Acknowledgments

There are a great many people to whom I owe everything I know today about metalwork and design. My parents always encouraged and supported me in pretty much anything I chose to do, and for that I am grateful. I grew up surrounded by art created by generations on both sides of my family in a variety of media, from architecture to portraiture to automotive repair and more. To say “The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree” in this case I believe would be an understatement. My parents clearly inherited some of those genes and passed them on to us kids. Even though I had a hard time sticking with some projects when I was younger, thank you Mom and Dad for teaching me the value of creative work.

Thank you to the entire crew at the Steel Yard, especially Nick Bauta, Alma Carrillo, Brian Dowling, Drake Patten, Clay Rockefeller, Dave Sharp, and Howie Sneider. Also thank you to my technical editor Randy Shapiro for helping with the production of this book, Louis Gitlin at Mid City Steel for his advice, and Miller Electric for their support.