Metal Archives - Seasonal Living

Metals: Strength with Resilience

Metal furniture frames give our furnishings strength and durability for outdoor environments. We also use metal for its sheer beauty as a covering, in the case of our Ingot Collection. In all cases, metal elements are crafted for long-lasting beauty.

Raw Elements

Seasonal Living uses tubular, powder-coated aluminum and steel for furniture frames, as well as copper and brass for sheeting Ingot products.

Aluminum

Aluminum frames support the vast majority of our outdoor furniture collections. Aluminum’s strength is comparable to steel or cast iron, but it is much lighter than tropical hardwoods, such as teak. This makes aluminum light enough to be easily moved and gives designers tremendous flexibility in designing personalized indoor and outdoor environments.

Aluminum is a great rust-resistant metal. All Seasonal Living aluminum frames are powder-coated for maximum protection and longevity. The finish is easy to maintain and does not need periodic refinishing like other surfaces. Aluminum furniture also is easier to manufacture than other materials. It has a low melting point, so it can be produced using less energy. It also can be easily extruded or cast into any shape.

Steel
Steel is used to frame products for strength and when a product requires other metals to be welded to a frame. Steel used in Seasonal Living products is powder-coated to protect from rust and abrasion. In some cases, stainless steel is used for added strength, superior rust resistance, or a luxury finish.

Copper
Our artisans use high-quality copper for producing Ingot Collection tables, pedestals, and fire pits. Copper was traditionally mined and smithed in Santa Clara del Cobre, located in Michoacan, Mexico. Before the Spanish arrived, the Purépecha culture had become the most evolved metalsmiths in Central America. Artisans still use extremely physical handcrafting techniques to produce a wide range of handmade and hand-hammered products.

Copper sheets and plates have excellent hot or cold workability. Copper conducts heat and electricity easily, and it provides excellent resistance to corrosion. Copper is widely known for its architectural applications where it achieves a green patina over time when exposed to the elements.

Brass
Brass is an alloy of copper and zinc. Used widely for decorative purposes because of its smooth, shiny gold appearance, brass is easy to polish and resists tarnishing. Brass sheets are soft, ductile metal that brazes, cuts and machines easily. India has been a leading metal craft country for thousands of years. Indian artisans are considered the best brass metal crafters in the world.

Coatings

Powder coating is a dry finishing process that produces a high-quality, durable surface for aluminum and steel products. Powder coatings are based on polymer resin systems combined with curatives, pigments, leveling agents, flow modifiers, and other additives. These ingredients are melted, mixed, cooled, and ground into a uniform powder similar to baking flour.

The powder is deposited on a metal substrate through electrostatic spray deposition (ESD). A spray gun applies an electrostatic charge to the powder particles, which are then attracted to the grounded metal. After coating, the metal part enters a curing oven. By adding heat, the coating chemically reacts to produce long molecular chains, resulting in high cross-link density. These molecular chains are very resistant to breakdown.

Powder coating provides a more durable finish than paint while maintaining an attractive finish. Powder-coated products greatly resist impact, moisture, chemicals, ultraviolet light, and day-to-day normal weather conditions.

Manufacturing

Our furnishing products are fashioned by skilled craftsmen, starting with metal frame fabrication. Metal components are machined by hand, and craftsmen weld aluminum or steel frames. Every steel structure is created by hand to match design specifications. Once the frame is completed, the piece goes to the next step of crafting.

For Ingot Collection tables, pedestals, and fire pits, the steel skeleton is then ready for its “skin.” Skins are created of copper or brass sheets. Individual sheets are heated to make them malleable. The sheet is then pounded flat by hand using incredible force, which ensures the malleability. Next, the sheet is reheated and pounded a second time. The flattened sheet is washed, inspected for defects, marked, and repaired.

The clean sheet is then passed to an artisan, who uses a specially made hammer to embellish the metal with a specific design or pattern. Hundreds of strikes to the metal are required to create each precise and unique design. Once the design is completed, the sheet is fitted to the shape of the structure and adjusted to ensure perfect alignment. Sheets are then welded to frames. Once complete, each object is coated with Permalac® coating to protect the finish against oxidation.