Metal allows you to realize many creative ideas. But working with it requires special skills, abilities and devices. However, the result is durable, original and unique.
Thanks to the malleability of the material and the talent of the master, do-it-yourself metal crafts worthy of admiration appear. They become the pride of a personal plot, cottage or home interior. Let's look at a few examples and working methods:
Sheet metal owl
To work with a thin sheet of metal, strong and sharp scissors are sufficient. Thanks to them, beautiful metal crafts are created in the form of animal figures, various patterns or abstractions. What is needed to make a metal owl:
- Thin sheet and narrow strips of metal;
- Substrate in the form of a wooden rectangular board with a thickness of no more than 0.5 mm;
- A set of various nails and elements for fastening;
- A spoon with a rounded end. It will allow you to form the necessary image of an owl by squeezing out feathers and other parts of the body;
- Sharp scissors.
Stages of work completion
They are not particularly difficult, but will require patience and attention. Detailed review:
- A full sketch is created;
- Thanks to a permanent marker, the diagram is transferred to the metal from the inside;
- Use sharp scissors to cut out the necessary elements;
- To squeeze out a pattern on the inside of the metal or highlight grooves, use a spoon with a rounded end;
- The buttons create the owl's eyes. Can be replaced with metal elements with a similar shape. At the author's discretion, such details are used as additional decoration for the bird;
- When all the parts are ready, the owl is assembled;
- To secure parts of metal crafts, nails or other fasteners are used.
Material
More often, metal fences are made of cast iron, iron or stainless steel. The latter option is not subject to rust formation.
Other types of metals must be coated with special protective coatings. During production, additional components can be added to alloys to increase the corrosion resistance of the material. Ready-made forged elements for a fence can be purchased at a hardware store.
How to use welding to create metal crafts?
Welding allows you to quickly and reliably connect metal parts, but this method requires compliance with safety precautions and developed skills in working with the appropriate equipment. Electric welding is used for this, since it is portable and accessible compared to its gas counterpart.
To create metal crafts by welding, a transformer, welding machine or inverter is used. The choice is related to accessibility, the nature of the work, and the preference of the author of the metal product.
What metal crafts are created using welding?
In fact, everything, right down to artistic work in the form of sculptures of people or animals. But most often welding creates:
- Installation of all kinds of structures;
- Repair work is being carried out;
- Garden supplies are made.
Photos of available examples are offered on our website dnevnikmastera.ru. Almost all illustrations are accompanied by detailed master classes on making metal crafts using welding and other methods.
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How to work with a welding machine?
This requires experience, practice and strict adherence to safety regulations. First, the newly minted master practices on a damaged piece of metal. This is necessary to acquire knowledge of igniting and maintaining an arc based on maintaining a constant gap between the electrode and the workpiece.
After this, the technique of making a weld is studied. If it turns out smooth without difficulty, then you need to learn how to correctly regulate the current strength to work with different thicknesses of the workpiece.
At its core, welding in the process of creating metal crafts is used to connect two parts. This occurs by melting the surface of the future joint. A solid metal structure is formed through the use of an electrode.
However, this is not an easy task and requires a lot of practice and experience, since it is necessary to ensure that the top layer of the workpiece melts, otherwise holes may form.
After acquiring basic skills in creating metal crafts by welding, you can move on to doing simple work to gain experience. For this, it is more profitable to use an inverter, since it has increased mobility and consumes less electricity.
Do-it-yourself artistic forging features and stages of the forging process 91 photos video
Architects and designers often use forged elements in their work. Openwork metal grilles covering fireplaces or beautiful balusters on the stairs look elegant and noble.
If you know how to forge and learn this craft, you can create original products yourself.
This activity is suitable for anyone who likes to do physical work and who is ready to get acquainted with the technology and features of choosing a metal.
Forging is a process of processing a special workpiece. Its purpose is to give the metal the required dimensions and shape. There is a distinction between hot forging and cold forging.
In the hot method, the metal workpiece is heated strongly. As a result, the metal becomes ductile. Hot forging gives the workpiece the required dimensions and desired shape. The master has a variety of work options available to him.
Having an idea of the temperature conditions used in the forging process, you can easily select the desired type of forging.
The workshop does not require a lot of space, and to set it up you do not need to purchase a special forge; it is enough to buy a forging machine.
Metals with certain properties are suitable for hand forging. The more ductile the metal, the easier it is to change its shape. However, ductility is inextricably linked with strength.
Craftsmen make decorative forging elements from copper, steel, duralumin or brass. In addition, alloys can also be used. Information about metals that can be easily forged can be found in the Steel and Alloys Guide.
Inventory varies depending on the forging method. A forge with an anvil and hammers with tongs will be needed for hot forging.
For the cold method, you need a “Gnutik” tool, which allows you to bend the workpiece at an angle, and a “Snail” machine for forging, which you can make yourself. The latest machine allows you to create decorative elements with a spiral shape.
The modern market offers industrial machines designed to perform technological operations. In the photo of forging you can see a product made on the “Master 2” machine from the MAH company.
The cold forging method does not require much effort from the master. The work includes the following stages:
- creating a drawing or sketching a decorative element;
- procurement of workpieces;
- forging process.
The main forged elements are represented by the following groups:
- Paws. The end of the metal rod is given a certain shape.
- Curls. The ends of the rod can be bent in one or two directions.
- Rings. Decorative elements are made from rods with a square or round cross-section.
- Torsion. It is characterized by helical twisting along the axis.
3 generally accepted technologies are used: drawing, bending and twisting.
- The hood allows you to increase the length of the metal workpiece, reducing the value of its cross-section.
- Bending makes it possible to bend any part of the workpiece at an angle.
- Twisting is a technology in which the workpiece is twisted along its axis. A Twister machine is used for twisting.
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What can you make from an old bicycle for your garden?
Old bicycles were found on the balcony and attic, but it was a pity to throw them away. Then you can give them a new life by transforming them into something useful for the garden. For this purpose, it is not necessary that the vehicles be in a suitable condition.
You can use the remaining parts to create an unusual flower bed. It is formed by attaching a flowerpot with flowers to an accessible metal structure left over from a two-wheeled product.
Stand for cucumbers and other cultivated plants
Wheels from several bicycles are used for this. If rust is found on them, it is cleaned with sandpaper. The bicycle is covered with 2-3 layers of metal paint.
Some skip this stage to create the effect of the presence of antiquity. What is needed to create this metal craft for the garden:
- Bicycle wheels;
- Wooden block;
- Heavy and small stones to secure the structure;
- Comfortable shovel;
- Antiseptic;
- Stretch film;
- Wire;
- Strong hammer;
- Scissors.
Step-by-step instruction:
- A shovel is used to dig a hole for installing a wooden block at one of the ends. To protect against rotting, it is coated with an antiseptic in several layers. After drying, the edge chosen for immersion in the ground is wrapped in several layers of stretch film. This will provide insulation from moisture.
- Help will be required for installation. One holds the post, the other fills it with heavy and small stones. A strong hammer is used for compaction.
- If possible, the structure is filled with cement. If it is not there, then a mound of dense soil is created. It is carefully compacted.
- If cement was used, you must wait until it is completely dry. Then the wheels are connected to the post using wire.
Cucumbers will be able to curl around the wheels and be attached to a support to receive maximum sunlight. But this design will also be useful for other plants that can grow vertically and twine around objects: grapes, beans. However, the height of the wheels should be comfortable for unhindered harvesting.
If you liked exploring the possibilities of metal crafts, check out other materials on the site. There is still a lot of interesting things here.
Selection principles
When purchasing metal fences, you need to carefully inspect the finished products. They should not have any irregularities, deep scratches, cracks, or areas with rust.
If you need to protect your area from unwanted views of passers-by, you need to choose fences made of solid sheets of metal.
Advantages and disadvantages
Positive sides:
- Long service life with a protective coating against rust.
- Reliability, strength, wear resistance.
- Easy to care for.
- Ease of installation. Anyone can do it without practical skills.
Negative sides:
- Without a corrosion coating or special additives, the service life of structures is reduced.
- Forged and cast structures weigh a lot.
Rust will form in areas where the protective coating has been damaged. To prevent destruction of the material, you need to regularly inspect metal surfaces and treat defects with special compounds.
Welded fences (Photo: Instagram / grada39)
Manufacturers and prices
Russian manufacturers:
- "Steel TD".
- DMD;
- "MegaFence".
- "MDK".
- "Metal Structures".
The price depends on the type and height of the structure, the presence of decorative elements. The approximate cost for 1 meter of picket fence is 1100 rubles.
