Summer Classes at Michael Daniel Metal Design in New York City

Starting in May 2015, Michael Daniel Metal Design will be offering summer courses in welding and metal sculpture. Classes are open to beginners and will be held once a week for 3-hours. Each section is five-weeks. Registration is limited to 7 students per section.

Unlike most introductory welding and metal sculpture courses, students are able to choose what they would like to make. With the help of the instructor, Michael Daniel, students design and make either a sculptural or functional object. For example, past student projects have included  tables (coffee tables, end tables, console tables), shelving units, lamps, abstract wall hangings, and figurines. At the end of the five-week course, students leave the class with a piece of artwork that is their own.

The low student-teacher ratio provides for focused and personal instruction that is often missing from most introductory welding classes. The class site at Michael Daniel Metal Design is a large, professional metal studio. Each student has his/her own work table and is given the supplies needed to complete the final project.

More information on the classes -- including online registration options -- can be found here. 

The Perfect Holiday Gift Idea

Looking for a unique Christmas gift? Tired of giving presents that no one wants?  Here's a gift certificate that will spark inspiration and creativity: a series of introductory welding and metal sculpting classes at Michael Daniel Metal Design in NYC.  

In the five-week course, students will be introduced to basic welding and metal sculpting techniques and will complete a simple project.

In addition to learning how to weld, students will also learn how to safely operate power tools used in metal sculpting and fabrication (including cutting, grinding, sanding, etc.)

Click here to purchase a gift card.  Michael Daniel Metal Design will mail or email an official gift certificate to the recipient.

A Frequently Asked Question about Introduction to Welding and Metal Sculpting

As new sections of Introduction to Welding and Metal Sculpting are going to begin soon, I thought I would take the time to clear up any confusion about the nature of this class.  

I have noted in the class description that my Introduction to Welding and Metal Sculpting class is not a welding certification course.  This means that this course is not the same as one that you would find at a trade school or technical school, where you would enroll in a program of study with the goal being to become a tradesperson.

My course is 5-weeks, one night per week for 3-hours. During this time, I teach students how to ARC weld, MIG weld, use Oxygen/Acetylene torches, proper use of shop equipment and power tools, and safety practices.  All students choose a simple project at the beginning of the course (which must be approved by me) and finish it by the end of the course.  This is not something you would do in a welding certification course.

My course is intended for people who want to learn how to work with metal to design and make artistic, sculptural or functional pieces.  I do not give certificates of completion, but if a student needs a letter to show his or her employer that he or she has taken the class, I have provided these in the past.

I hope that clears up any questions about the course.  If not, please feel free to contact me for more information.

Viking 3350 Welding Helmet

Whenever I come across a particularly great piece of welding equipment, I always like to share my find.  One of my students from my introduction to welding and metal sculpting class bought this Viking 3350 helmet from Lincoln and brought it to my studio.  I asked to borrow it one day to check it out and was very impressed by the large viewing screen, which turns out to be one of the largest ones on the market.  I also like that all the controls are on the inside of the helmet, which makes it very easy to use.

I also like that you can get this helmet at a local welding supply in Astoria, Queens, New York City, Prest-O-Sales. Always support small local businesses, people!

Metal Sculpting Playdates

I've been bringing Silas to my studio since he was a toddler and letting him sculpt and build with scraps of steel and wood.  Now that he's in primary school, he has started bringing his friends over to the studio for playdates. 

I give the boys a box of scrap metal pieces and leftover parts and supplies and let them pull out pieces that they want to use for their own sculpture. I always place a piece on the table for each boy and ask him to work on building his sculpture around it. This gives the boys a focal point so that there's no frustration in how to begin.

After the boys have decided on their design and show me how they want the pieces assembled, I weld everything together for them. 

It's never too early to introduce kids to design in different mediums (no offense to Legos).

Silas and Jakob

Silas and Jakob with welding helmets

Silas' sculpture

Jakob's sculpture

Silas and Adrien

Printmaking Camp at Children's Museum of the Art

Last week Silas had the good fortune to attend another fantastic art camp at Children's Museum of the Arts in New York City.  Last summer he had a brilliant week at CMA's Music Video Camp, which he declared to be "the best summer camp EVER." 

Here are some photos of Silas' drawings and prints, including a large print that was the collaborative effort of all the young artists.

Big thanks to Valerie Kharchenko, Gretta Johnson, and the rest of the teachers and staff at CMA!

Studio Time with Silas

It's summertime, which means that Silas is on break from school and I get to spend time with him at my studio. Yesterday, Silas and I finished a project that he had started last week. I try not to involve myself too much in his design process: I let him find his own materials in the studio, figure out how he wants the pieces to fit together, and how he wants the final piece to look and function. I let him do all of the work himself except for the bits that obviously require adult supervision (e.g., if a piece of steel or wood needs to be cut). Silas tells me exactly where he wants the cuts to be made by drawing on the wood with a pencil or on the metal with chalk.

Here's Silas' presentation of his first completed design. He did a great job!

Furniture Design by Silas on YouTube

Silas and I will be doing more projects over the next few weeks. We're having a lot of fun with this so we may even turn it into a weekly blog post.

Welding and Metal Sculpting Class in Action

Thanks to one of my students, Yutong Cho, I have some great photos and videos to share of some classes at Michael Daniel Metal Design! These photos and videos were taken during one of my Fall 2012 introduction to welding and metal sculpting class sessions, and they show some of the skills that students learn during the course. Here's a typical Arc welding demonstration:

Arc Welding - Introduction to Welding and Metal Sculpting - Michael Daniel Metal Design

This student is using Mig welding on his project:

Mig Welding - Introduction to Welding and Metal Sculpting - Michael Daniel Metal Design

And photos of a bunch of happy students:

Michael Daniel featured in a new book

Last year I was contacted by Ashley Rooney, an author who wanted to feature my work in her latest book about contemporary custom furniture design. The book came out last week and it looks great! My work is featured on pages 50 and 51. The book is available at Amazon here but doesn't seem to have hit the shelves of Barnes & Noble yet. There's a lot of interesting work from furniture designers in the US and abroad.

Thanks to Tim Dalal for the beautiful photos of my work, and to Sara Rychtarik for the cool portrait!

New colorful vases in bright Spring hues!

To celebrate the arrival of Spring, I have launched a new line of brightly colored sculptural steel vases!  The vases are available in green, purple, and blue, and come in 3 different sizes: 8 inch, 10 inch, and 12 inch.  There's a plastic insert in each vase that holds the water and flowers.

Contact Michael Daniel Metal Design for information on how to order.

Happy Spring everyone!

Ceruse Dining Room Table

Here are (finally) the photos of the Ceruse Dining Room Table. The wood top on this table is ash with a ceruse finish, and the legs have been blackened. This table had its premiere at Makers Market at Socrates Sculpture Park this past summer, and inspired a whole new line of ceruse tables (photos coming soon...). Thanks again to Csaba and Robby for their exquisite woodwork and finishing. 

Macassar Ebony Dining Room Table at Home

Sara has been begging me to bring this table home.  Every time I make a new piece for the house, it ends up in a store or someone buys it before I can get it home.  I finally finished a new line of tables (photos will be up soon!) and was able to reclaim the Macassar Ebony Dining Room table and get it in the dining room before Christmas. A great big thanks to Csaba, Istvan, and Laszlo, my superstar Hungarians next door, who do amazing woodwork.

I did a table with the same steel legs, but a different wood top for the Makers Market at Socrates Sculpture Park this year, and still have to get those photos up, too. Obviously, my New Year's Resolution this year is to blog more...

Michael Daniel Metal Design at Makers Market

The 3rd annual Makers Market, a curated exposition / marketplace of contemporary design, is going to be at Socrates Sculpture Park in Long Island City, Queens next Thursday, June 23 through Sunday, June 26.  I'm going to be showing some new designs and pieces there.  Come on down and say hi! There are also some great free workshops happening at Socrates next weekend.  On Saturday there's a sculpture workshop for kids called Trash to Treasure: Reclaimed Wood from Noon to 3pm.  Kids can design and build their own furnishings using reclaimed wood and other recycled materials.

Makers Market 2011 Press Release

Introduction to Welding and Metal Sculpting Classes - Spring 2011

There are still some spaces available for the Spring Session #2 of Beginning Welding and Metal Sculpting Classes at Michael Daniel Metal Design in LIC-NYC ! Spring Session, #2: Thursdays March 10 – April 7, 2011 Hours: 6:30pm – 9:30pm Class is limited to 7 students.

Go to www.michaeldanielmetal.com/classes for more info and to register online.

Macassar Ebony Dining Table

For a long time now I have been promising Sara and Silas that I would bring home a new dining table. Well, I finally finished it and as soon as it was done it ended up in a store. Yes, the family is a little disappointed but happy to see it out in the world. Silas even helped Sara choose the backdrops for the photos.

The Macassar Ebony Dining Table is available through Michael Daniel Metal Design and at Voos Furniture in Williamsburg.

Front View

Side View

Leg Detail

Silas testing backdrops.

Big thanks to the attendees of Voos Furniture's Friday night event!

Just want to say thanks again to everyone who made it out to Williamsburg on Friday night for the Voos "Meet the Designers" event.  I really appreciate your support and had a great time hanging out with you all.  I've included a couple photos from the event, one of which is my new sofa (more photos of the sofa to follow in a few days). Thanks again!

Designers Redefining Metal

My new sofa on display at Voos Furniture

Introduction to Welding and Metal Sculpting - Spring 2010

More metal sculpting classes in 2010! I just posted the schedule for the next round of classes on my site.  I'm offering a 5-week session starting Wednesday, January 27, and another 5-week session starting Wednesday, April 7.

Click here for the Spring 2010 schedule.

Christmas Gift Ideas on Etsy

Madison Purse Hook

Happy Thanksgiving!  Before you bust a gut rushing out the door on Black Friday, why not shop from the comfort of your La-Z-Boy and check out some of my new items on Etsy.  Purse hooks to keep the ladies' fancy handbags from touching the floor and elegant candle stands to illuminate your living room or bedroom.

Happy holidays to all!  Gobble, gobble.

Luckey

We recently went to Boston to celebrate our friend Jess' 40th birthday, and while we were there we took Silas to the Boston Children's Museum.  The first thing you see after paying for admission is this giant, 3-story climbing structure.  It's really an amazing piece of sculpture that kids get to climb.

Silas on one of the many magic carpets.

Silas and Auntie Jess.

The week after we got back from Boston, I was flipping channels and came across this film on the Sundance Channel and was intrigued by the story line -- a father and son collaborating on a sculpture.  I didn't get to watch it for whatever reason, and then a week later I came across it again and started viewing it midway through.  As I was watching it, I saw some of the pieces of the work in progress and realized that the father and son, Tom and Spencer Luckey, were building the structure that Silas had enjoyed climbing at the Museum.

Definitely check out the amazing work of Tom and Spencer Luckey.  They build beautiful climbing structures for kids around the world.

http://www.luckeyclimbers.com/

Statuto Ring Dining Table

A new client in San Diego recently sent me some photos of a dining room table that he had commissioned from me.  The table is 60" x 30" and the design is based on my Statuto Ring line of tables.  It's always great to have photos of the furniture in its environment.  Big thanks to Mark for being a great client and for sending the images.

Statuto Ring Dining Table before glass top

Another view of the Statuto Ring Dining Table

Client Photo #1

Client Photo #2

Client Photo #3

Client Photo #4