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The Rossi Custom Copper Chimney Cap, Mantle, and Fire Screen Details & Photo Page Palos Verdes Estates, California (4/13) |
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This order was for Albert Rossi in S. W. Palos Verdes Estates, California. He loved the chimney cap and mantle set I made for a client named Chris & Christine Sarkinen in St. Michael, Minnesota: http://copper-by-design.com/cc/ccd7.htm#Sarkinen
The differences was it is a little larger, the concave roof is scaled down, and it has no weathervane mount. He had contacted me on 1/23/13 and laid down a $1.2k deposit on 2/2/13 after a rough quote, since he was not sure about the final measurements. We were then able to take time to work out all the details before fabrication began.
Al asked me to make my first fire-screen as well. It is 48" wide and 39" high in the center. It has a 1.25" copper pipe frame with a larger 1.5" pipe arch. I made this all with rust-free metals for outdoor use, unlike most fire-screens. It has a finished look on both sides, so it's reversable.
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Building the Base/Skirt Section |
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Here's the 4 pieces of 5/4X6 Ipe hardwood support frame we needed to build inside the copper base that helps anchor this down in high wind storms. Each board has been cut on all 4 sides at an angle. The top and bottom were cut on my table saw at a 18 degree angle and the ends were cut at a 45 degree angle to miter them together. They weigh 26.4# and will be positioned down low where it should not suffer heat from the chimney and shielded from the elements. They are glued in and we also treat the inside with tung oil to keep them dry.
The base/skirt for the chimney cap cut out and shaped with the wood being pressed down into the frame while the expanding Gorilla Glue sets. Then it is ready to be assembled into this base/skirt. There's a channel for the SS spark arrest screen already in this section as well.
From: "Al Rossi" <AlR@rdfcpas.c*m> |
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Building the Mid Exhaust Section |
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This shows the 13 gauge stainless steel spark arrest screen getting attached and the 4 columns being attached to this mid-section. We cut and bent the screen to set into a channel along the inside rim of the bases. These screens are what we get my hands lacerated on more than any other aspect of our work, so it's important to hide all the edges of this SS screen, so these are safe for anyone else handling this.
There is a good deal of math and geometry involved here, so it's all in the right proportions, and the bottom of the columns rest on the angled base just right. The SS screen is secured to the base through the 2 layers of copper with dozens of longer rivets, and then riveted into the back of each arch and column. Once it is fully attached with hundreds of fasteners the SS screen adds a great deal of strength to this structure.
We were able to make these columns from a single sheet of copper for a strong structure with a clean look that has very few seams or rivets showing. There were numerous test fittings before we could fasten it down to the base. These eaves were engineered to extend 2" out past the base for a width of 39".
The eaves are attached to cup over the SS screen and over the columns. We added this pan across the center, so this will have a clean finished look as they see up through the screen. We don't normally do this in most chimney caps, since they are several stories high, and not seen up close like this will.
We added this 3/4" pipe cross member to help support the eaves. The shot of Chris lifting it up by the cross brace demonstrates how sturdy it is already. Then we added this short pipe cross member to help support the outer eaves, demonstrating how anal I am about these details. We had to keep this low profile, so it's not in the way of the roof skin that needs to go over all this.
From: "Al Rossi" <AlR@rdfcpas.c*m> |
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Building the Roof Section |
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As you can imagine it's tricky to determine the right shape for the template to have the roof skins form this concave shape as they come together in the corners. Just a couple mm off and this would look quite different. The bottom edge of the roof skins cup the outer edge of the eaves, so the sharp edges are hidden. Then we clamp the hip flanges together to see if any changes need to be made. Once we're confident this is the right curvature we flux and soldered 2 of the seams from inside. The last 2 seams for the final panel had to be soldered from outside. Normally we would not use solder, because it melts at a much lower temperature, but with the ceiling pan in this the roof should never get nearly that hot.
We're not relying solely on the solder. The corners are also riveted together with the cover caps. More over-sized industrial looking rivet are tediously attached with long rivets onto the outer rim of the roof. We attached 20 to each side for a total of 232 in all.
The hip corner caps did not come together perfectly, as expected, so we made this peak cover cap for a nice clean look and a better way to seal the peak The aluminum template is designed and fitted to make sure this will be just right before making the final copper cap. That is 2 layers of 24oz copper and 4 layers of 20oz copper at each hip for a combined thickness of 128oz copper. I imagine this peak is strong enough to take quite a hit.
Date: Mon, 1 Apr 2013 |
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Building the Mantle |
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I used a 1/2" marine grade plywood for the back plate, which was glued and screwed together. A duel layer of 1/4" hardwood plywood was attached across the sides and front face to allow for the curvature with some bronze nails. Then this was covered with a 3 piece 32oz copper skin attached with an expanding polyurethane glue for a more solid feel and dent resistance. The outer rim had to be hammered down over the edges, because of the curvature in the outer face. Then another 58 over-sized industrial looking rivet are tediously attached with bronze nails.
From: "Al Rossi" <AlR@rdfcpas.c*m>
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Building the Fire-Screen |
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Al asked me to make my first fire screen as well. I got some 1.25" copper pipes and cut a groove out lengthwise to slide the stainless steel screen in that slot.
The screen has a bend along the edges, so it's not going to come out of the channel. This SS screen is stiff enough the bend is not going to be undone like flimsy window screen.
I had made the arch with the same size pipe, but it turned out 1/2" too short when I was done, so I had to remake it. I decided to use a larger 1.5" pipe this time and it I feel it turned out very nicely with a little added style.
The feet are made with a pair of thick walled 1/2" brass tubes. A typical fire screen might have just a 6" wide foot stance, but these feet have a 3X wider 18" stance, since this is for an outdoor screen subject to wind. From: "Al Rossi" <AlR@rdfcpas.c*m> |
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Mantle final weight is 33.6# - 13.8# wood weight = 19.8#
Chimney Cap final weight is 105.2# Fire Screen: $600 as quoted Freight costs: |
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Polish and Delivery |
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Here's a few pics of the chimney cap out in the Sunlight.
I had to be rather creative to pack these in the smallest possible shipping crate, and pack each piece, so they don't come in contact with other pieces.
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Installation |
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This client was kind enough to send us these shots of the pieces we made for them installed.
From: "Al Rossi" <AlR@rdfcpas.c*m> |
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Click in this photo to go back to Chimney Caps main info page
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Below is a
photo of our |
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We were also a 1997 finalist for this same award. See our referral web page to see how we managed to be honored with this special award |
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