A Tour of Empire Metal Finishing
A few years ago, my television crew paid a visit to Empire Metal Finishing, Inc., located in Astoria, New York. We shot a segment in this facility about how old metal pieces are stripped, restored, refinished, and repurposed. Third generation owner, Michael Vetrone, explained that his family business was established in 1906. The focus of the business is servicing high-end residential architects, fabricators, contractors, antique dealers, and interior designers. Their main function is custom plating, polishing, metal restoration, and repair, as well as building custom pieces from scratch. I had some rather worn silver plated trays that I found at a tag sale, which were in desperate need of refinishing. I asked Michael if he could make them beautiful again and indeed, he did.
1 This is the entrance to Empire Metal Finishing located in Astoria, New York.
2 The facility is 12,000 square feet, employing a staff of 30 highly-skilled people.
3 Refinishing metal calls for many deep tubs filled with various solutions for stripping and coating.
4 This is one of the trays I wanted to have refinished.
5 This large rectangular one barely had any silver plating left at all!
6 And this one had lost all of its luster.
7 Other projects in the workroom - This is store-bought doorknob that a customer brought in as an example of the finish that they want matched onto outlet covers and other fixtures.
8 The outlet covers - a work in progress
9 These hinges are from a hotel. After a remodel, the hotel doors were larger and heavier and the hinges needed to be made bigger to accommodate. You can see the welding line, which will disappear after polishing.
10 There are many steps to refinishing and various types of finish. After dipping in the plating solution, metal objects are hung to dry.
11 This newly nickel-plated fire engine bell belongs to Eastport Fire Department on Long Island. It was brought in to the shop very abused.
12 An Art Deco nickel-plated object received a new eye and a bright and shiny finish.
13 This custom-made lighting fixture was created from a customer's blueprint design.
14 The completed fixture
15 This radiator cover-grill was made new by copying the design on the left.
16 Comparing old and new - the craftsmanship is superb.
17 A client would like this ceiling fixture stripped down to bare metal - not a problem for this shop!
18 These are the pieces of two large door locks all newly refinished in brass.
19 These pieces will be getting an antiqued finish.
20 Little cherub pieces
21 The rectangle objects are salt and pepper shakers, which are getting a shiny clear-coat finish.
22 The end product
23 These are pieces of a pedestal belonging to a church with a clear-coat drying.
24 More pieces
25 These hinge parts were originally finished in brass and now are nickel-coated.
26 Brass screws are now nickel-coated to match.
27 These are the plans for a custom-designed chandelier that Empire Metal was asked to create.
28 According to the plans, leaves were to radiate out from the top.
29 Each piece of the chandelier was created in the shop.
30 The finished project
31 Here are my trays.
32 Owner Michael Vetrone holding one of those trays, which had been stripped, polished, repaired, and refinished.
33 It's very beautiful.
34 Remember what this one looked like?
35 So nicely silver again
36 Extraordinary!
37 Lovely detail
38 Quite handsome
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WOW Martha! How do you find these interesting places? Thank you for another look into how beautiful things are made even more beautiful.
Gloria G!!
Posted by: Gloria | December 10th, 2012 at 12:31 am
Martha, OMG your trays turned out fantastic! The do excellent work! Thanks for sharing this blog. I have a little some thing to share with Alexis. I really enjoyed seeing her blog the other day. You and Jude look so great together in the photos. It seems she's growing so fast.
As much as Alexis cooks, she may have heard of this one before?
`
After looking at Alexis’ blog, I thought I would share this pasta salad that has become a tradition in our family for some time. I thought she might enjoy it and it might even become a Jude approved food.
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Pasta Salad
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Ingredients:
16 oz. Package of Spaghetti
16 oz. Bottle of Kraft Zesty Italian Salad Dressing
16 oz. Bottle of Wish Bone Robust Italian Salad Dressing
2.62 oz. Bottle of McCormick Salad Supreme Seasoning
2 Thinly Sliced Cucumbers11
1 Small Thinly Sliced Red Onion
½ Thinly Sliced Green Bell Pepper
½ Thinly Sliced Yellow Bell Pepper
½ Thinly Sliced Orange Bell Pepper
½ Thinly Sliced Red Bell Pepper
2 Heads of Broccoli Cut in Small Pieces
½ Head of Cauliflower Cut in Small Pieces
1 ½ Cup of Shredded Carrots
3 Diced Tomatoes
`
Directions:
Cook spaghetti. Combine vegetables in a large bowl with cooked spaghetti. Pour in both salad dressings and the bottle of McCormick salad supreme seasoning. Mix well, refrigerate and marinate 12 to 24 hours. Toss and serve.
Posted by: KLBrown | December 10th, 2012 at 12:45 am
What an amazing job Empire Metal Finishing did on your trays Martha. For some reason I can't remember the segment on your show featuring this great business. You showed some interesting projects they're working on, I love the idea of metal outlet covers, it never occurred to me they could be anything other than plastic!
KLBrown, your pasta salad recipe sounds yummy!
Posted by: Cindy F | December 10th, 2012 at 8:05 am
Cindy F, the pasta salad is very yummy, give it a try.
Posted by: KLBrown | December 10th, 2012 at 8:33 am
Martha, thank you for the amazing tour through this interesting business-- I shared it with my husband, who is not usually a "Martha" type.
P.S. I know this is just a blog, but please correct the misspelling of "nickel" throughout.
Posted by: Jen M. | December 10th, 2012 at 8:42 am
I saw the title of the blog and began to wonder what you had that needed finishing. The trays look fantastic!
Hope you're feeling better.
Sharon
Posted by: Sharon | December 10th, 2012 at 8:52 am
Hi Martha,
Empire Metal was on your show back in '08 and as you know the segment is still on your site so I copied the link. http://www.marthastewart.com/243495/empire-metal I remember that show and wondered if you ever put those sconces up that you were gifted. Maybe you told us and I forgot. Great blog - I love seeing old things made new again as in your beautiful trays. The butler tray shown on the show was also beautiful. Thanks for an interesting blog. Trish
Posted by: Trish | December 10th, 2012 at 9:10 am
Hi Martha, I recall seeing other fascinating places similar to Empire Metal Finishing, Inc. years ago on some of your great TV Shows and I learned a lot of great things even then! Today's blog is fabulous and how neat that it was established clear back in 1906! Also love their website and Michael Vetrone is a brilliant fellow! I've never been to one of these places and love being able to tour it on your blog! These photos are wonderful showing the projects that they do to help people who want items fixed! How great to see those silver plated trays that you got at a tag sale and the improvement they did to each one was outstanding! I'm sure you really enjoy using them now that they are beautiful again! Sure hope you are feeling lots better and got rid of that salmonella! My prayers are with you, Dear Heart! Hope you have a great day! Off to see The Daily Wag about "Christmas Cheer in the Kitchen!" K.L. Brown, sure enjoy your comments lately-great recipe! Jan
Posted by: Jan Erickson | December 10th, 2012 at 9:30 am
Wow, Martha, thank you so much! I've got quite a few silver pieces that could use this service. I'm calling them today. You're a treasure!
Posted by: Mrs Polly Rogers | December 10th, 2012 at 10:00 am
To Jen M: It is okay to spell nickel either way so nickle is not necessarily wrong. Check your hand-held dictionary where it indicates 'nickel' or 'nickle'. The el spelling is more widely used but who knows why!
Posted by: Trish | December 10th, 2012 at 10:11 am
$25000 "Bright Design Challenge".
It is refreshing to see people getting excited about metal finishing. Many do not realize the need for these services; not only in the manufacturing of products from aerospace and defense to items we use everyday, but as we see in this article, products that beautify our lives. As President of the Metal Finishing Association of Southern California I applaud you in your diversity and choice to highlight our industry and small businesses. Our association sponsors a plating class at the Art Center College of Deisgn in Pasadena, CA where students are introduced to metal finishing and challenged with using it in the design of a product. Called the "Bright Design Challenge", winning students are awarded scholarships and left with an understanding and appreciation of one small but integral part of what makes the world go around! How Exciting! Web search "Bright Design Challenge" or contact me if you would like to know more.
LaVaughn Daniel, Environmental & Safety Manager, Danco Metal Surfacing
Posted by: Lavaughn Daniel | December 10th, 2012 at 11:39 am
What craftsmanship, I had no idea you could even do this. I'm sure there are many people who would love to breath new life into family treasures, like Mrs. Rogers above. Martha you showed some beautiful wood iphone/ipad docks from a craft fair in another post, which I shared with a friend. He bought three for Xmas gifts. Owning my own small business, I can appreciate how great it is you bringing attention to so many craftsman/small businesses. As always sharing, teaching, enlightening, and creating a positive affect.
glen
Posted by: glen nyhus | December 10th, 2012 at 11:45 am
Such beautiful work!
Posted by: This Farming Man | December 10th, 2012 at 11:53 am
Absolutely beautiful craftsmanship! Also love repurposing!
Thank you for sharing this with us! We so miss your show everyday. Hope you comeback one day to a daily show like the one you had before! Take care and Merry Christmas!!
Posted by: Janis Rothermel | December 10th, 2012 at 11:56 am
Wow! What a cool place - thanks for featuring it!
Posted by: Linda | December 10th, 2012 at 11:57 am
i have always spelled nickel with an el- laura plimpton edits the blog and chose the more obscure spelling with an le at the end. she did so without realizing that she would arouse criticism and has reverted back to the more common and accepted el ending
Posted by: martha stewart | December 10th, 2012 at 12:03 pm
I remember that show..he was so nice and took painstaking care to make your trays refurbished and beautiful.
Posted by: ellepiari | December 10th, 2012 at 12:15 pm
Best virtual field trip ever!
Posted by: Barbara Benson | December 10th, 2012 at 1:52 pm
That must be very satisfying work.
It never occurred to me that one would have silver plated service re-done but with the cost of metals these days it sure makes sense.
Posted by: jw | December 10th, 2012 at 3:39 pm
Martha, I enjoy following you on twitter! The Christmas season would not be complete without your fabulous tips and creativity!
Posted by: Angie Williams | December 10th, 2012 at 3:54 pm
It looks like they take a lot of pride in what they do .I wonder how long each piece takes for them to complete.They sure did a wonderful job on you things.How do you take care of them after they refinish them?Because it sure looks beautiful thanks for the tour .
Posted by: Michelle Giles | December 10th, 2012 at 4:59 pm
This is one of the reasons I love Martha's blog! These posts are so informative and expose me to craftspeople and trades I had no idea existed. But of course they do, right? I'm going to keep this in mind when I visit the nearby second-hand stores. Sometimes all an item needs is a little touch-up. THANK YOU so much for this really great blog entry.
Posted by: BG in SF | December 10th, 2012 at 5:56 pm
Amazingly intricate work! I am very jealous of artisans and old time craftsmanship. My dream job.
Posted by: nantucket Daffodil | December 10th, 2012 at 8:10 pm
Thanks Martha, and my apologies-- as a biologist/chemist I was unaware of the less-used "nickle" variant. That said, the photo tour is remarkably cool-- and that's what it's all about! Thanks for giving us an inside tour of such a cool place!
Cheers, Jen
Posted by: Jen M. | December 10th, 2012 at 8:15 pm
Martha, I applaud you for showcasing craftsmen like Mr. Vetrone. I'm just saying, thank you for sharing their talents with us all.
Posted by: Melinda Baker | December 10th, 2012 at 9:18 pm
Please get a new show. There is nothing to watch wen you are not on. I am calling this empire metal place tomorrow. Thank you
Posted by: David | December 10th, 2012 at 11:32 pm
Please give us an idea of what re-plating a large silver tray might cost.
Posted by: Katherine | December 11th, 2012 at 7:36 pm
Just wondering, what has happened to your TV program on Hallmark? I no longer get it. Really miss it...
Posted by: B. Gutierrez | December 12th, 2012 at 10:26 pm
Please tell us when the Hallmark channel will be on AT&T U Verse.. It sure would be wonderful to have it. Thank you
Posted by: R Townsend | December 15th, 2012 at 9:09 pm
This is one of the reasons I love Martha's blog! These posts are so informative and expose me to craftspeople and trades I had no idea existed. But of course they do, right? I'm going to keep this in mind when I visit the nearby second-hand stores. Sometimes all an item needs is a little touch-up. THANK YOU so much for this really great blog entry.
Posted by: krishna | February 5th, 2013 at 12:10 am
The things that people learn about metal finishing always amazes me. Thanks for sharing this information. I appreciate it!
Posted by: Steven Jarris | February 20th, 2013 at 3:38 pm
I am actually trying to figure out how to do a nice metal finishing but i was wondering if any of you could give me some tips, i have never tried it before, but i think it looks nice!
Posted by: Jason | April 8th, 2013 at 7:39 pm