Take a Virtual -- and Real-Life -- Tour of Travis House of Fire FactoryBy JHCadmin, December 14, 2009You still have time to register for The Wednesday, December 16 tour of Travis House of Fire in Mukilteo, WA. Travis Industries manufactures Lopi, Avalon, and FPX hearth products, under one roof in their 476,000 sq. ft. state-of-the art facility.In the video below, you’ll take a virtual tour of the factory and learn how highly-skilled workers (with help from some sophisticated equipment) convert 30 million pounds of raw steel into stoves. You’ll see how a Lopi Endeavor is made, from start to finish.During your in-person tour, you’ll get up-close-and-personal with all the equipment demonstrated on the video. The tour—which is free of charge—takes place on the factory floor, and you get to walk right up to the equipment you’ll see on this video – you’re even invited to touch some of it.During your tour, you’ll eyeball the following:Laser – Cuts precise holes inside stainless steel secondary combustion tubes.Turret Press – Sophisticated, computerized equipment that minimizes waste by pressing multiple parts for stoves into one flat piece of steel.Press – The single largest piece of machinery in the plant, this impressive 600-ton press used to be a Chrysler bumper-making machine.Bender – Bends the stove door opening and sides to create a strong firebox.Welding – Robots do a precise weld; at each of five stations, additional pieces of the stove are welded together.Finishing – Every stove is hand-scraped – even the unseen areas – to clean it up and remove any rough edges. Material is blasted onto the stoves to give them an ultra-fine finish and good paint adhesion.Paint Room – Each stove is hand-painted.Fitting – Stoves are fit with firebrick, the final trim work and handles, and are inspected for weld-splatter and paint to ensure that the entire stove is smooth and clean, inside and out.Paint 2 – Accessories and panels are added, and brass doors are polished. Every solid brass door goes through four stages:It is polished with a belt sanderA grease wheel rounds the edges and smoothes the doorColor buff takes out the scratchesFinal color buff polishes the brass to a beautiful shineWarehouse – The mammoth shipping facility has the capacity to hold an inventory of up to 16,000 stoves at one time, plus 2,200 different accessories and components that will be shipped to five warehouses around the country.Engineering – In this final stop on your virtual tour, you’ll view computerized full and cutaway models of the stove, so you can see how the parts fit together before they are manufactured into prototype parts.Lopi Wood Stoves - How They're Made from Travis Industries on Vimeo.More tour highlights & info on how to register for your free tour of Travis House of Fire:Take This Hot Factory Tour – You Won’t Regret ItA Man Who Loves Fire: Kurt Rumens, Founder of Lopi StovesTravis House of Fire Factory Tour Gets Rave Reviews from Rich's CustomersRecent Articles See All Infrared Saunas: Relax at Home from the Inside Out Saunas Author:Rich's For The Home Posted:September 1, 2023 Eight benefits of relaxing in an infrared sauna, plus our favorite saunas by Health Mate: the Enrich, Inspire, and Essential series. Read More Outdoor Lanterns Add Dramatic Elegance: Tempest Torch and Tempest Lantern Tempest Torch Author:Rich's For The Home Posted:August 1, 2023 Gas lamps dramatic elegance to outdoor spaces. Learn about Tempest Torches and Tempest Lanterns. Read More 5 Trends in Luxury Outdoor Furnishings for 2023 Outdoor Furniture Author:Rich's For The Home Posted:July 1, 2023 Create a stylish, comfortable, multi-functional outdoor oasis that you’ll love spending time in. Read More Complete Fire Pits by Fire Garden: Big, Bold, Beautiful Flames Fire Pits Author:Rich's For The Home Posted:June 1, 2023 Dreaming of a fully-assembled, weatherproof fire pit that provides cozy warmth year-round? Check out Complete Fire Pits, a new line of fire pits manufactured locally by our friends at Travis Industries. Read More Minimalist, Modern, Danish Patio Furniture by Houe Outdoor Furniture Author:Rich's For The Home Posted:May 1, 2023 Rich’s customers love the Danish modern, minimalistic style of Houe furnishings, so we continue to expand our line each year. Check out our selection of dining tables and chairs, cafe tables, chaise lounges, rocking chairs, tray tables, and benches. Read More Adirondack Chairs: Weatherproof and Environmentally Friendly Outdoor Furniture Author:Rich's For The Home Posted:April 3, 2023 MADirondack (by Seaside Casual), is a modern take on the Adirondack style. These sleek ergonomic chairs have a seat height of 14" and an arm height of 22". Read More