The impetus to make aluminum pull rings for the 1950’s best-selling modernist desk, came from the confluence of two events:
I had just enrolled in an adult education metal shop class at a local high school to learn how to work metal and build retrofit parts for our projects, and secondly, we have a friend with chronic rheumatoid arthritis, who owned a Paul McCobb desk with the brass “tee” shaped pulls. That presented a challenge to her in opening the drawers.
She had always wanted the ring pulls, but originals are hard to find. All reproductions I’ve seen have been machined from aluminum pipe…not good enough for the purist in me since the original pulls were cast (molten aluminum poured into a mold). We were going to learn aluminum casting and how to make sand casting molds in the class, so the opportunity became both a challenge and a learning vehicle.
The time from measuring several original rings we had, to a finished product would take several months as class was only one night a week during the school semesters. First things completed were the measurements (to .001″), a shop drawing of the ring, and a drawing of the sand mold and its gating system (passageways) to be used for the casting. After finalizing the mold design with the instructor, the tedious task of making the pattern for use in pressing the mold into the special casting sand, began. After making the sand mold, the 6061 Aluminum was melted and poured.
The rings are taken out of the cast after cooling and are machined, polished, and threaded for the drawer screw. The finished pulls turned out great and are still a source of pride.
Our friend loves her ring pulls, and we have used another pair on a Paul McCobb desk restoration.
We have been able to help several people with their restorations, but have only a little raw material left for someone in need of ring pulls for their McCobb piece refit.
(updated 2023, May: I have a few available, in my husband’s workshop…if you desperately need, please comment or email info@retrorefit.com
Do you still have any of the ring pulls available that you’d like to sell?
I am missing one of the rings myself.
If you have any left please let me know.
Thanks
Interested in 8 ring pulls. Availability and cost?
Hello Steven,
I’m afraid I have no ring pulls at this time. As I mentioned, I built a new pattern to improve the molten aluminum casting process, improve yield, and produce more rings, but the forge that I use at the local school here has not been available for use. I’m hoping they open it again so I can cast more ring pulls. Sorry.
Take a jewelry or sculpture class at a community college, they may have what you need. Go see the instructor before hand to see what they have. Where I live we have several communitry colleges and each one has different art classes with all the fancy equipment. Some have better studios and equipment so it pays to check it out prior to registering.