Blog

Estate gates that are misaligned in the closed position don’t provide visual impact or the security that is desired from a gate. Someone could slip through the gate and into the secured property beyond. A properly aligned gate also portrays more character than one that hangs loosely on its hinges or isn’t entirely closed in…

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In 1908 Samuel Yellin hand-forged a beautiful set of Iron gates for the editorial offices of Lea and Febiger Publishers in Washington Square Philadelphia. Ever since then, these gates have expressed their beauty for all that pass by. In 2016, Compass Ironworks was contacted to refurbish these Yellin Masterpieces. Locks Gallery, the building owner, was…

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A Client, designer, and builder were creating an exceptional home on a waterfront property. Initially, there were a few design ideas for wooden stairs, some with glass rail, but they just didn’t have the design, the character the client wanted. Meanwhile, the rest of construction was moving along, framing was completed and in the mechanical…

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On June 17th Friday evening, we at Compass Ironworks opened our doors for the Client Appreciation Dinner. The tour started in the gallery area, view the plaques and awards including the 2016 Mitch Heitler Award for Excellence in Craftsmanship, the highest award achievable globally in our industry. Next, we viewed the Samuel Yellin gates, originally built…

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The guys at Compass booked a charter boat to go fishing in June. Arrived at the dock a tad late and headed straight for the inlet to try for blues. We fished and fished and caught one 2 ft blue in half and hour, and fished and fished some more, for hours, but had no…

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Compass Ironworks was awarded the Gold, Silver, and Bronze prizes for its submissions at MetalFAB, NOMMA’s national conference. In addition, Compass was the recipient of the Mitch Heitler Award for Excellence, the highest award conferred by the industry, worldwide. This is the first time EVER that this award has been brought to Pennsylvania. The annual…

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Compass Ironworks participated in the 15th Architectural Digest Design Show and was part of the offering from more than 300 luxury brands from around the world. We showcased Old World Class Craftsmanship along with eco-friendly finishes and sustainable materials, the product line-up ranged from gates, fences, and railings, to sculptural and even doors replicated from…

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These sculptures at a wedding venue in New Jersey were part of an endeavor to provide the ultimate wedding experience for the bride and groom. The LOVE sculpture is 6ft tall, 6ft long and 3ft deep and completely made from aluminum plate. It is the exact size of the one in Philadelphia and finished with…

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A client wanted a stacked helical, floating staircase in a modern design, constructed for his shore home. The stairs were a significant design challenge in that the single stair stringer had to be a very rigid structure, to endure the cantilever forces, yet be curved gracefully to the constraints of the stair opening. Once both…

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We were contacted by a homeowner that had a beautiful home that had been splendidly built in 1915. There was beautiful forged iron work on various steps, terraces and balconies that had been neglected for the past few decades. By far the biggest challenge was the original mounting procedure. For maximum structural integrity, the original…

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