In case you don’t yet receive our newsletter, we’re posting some of the highlights from the past few months because there’s always something great happening over here at 360 Yardware and we don’t want you miss out! (If you’d like to sign up to get the news delivered straight to your inbox, you can do that here.)
January 2018
How to Not Screw Up Your Screws
You have some beautiful new hardware. You have a drill. You’re on a mission. Don’t screw it up! Here’s a quick tip to protect screw heads from what we call the “drill bit massacre.”
For the final few turns of the screw, put a piece of painters‘ or masking tape over the bit or screwdriver. It adds a layer of protection to keep the screw head looking fresh. This is especially important when you’re working with steel screws, because exposed steel is prone to rust. Doing the final few rotations by hand with a screwdriver can also help.
(Don’t have painters’ tape around? I’ve had a good track record with an old t-shirt!)
Bump Up Your Curb Appeal with An Address Plaque Made in the USA
New!
We’ve recently added 70 (!) new address plaques to our site. They’re made in Michigan and include modern, traditional, beachy, and Craftsman styles and colors. Whitehall Products has been manufacturing for over 75 years, something we aspire to!
Why we love them
The fact that they’re made in United States, custom-made, and available in a few weeks is terrific. We also love that with the variety of styles and colors, you can find something for almost any home. Plus, there are vertical versions for when you don’t have a lot of space to work with.
What you need to know:
Prices range from $59 to $99. Lead-time ~2 weeks. See the entire line here.
February 2018
Satin Black Stainless Steel Hinges
For years we’ve been offering stainless ball-bearing hinges with our stainless gate hardware packages. But for our black gate latches, like the Nero and the Tapered Ring, we were never able to find a stainless ball-bearing hinge in satin black. Our attempts to powdercoat the stainless hinges crashed and burned with a pile of hinge barrels filled with sand from the sandblaster. Straight to the scrapyard!
We’re excited to announce that we finally have the exact same stainless hinge available in satin black! It’s available in pairs or sets of three, and we’ve updated all the gate hardware packages to reflect the new option.
Behind the Scenes: The Workshop
This week we wanted to share some behind-the-scenes photos of our workshop. One of the most interesting parts of having a hardware company is the shop! I spend most of my time in the office, but went out to the shop and took some photos the other day to show you all some of the fun stuff!
When you look around the shop there’s a lot of grey and a lot of big things. But when you look closer, there is so much beauty to be seen in the patterns and textures. Here’s a quick peek. Want to guess what the picture in the upper-left corner is?
March 2018
A Surprising Testimonial
This is not how you want to find out that a product has stood up well: A customer emailed that a tree limb had fallen on her gate. The gate was crushed, but the hinge held up! These were the Snug Cottage Heavy Duty Cranked Band Hinges. In our product testing, we’ve never actually never tried to destroy them. But we’re so happy to know a 30-foot limb is no match! Yay for strong hinges!
RIP Jack Whitten
My work life is spent on the phone chatting with people about gates and hinges and garages and shutters. Sometimes those conversations transcend the hardware and I enjoy learning about the person on the other end of the phone.
A few years ago, I had one of those conversations. The man on the other end of the phone was Jack, and he was very thoughtful and intelligent and kind. It probably lasted ten minutes, but I still remember it. He told me about living on Crete and about a big door he was putting in.
Earlier this month I saw a Facebook post from a friend about a famous artist who has passed away. It was Jack. The more I read about him and his life, the more fascinated I was.
He was such a talent. I want to share some of what I learned about him.
New York Times obituary: Jack Whitten, Artist of Wide-Ranging Curiosity, Dies at 78
ArtNews obituary: Jack Whitten, Beloved Painter of Abstract Cosmologies, Dies at 78
RIP, Mr. Jack Whitten.