Dollyfox Metal Works

04/22/2024

My guy Rick finally started his own YOUTUBE channel. His first video is a project we did last summer for a very special client for a one of a kind office suite. Besides being a wicked fabricator he’s gotten really good at filming and writing scripts. A lot of dedication goes into the projects themselves you don’t realize how much of an inconvenience setting up the camera is as you try and get work done. Hoping that we can continue to educate our clients and entertain our friends with this kind of content. You know how it goes, LIKE & SUBSCRIBE if you want to follow along! I’m even working on my own content (not as involved junk fixin kind of projects that bring me joy) So look out for that as I slowly revive my personal Instagram👨🏻‍🏭🦊👩🏼‍🏭

Bringing new ideas to the table. Ever since I started my metalshaping journey in the automotive field, I knew I wanted to translate those same skills into th...

04/01/2022

Lighting fixture prototype for the talented

This three-sided chandelier went for surface finishing this week, then off to Brooklyn.

This project was the first to work out the design kinks with someone in another state, but I think the result turned out dreamy. 🌝

02/17/2022

When sharing shop updates, I get an overwhelming response that people are inspired and even a touch envious of what I have acquired over the last five years in fabrication- to see the growth and evolution of my space and business, and I will admit I have been insanely lucky! In reality, it's taken relentless persistence and a long time in the making. I began my journey of being a small business in 2011 when I decided that I would upcycle clothing and accessories and sell at local markets with a couple of my other crafty gal pals. We would stay up late and workshop together, getting a second opinion on whether or not an idea for a shirt or necklace was cool or not. We had to come up with a name to submit applications to be included in these festivals. At the time, foxes were on the brink of being an icon in the maker movement. We settled on “Les Trois Foxes” as a collective and hit the streets every summer with a rotation of artists.
My OG label “Thedollyfox” carried on through my Instagram handle until I started fabricating. I began to feel silly when I called to set up accounts with suppliers spelling out “Dollyfox Fabrication” over the phone that I even contemplated DBA my last name!!
I realized that as a fabrication business existing in a predominantly male field, being feminine is not only empowering but the message I hope to show through my work, encouraging and supporting those of you out there to become the norm🧑‍🏭

02/11/2022

It’s all in the details with this library 🪜

🖤Metal rungs and latch detail

🖤Hardwood side rails

🖤Leather footing caps

Special thanks to & for lending me their studio and photo assistance 📸👯‍♀️

02/03/2022

TBT These reproduction legs we made for a couple that wanted to heighten their sofa by 4” to fit with their dining room table. In this rare case I happened to have old tooling that came with my that fit the exact radius we needed to make it happen.
Each leg was formed in two sections using a rosebud torch, they were joined at the center and hand filed to perfection. The original finish was nickel plated steel but the clients went with a clear coat after they got sandblasted. Ooo wheee we get excited when we get to help renew iconic pieces.

01/29/2022

Today would be my Dad's 85th birthday, and to celebrate him, I thought it would be nice to share a little about all of his accomplishments as he was a humble guy with no formal degree but an immense amount of patience and dedication to his craft. He was a dreamer and impacted everyone who knew him- especially his kids. Besides being a man of many talents and interests, I never really understood his career until I worked on many of the same machines myself… came to find out he was the one busy engineering them!

The extent of my dad's education was attending the Lane Tech trade school as a boy in Chicago and working as an Engineer at Chicago Nuclear. He met my mother, his then secretary, and shortly after, they married and moved to Bartlett, IL, to help develop a portable Arc and TIG welder while at EWS.

Working full time and simultaneously building our family a home, my dad and uncle bill worked together on creating Cortran/ Moli-Phase on their “free time.” They patented a static converter so that people could power their 3-phase machinery. Just wow!

Besides having fond memories of creating with my dad in our home shop, I have a goldmine of things to be proud of him for. 👨🏻‍🔧

01/23/2022

2022, the year of the FOX 🦊😜

We are now booking projects of all sizes! We are happy to take a look at your project, no matter the scale. captured this massive 500 linear ft railing overhaul in the West Loop this past Summer.

01/07/2022

A while back, I had draw up a couple of coffee table bases that I would like to make. I envisioned them in various finishes, from stone tops with patinated legs to elegant wood with powder-coated bottoms. The possibilities of approaching these classic coffee tables are entirely up to you! Starting at $400, let's make these a reality🤌

01/03/2022

This past November, Emma opened her doors off of Armitage Ave. The fixtures in this stunning storefront are the work of , and I can’t look away; it’s so much beauty in one space! I was honored to get the call to work on the custom metal brackets for these ladies. If you haven’t stopped in yet, you really should do yourself that favor.

For the finish on the peg brackets, We went with a blackening patina with warm brown undertones and a clear coat to complement the space's neutral pallet.

12/28/2021

This past July, Dollyfox Fabrication completed the most significant project to date. This railing renovation was an opportunity to see what a squad of independent fabricators (and aspiring ones)coming together were capable of. Working outdoors for two months meant we were subject to some steamy and stormy weather. Ordering this much material in waves from a singular supplier meant delays, and keeping the existing framework meant being flexible making adjustments as we went. These were only a handful of challenges we faced together. Still, I wouldn't have wanted to go through it without this hardworking team of individuals. Let's hope this next year; we can continue to build on these outstanding accomplishments. From left to right are the 500 linear feet of railings in Chicago's West Loop, complete with a new paint job thru some progress shots of the existing geometric shape removal to the addition of the horizontal bars. The objective of this project was to modernize and bring it up to code for it's tenants.