon joinery was employed in Chinese construction.
When you purchase investment quality furnishings, doors, gates, cabinets, lighting and hardware they will appreciate and keep up with inflation or exceed most other investments. For this reason, becoming wealthy has very little to do with a higher education or having a lot of extra money. It is truly making wise decisions and a state of mind that allows for you to pay once for a good value and continue to grow wealth while enjoying living in your investment. Not to mention this type of investing has many other benefits, such as priceless family heirlooms that have meaning and the ability to pass on your legacy to future generations.
Sunday, April 27, 2008
19th Century Barouche Arrives (Project Start To Finish)
This photo shows the condition of our 160 year old re build project as it arrives our dock.
This rawer calash hand built in Germany in 1860 is one of a kind. It is a originial because it was built to some ones specific specifications fitted with sleigh runners for snow as well as wheels. ( our customer tells us he knows of no other any were in the world )This Calash was probably built for a wealthy european family or royalty. Evidenced by the fact this type of carriage required a driver. The top of this carriage is hand pitched genuine leather and was hand edged in solid brass. The cushions are probably original 1860, upon our inspection they were filled with straw and horsehair. The button tuck was all hand stitched in the same manor as we upholster today at Scottsdale Art Factory using master seamstress and leather smiths.
All of the wood for the body and fenders is hand steam bent old growth lumber and hand finished ( including 5-8 coats of hand applied paint added over the original oil finish in different colors over the 160 years). Notice the sleigh runners are cut from one piece of old growth timber no joints or seams. The sleigh runners seem to be the original finish. The wheels were hand made from match grained hard wood and the forge iron was hand fitted to the expansion of the wheels.
All the wrought iron hubs and tread, iron parts,and sleigh runners
were hand forged useing the only methods avaliable at the time in 1860. A anvil, hot forge, and the arm of a master blacksmith in the same way our master blacksmiths work today at Scottsdale Art Factory. Each connecting piece, springs, axles, hubs, breaks and lanterns etc. were also hand forged in the same manor.Proving once again that when it is built to world class quality it will always stand the test of time.
In this case even though it was not cared for for many years.Our Moto and Promish
There was a time when master craftsmen signed their work with pride knowing each furnishing would become a cherished heirloom and antique. Scottsdale Art Factory carries on this tradition!
Coal Fired, Hammered By Master Blacksmiths “The Old Fashioned Way."
Re Built in America by the hands of American master craftsman using only the finest natural materials. ( no casted copies or foreign sub contract )
coaches and carriages: Barouche: The fancy carriage of the early 1800s
coaches and carriages: Barouche: The fancy carriage of the early 1800s: "Barouche: The fancy carriage of the early 1800s
An open carriage, the fashionable 19th century Barouche came from the earlier Calash (caleche). It was shallow and four-wheeled with two double seats inside facing each other.The collapsible hood folding bellows-like came over the back seat, and outside, driver's box seat stood elevated. Horses of quality led it on summer leisure rides.
The terms barouchet or barouchette referred to a light barouche."
coaches and carriages: Barouche: The fancy carriage of the early 1800s
coaches and carriages: Barouche: The fancy carriage of the early 1800s: "Barouche: The fancy carriage of the early 1800s
An open carriage, the fashionable 19th century Barouche came from the earlier Calash (caleche). It was shallow and four-wheeled with two double seats inside facing each other.The collapsible hood folding bellows-like came over the back seat, and outside, driver's box seat stood elevated. Horses of quality led it on summer leisure rides.
The terms barouchet or barouchette referred to a light barouche."
Monday, December 10, 2007
A Ferrari Is Not A Yugo "However They Are Both Cars"
A Ferrari Is Not A Yugo "However They Are Both Cars"
We are only trying to get your attention. In the market place today the coping of America's and European handmade custom heirloom furniture, doors, lighting, and hardware designs is running ramped. The use of high tech machines and cheap foreign labor make it possible to make paste board and veneers look like good product. There is no investment value in these products and do not compare to hand made investment quality furnishings. In fact, most of the famous name brands we all grew up believing were high quality have sold out in the name of profit to cheap foreign production manufacturing, mostly due to current government trade policy and corporate greed.Scottsdale Art Factory Will Never Sell Its Soul To Cheap Foreign Manufacturers For Any Reason.We sill make all of our products in America the old fachisioned way with top quality natural materials and by the American hands of our master craftsman.
Made In China Furniture Will BeYard Sale Merchandise Soon
Why Production Furnishings Will Never Be Investment Quality
See whyAmerican handmade Furniture will always return your investment and will stand the test of time
Friday, November 30, 2007
California Fire Victims Information / Considerations When Filing Fire Claims
When a devastating event happens, such as the fire loss of your property, there is usually a rush to file loss claims.
This knee jerk reaction can cost you thousands of dollars in unrecoverable loss. Most insurance companies will respond immediately with a adjuster usually under the guise of "we are here to help." The biggest mistakes most insured make is to believe the adjuster is there just to be helpful. He or she is there for two reasons.
The insurance company is bound by your insurance contract to respond.
The insurance company knows it is in their best interest to get you to settle as fast as possible. His/her real job is to get you to settle and sign off for as little as you are willing to accept. Thus resulting in controlling the amount of loss the insurance will have to pay.
The following is a step by step how not to become a victim of your insurance company.
1. Make sure you obtain a professional, fire claims experienced, attorney to handle your claim. This will sound expensive however, it will not cost you anything in the long run. A good attorney or firm will accept your case with no up front payment and a fixed fee not based upon the amount of settlement. To find a qualified attorney in your area contact the State Bar of California attorney search.
2. Separate the replacement of your home from your personal property loss. Keep all claims and settlements separate. This allows you to get the maximum and correct payment for your loss.
3. Most insurance polices are for replacement value. This means you have the right to choose your builder even if the bid is the highest one. You do not have to settle for your adjusters recommended contractors. See your attorney for details.
4. Many homes that burned were built eight to ten years ago or more, prior to the huge influx of foreign made building, decorating materials and furnishings. For example Home Depot, Lowes, etc., primarily only offer foreign made (mostly in china) interior and exterior lighting, doors, windows and other building items. These items might look the same but the value is not the same that was installed on or in your home back when it was real steel instead pot metals or solid wood doors instead of paste boards and veneers. If you settle for less quality you loose in the long run. You have the right to request these materials be the same.
5. Furnishings that were in your home, purchased prior to seven or eight years ago, were probably from a name brand American manufacturer made in America. The further back your furnishings were purchased the better the quality and your investment. If you allow replacement by these same name brands you may not get the quality you once had. Most furniture made by these same manufacturers is now made in china or some country with a less expensive work force. The work force is only part of the problem. In the name of making a larger profit these same manufacturers allowed the use of fake or faux materials such as composition boards, paste boards, and veneers or films that look like the real thing. Furnishings that are made this way will never become antiquities or increase in value. This kind of merchandise and materials is 98% of what is being offered in the market place today. Usually marked up four to five hundred percent for profit. If you settle for this merchandise to replace your investment quality, U.S. made furnishing of a higher value you loose. Many these manufacturers once stood for quality and your furnishings would have become priceless family heirlooms. This foreign made merchandise made with inferior quality materials will only be yard sale fodder in the end.
6. Keep in mind it is your insurance companies responsibility to put you back whole. This means replaced as it was and at its true value. True value also means if your items were the real thing and, would have become an antique, the replacement items should be the same otherwise you have lost your future investment value or family heirloom. Also don't fall for the adjusters line on depreciation, good quality furnishings can increase in value every year.
7. Doors, windows and other building items are also now being farmed out to foreign manufacturers. Many under big corporate brand names we all recognize, names that once stood for American made quality. Copies of the real thing in faux materials will never stand up to the test of time. This is a major area of concern and you could come up short with out realizing it. Keep in mind a lot of chemical processes are used to manufacture furnishing, doors and other building materials to create composition boards, engineered boards, paste boards and veneers that comprise most of these kinds of manufactured goods. Also the jury is not in on how safe these materials made in china really are environmentally or to our health considering the lead paint in toys and furnishings recently discovered. If your home was not originally built with this low quality of merchandise you do not have to settle for it as replacement. See your attorney for details.
8. If you are handling your own claims there are some professionals with impeccable reputations that can be of great help free of charge. If your are replacing vehicles or equipment go to your original dealer and obtain a replacement value statement. Most dealers will be happy to provide this in hopes of getting your business. When it comes to house replacement or other buildings start with a reputable and well known architect. If the original is available this would be first choice if you plan to rebuild the same as before. Also, most builders maintain copies of blueprints which will be helpful in establishing your homes true value and replacement cost to rebuild in todays market. Many architects can also point you the best tried and tested builders and tradesmen. Also, they will be able to provide your insurance company with accurate bids allowing for true replacement value.
When it comes to jewelry and other personal effects always go to the experts. When possible return to the original stores of purchase and make a list to obtain the true replacement value of your items. See your attorney for details.
The hardest thing to find is an American furniture, door, and lighting manufacturer that still makes the real thing. Here we provide a link to one of the oldest and largest manufacturers of truly handmade investment quality furniture, doors, lighting and hardware still made in the USA. This manufacturer will provide free replacement value statements that most insurance companies will accept and can not dispute. They are located in Scottsdale Arizona and will work directly with your insurance adjuster, builder, designer, or yourself to provide your replacement furnishing timed with your reconstruction. Do a Google Blog Search on this info! Or visit here for the latest!
This devastating time in your life is very emotional, however, keep in mind your insurance company realizes this. Not to sound like all insurance companies are out to take advantage of your situation, it is simply the nature of their business. Insurance companies are there to collect premiums and to keep losses to a minimum. The very nature of this system is never in your best interest. Like with your health care you must be pro-active in this process. No one will take care of you like you will. This call will save you thousands of dollars
1 800 292 0008
Thursday, November 29, 2007
Scottsdale Art Factory Built On American Arts And Crafts Foundation
William Morris (1834-1896 ) Was the driving force behind the English Arts and Crafts movement. 
Just a few miles away in Riverside County the Marbella brothers, master craftsman in their own right,are influenced by these builders, designers, and master craftsman. They notice they are practicing their craft in a way consistent to their own family values taught to them in Italy. These Italian immigrants with meager finances and no big money connections had a parcel of land and began to process lumber and manufacture in Arizona.
Every creative enterprise is always built on a foundation that was laid down by its predecessors. People who themselves were in turn dependent on the groundwork laid down by those who came before. Gustave Stickley's impact was felt far and wide at the time, he became a major factor in American furniture design. Gustave Stickly and the Greene's and Halls were the greatest early influence on the Marbella brothers concepts. These pioneers had laid down the foundation that the Marbella brothers would build upon in America.
Still building upon this foundation,is a direct decedent of the Marbella brothers. World renown artist, master craftsman in his own right and designer H.J.Nick carries on to this day the same ideals, methods and master craftsmanship.
Today known as Scottsdale Art Factory located in Scottsdale Arizona this factory is currently building some of the worlds finest handmade entrance doors, hand carved theme doors, custom investment quality furniture, hand-forged lighting chandeliers and hardware. All built to world class standards set down by these predecessors.
H.J.Nick's Scottsdale Art Factory is one of the largest handmade in America manufacturers. Featuring a state of the art design department headed by H.J.Nick himself. Designs built today are a joint collaboration between the customer and their design department. Using high tech and low tech these investment quality designs are limited only by the customers imagination.
Staying true to Gustave Stickly's American arts and crafts principals. Using Greene and Greene and Halls philosophy of raising the bar to the finest investment quality Scottsdale Art Factoryhas been able to continue to raise the bar even more. By training the nearly lost art of the master craftsman. Scottsdale Art Factory is able to maintain a consistent staff of the finest blacksmiths, woodcarvers,stone smiths, wood-rights and the many other tradesman necessary to build investment quality products. Without compromising the true sprite of the American Arts and Crafts movement each product is built by hand with attention to detail in the age old tradition(no paste boards, plywoods, or faux materials). No matter your if need is a custom door, lighting chandelier, furnishing, or piece of hardware it is guaranteed to stand the test of time . Recommended reading Darrell Peart's book on Greene & Greene
Your Home Should Create Memories.
Memory is such an interesting tool. We can, given the right stimulus, recall with clarity a moment in time, long past. There are times, when moving through a crowd when I catch a scent and will be catapulted back in time to my Grandmother’s house on Clear Lake on a Saturday morning. Sometimes it’s just a simple smell, like fresh berries,cut grass or fried fish that brings back vivid memories of my childhood.
At Grandma's house we would begin our day by looking out at the lake and consider the possibilities. My Mother and Uncles would all be getting ready to water ski, fish or pick black berries. Sometimes all I have to do is look at Grandma's old hand carved cedar chest where she kept, what she called, the most important things.
One of my most vivid memories was when Grandma decided she needed a new front door. The entrance to her home was always unremarkable so we all chimed in and encouraged her to get something unique. Then the question, "what would make it special?" We began on-line and stumbled upon a wonderful website artfactory.com. We then chose a style that reflected the ambiance of the lake home and its surroundings. With all the possibilities they offered we then all agreed that it should reflect our lifestyle and the things we all enjoyed doing while we were together. We got out a lot of our old photos of fishing, the woods and all the moments we loved when Grandpa and Grandma were together.
We were excited to work with Scottsdale Art Factory because of their reputation and their ability to use our family photographs in the hand carvings on the door. Grandma was so pleased with her new custom door! The rest is history (see the photo included of our door of memories).
It has been several years and Grandma is no longer with us but every time we get together at the lake house warm memories overwhelm me.
It has been said that all we ever really have in life is our memories. If that is the case then I suggest we make memories that last. I once heard that it’s better to be looked over than overlooked and in the context of making lasting memories I believe this to be true. Why go through life in beige if chartreuse will linger in the memory? Why opt for basic black if tangerine will seal the moment? Why be boring if bold will cause you to stand out and be noticed?
As with all theories, there are exceptions; however, when it comes to our homes, making a lasting first impression is a must.
Speaking of lists, have you been adding to yours? Last week we were standing on the threshold of your home trying to assess what small projects we could undertake that would make your home a bit more beautiful. What did you accomplish in this regard? How did you make your home more beautiful?
Please write and let me know how you’ve improved on the impression your home makes on others and how it will be remembered.
For ideas and actions I suggest an American manufacturer with a long reputation of being able to create hand carved doors, handmade lighting, and top quality furnishings of all styles. This company has many designers that make interior decorating a no-brainer and at prices most can afford. Visit Art Factory to see examples.
How To Do Your Own Home Inspection
Let’s take a walk through your home and see if there may be an item or two worth changing in favor of something more beautiful. At the end of the day that's what we all want for our homes. We want to provide a beautiful environment for our family and friends to enjoy their time while under our roof.
Beauty in the home does not just happen, it takes great effort to create specific beauty throughout your home. Honestly,few of us are gifted with an eye for scale, proportion and balance as to guarantee effortless decorating and a lovely home. Most of us work diligently, reading, researching and asking questions. We are always searching for he next idea that will make our home more appealing.
Let’s begin at the beginning. Walk out your front door and as you do switch hats. Become a guest seeing your home for the first time. Approach the door with new eyes what do you see? How does what you see make you feel? What can you do today to improve the view and the experience? It was Theodore Roosevelt who said, “Do what you can…with what you have…where you are.”
This is my suggestion for you today. On a note pad, jot down two small projects that will enhance the experience of approaching your front door. They may be as basic as sweeping the porch, touching up the paint or putting up the new house numbers that have been collecting dust in the trunk of your car.
The point is to do something! Set goals for yourself that you are sure to achieve and then proceed. You will feel great and take the first step towards creating a more beautiful home.
If you feel you could use a little help, let me recommend a wonderful custom manufacture that offers free interior or exterior design help.Scottsdale Art Factory H.J.Nick is a world class artist, designer with credits extended to interior designing some of the worlds finest homes. H.J.Nick's design team will provide design ideas at no cost to you. Simply order your items to be built by Scottsdale Art Factory. This company has been designing and manufacturing furniture, doors, gates, lighting and hardware for some of the worlds finest interior designers for over nine decades. All handmade in America to family heirloom investment quality standards at what I find to be very reasonable prices.
Become A High End Interior Designer
American handmade furniture and the art of master wood workers, master craftsman, master blacksmiths, and what their skills contribute to architecture and engineering elements that make top designers excel. Regarding such design elements as grand entrance doors, hand carved windows and doors, interior furnishings,iron elements, stair railing, fencing, door hardware,chandeliers and other structural and decorator design elements of American and the worlds architecture.
It is Imperative these design elements such as furniture, doors, lighting, and hardware stand the test of time.
Cedar Door Built By Viking Craftsman cir 1185
Scottsdale Art Factory builds entrance doors today in the very same way they did in the 12th. century. We harvest from the North wood's tall stands of Northern cedar. We air dry all of our timber naturally on the dessert floor for a year or more prior to the final milling of your exterior or interior door project. Once you have placed your order, we mill again to final dimensions required by your custom door order. After this final milling we let it cure dry again. This is to insure that when we join and press these solid wood planks together they never warp, bow or split after the door has been joined together to make a solid wood door slab or blade.
Most materials used today are fast kiln dried. This is performed by force drying the material to a percentage of humidity level then joining. The rest of the drying time occurs after the product is delivered to your home. Usually warping and bowing and always shrinking all in the name of production speed and profit.
We at Scottsdale Art Factory "guarantee all of our products forever"no questions asked. All backed by our over nine decades of fine craftsmanship. We also have on staff some of the worlds best blacksmiths. Using these same techniques as the Vikings did on this door hardware. We still hand make fine hardware in any style. All finishes are patinas not faux or paint. See hundreds of door examples and our blacksmiths at work using hammer,anvil and forge at http://www.artfactory.com/prodIndex.aspx?category=2 all built to these specifications.
Moroccan Entrance Door History
Scottsdale Art Factory: Offers Anglo Indian style doors with large bases in unique original design. Indian carving with European influence. Antique style door from the once French enclave in India, Pandacheri. Perfect for wine cellar or to give character to any house. Fine flower carvings on frame sides and over and under lintel. South India. Gujarat temple style doors, carved in solid cedar, inset with iron or copper plaques are avaliable. We can make you a pair of doors with massive carved frame ideal for your wine cellar. Spectacularly deep carved framed door. You may order huge hand forged iron hinges. Install these on your guest house and "Shahrazad" will come.
Berbers The early Berbers were unmoved by the colonizing Phoenicians, and even the Romans did little to upset the Berber way of life after the sack of Carthage in 146 BC. All the same, the Romans ushered in a long period of peace during which many cities were founded, and the Berbers of the coastal plains became city dwellers. Christianity turned up in the 3rd century AD, and again the Berbers asserted their traditional dislike of centralized authority by following Donatus (a Christian sect leader who claimed that the Donatists alone constituted the true church).
Morocco officially Kingdom of Morocco, Arabic Al-Maghrib, or Al-Mamlakah al-MaghribYyah country of northwestern North Africa that lies directly across the Strait of Gibraltar from Spain. It borders Algeria to the east and southeast, Western Sahara to the south, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north. It is the only African country with coastal exposure to both the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. With the Western Sahara's 97,344 square miles (252,120 square km), Morocco occupies a total area of 274,461 square miles (710,850 square km). Casablanca is the largest city, primary seaport, and commercial and industrial hub. Rabat is the capital and the country's second largest city.
Because of its lack of natural harbors, its rugged mountainous interior, and its distance throughout its history from imperial centers in the east, Morocco remained relatively free from foreign invasion until the early 20th century. This enabled it to preserve a proud traditional character, which is a rich blend of Berber, Arab-Islamic, Iberian, and African cultural influences. Those traits were joined by an infusion of European cultural elements during the colonial period (1912–56) when Morocco was a protectorate of both France and Spain.
Brief History:
Unlike other North African nations, Morocco has been largely occupied by one group of people for as long as recorded history can recall. The Berbers, or Imazighen (men of the land), settled in the area thousands of years ago and at one time controlled all of the land between Morocco and Egypt. Divided into clans and tribes, they have always jealously guarded their independence. It's this fierce spirit that has helped preserve one of Africa's most fascinating cultures.
