Industrial Inspired Furniture
Made With Steel, Fire
& Old School Craftsmanship.
Monongahela Manufacturing is the continuation of a family tradition of old school craftsmanship. You will not find CNC (computer numerical control) machinery here. What you will find is files, hammers, and personal attention to detail. From a one-of-a-kind conference table for your boardroom to a uniquely designed coffee table for your living room, if you’re in search of authentic craftsmanship, you’ve come to the right place.
• About Us •
Everyone has something they’re passionate about. For some people, it’s golf. For Frank Martin, founder and principal of Monongahela Manufacturing, its spending time in the shop. Spending time in the shop doesn’t mean just sitting there; it means creating something unique and purposeful. Through a process of design, adaptation, and experimentation, Frank devotes his time to making customized, functional furniture to share with the community he loves.
What began as a passion project, evolved into Monongahela Manufacturing: the result of a fertile imagination, a Pittsburgh work ethic, and the ongoing support and appreciation of customers. The inspiration for our work is the industrial heritage here in southwestern Pennsylvania. Like the local spirit, our work is strong and robust. It is not beautiful, elegant, or refined in any traditional sense, but it bears the rugged character of the steelworker. It is 100% Mon Valley.
Industrial Inspired Furniture
Made With Steel, Fire
& Old School Craftsmanship.
Monongahela Manufacturing is the continuation of a family tradition of old school craftsmanship. You will not find CNC (computer numerical control) machinery here. What you will find is files, hammers, and personal attention to detail. From a one-of-a-kind conference table for your boardroom to a uniquely designed coffee table for your living room, if you’re in search of authentic craftsmanship, you’ve come to the right place.
• About Us •
Everyone has something they’re passionate about. For some people, it’s golf. For Frank Martin, founder and principal of Monongahela Manufacturing, its spending time in the shop. Spending time in the shop doesn’t mean just sitting there; it means creating something unique and purposeful. Through a process of design, adaptation, and experimentation, Frank devotes his time to making customized, functional furniture to share with the community he loves.
What began as a passion project, evolved into Monongahela Manufacturing: the result of a fertile imagination, a Pittsburgh work ethic, and the ongoing support and appreciation of customers. The inspiration for our work is the industrial heritage here in southwestern Pennsylvania. Like the local spirit, our work is strong and robust. It is not beautiful, elegant, or refined in any traditional sense, but it bears the rugged character of the steelworker. It is 100% Mon Valley.
• Gallery •
Explore our gallery to see our client’s visions come to life!
• OUR MATERIALS •
The principal materials used in our work include hot rolled steel, iron pipe and fittings, reclaimed wood, and occasionally concrete or glass. Regardless of the specific materials we use for a given project, our number one job is to accommodate the needs and desires of you, the customer. Consequently, we work with any material you specify, provided we can do so safely and competently. So, if you have a special object, material, or piece of wood you would like to incorporate into your piece, we are happy to do so.
When it comes to wood materials, just about any species or variation can be sourced. Sometimes we are able to source odd species such as black locust from local sawmills. If you need something very specific or hard to find, it is always possible to purchase from a dealer in specialty hardwoods. Most of the wood we work with is reclaimed, which is best procured opportunistically. It follows that reclaimed lumber is by its nature both limited and intermittent in supply. While some suitable supply of reclaimed lumber can always be found inexpensively, availability and volume varies. Regardless of the supply cirumcstances at the start of a project, we are well-positioned to creatively adapt with the available materials to create a one-of-a-kind piece that meets your core specifications.
Steel, pipe, and fittings are sourced locally and we maintain a commitment to support American manufacturing. Due to the commodity nature of these products, it is not always possible to know with certainty the country of origin of a given piece of material. What we can tell you is that the vast majorirty of steel, pipe, fittings, and rivets used here originate from US manufacturers.
• The Process •
Our production process, like the shop itself, is old school. Holes in metal are punched by hand. Rivets are heated red hot with a torch and set with a rivet press that was originally used to build aircraft during the Second World War. Very few of our tools or equipment are less than 50 years old and many are closer to 100. The only purpose of the computer in this shop is to play music.
We do have a selection of standardized products. Those can be purchased from our Etsy Store. However, the majority of our work is built to customer specifications. Consequently, we do not maintain a showroom or inventory of finished products.
Each piece begins with an inquiry from you. Following a conversation in which we settle on the required design elements, we will make a proposal to you in the form of an engagement letter. Since everything about this shop is old school, we do not include a computer generated drawing in the proposal. Instead, we share a written description of the piece based on your requests and specifications, and occassionally include a sketch of the piece. When you are ready to proceed with the project, we typically request a deposit of 20%.
Your project enters the production schedule upon receipt of the deposit. Production times can vary from several weeks to several months. Factors that dictate the time to complete the project include the following:
- How much work is in the shop ahead of you
- Size and scope of your project
- Whether a version of your piece has been done before or is a compleltely unique design
- Turnaround times from third-party service providers such as the powdercoat shop
- Supply delays due to pandemic
With every project, we will make a best efforts estimate of how long your project will take. Please bear in mind that the time to completion can differ from that estimate considerably, particularly if the design we’ve settled on is new or otherwise unique.
Details on delivery or shipping (if necessary) are negotiated up front and included in the engagement letter.
• Bring your vision to life •
• Share your vision •
We want to help make your one-of-a-kind piece come to life. To get started, tell us about your project.
• Contact Us •
