First attempt at gate restoration.

[Porschemaniac]

As a Christmas pressie to my wife's sister, I have offered to renovate an old wrought iron gate for her and her husband.

They live in a grand old Edwardian property, which they are having exetnsively restored. Whilst cutting back the shrubs in the front garden, they found what was possibly the original front gate, rusting in the bushes. Clearly, at some point, someone has taken it off and discarded it in favour of a rather bland steel gate.

Bascially, the whole central 'panel' had gone somewhere (probably rusted away and dropped out). There were a couple of old rusty scrolls, still clinging to it, but it needed the full centre panel rebuilt.

I have never considred making decorative steel work, but I got myself onto e-bay, bought myself a scroll jig and set to it.

To be honest, I'm actually rather pleased with how it's gone so far. After cutting the two remaining scrolls out and wire brushing all old paint off, I have added everything in the centre -from the numbers, down to the base. I had a rough desing in my head when I started, but I have to be honest, the design, so far, has kind of evolved.

Here it is as it arrived to me (picture actually does it justice - looked a lot worse up close).



And here it is now - basically, I have made everything in the central section (in front of the welding apron!)



All the welding is being done with my Clarke 150TE, which I have fitted With 0.8mm wire.

For an amateur, it's taken a lot of doing to get the scrolls uniform on each side, but it's very satisfying when you get it right.

 

[Bigjoe]

Nice restoration job but i suspect that its made of mild steel as i dont think you can weld wrought iron with mild steel wire.

Think they'll be pleased with that tho

 

[Porschemaniac]

Nice restoration job but i suspect that its made of mild steel as i dont think you can weld wrought iron with mild steel wire.

Think they'll be pleased with that tho

Doh! Yep - Make you right (at least the pieces I made are steel!!) Think I used the term 'Wrought Iron' as a generic term - Hoover Stylee.

Told you I was an amateur

 

[Arsonista]

Good job. Take a bit of wrapping up though.

 

[Porschemaniac]

Good job. Take a bit of wrapping up though.

Cheers Arsonista.

Fortunately, the wife does the wrapping

Left to me, I'd just stick a bow on it.....oh my God, I hope that quote doesn't send the thread off topic!!!

 

[danelectro]

Yep I reckon that is a top notch piece of work, well done that man!!

 

[Porschemaniac]

Yep I reckon that is a top notch piece of work, well done that man!!

Thank you, sir.

 

[astro_al]

Hi, great job on the gate, I especially like that you replicated the twists in the steel on the outer sections.

'Wrought iron' is a funny term, this is neither made from wrought nor hand forged (which is often called wrought iron work, no matter if it is made from wrought iron or not). This is a fabricated steel gate, using cold bending of mild steel and welding. You can tell as the scrolls are just flat steel bent into shape, the flat sections at the end of the curves are especially telling.

Anyway, great job sprucing it up using the same techniques as the original.

Al.

 

[Porschemaniac]

Hi, great job on the gate, I especially like that you replicated the twists in the steel on the outer sections.

'Wrought iron' is a funny term, this is neither made from wrought nor hand forged (which is often called wrought iron work, no matter if it is made from wrought iron or not). This is a fabricated steel gate, using cold bending of mild steel and welding. You can tell as the scrolls are just flat steel bent into shape, the flat sections at the end of the curves are especially telling.

Anyway, great job sprucing it up using the same techniques as the original.

Al.

Thanks Al.

Yes, as you say; it is an odd sort of term (and, to be honest, one that I have probably never understood).

I have always thought of wrought iron as some dar art, reserved mainly for Blacksmiths (or anyone with a forge).

But, as you say, it seems to get applied to a range of materials / techniques.

In any case, I do know that I like bending steel this way. Made the wife a tea light holder when I was practicing:



Basically, it's a bit of thick (4mm) flat bar, formed into a short scroll, with an 'elbow' (sorry, don't know if that's the right terminology!).

The 'cup' is the bottom of an old disposable gas bottle.

Normally, she's super-critical of anything I do in the garage - but she loves this, so I must be on to a winner.

My scroll jig could turn out to be 14 quid very well invested!

 

[Arsonista]

Awwww, you old romantic. Easy brownie points.

 

[Porschemaniac]

I think we all know how that works

 

[Porschemaniac]

Finished

Just spent about 3 hours in the garage, putting the first coat of black over a layer of Finnigans No Rust primer.

My sister-in-law specifically requested a dragonfly in the design. Before, I have made these out of old ball joints. However, there were two reasons for not doing so this time - (1) I don't have any knocking around right now and (2) I thought it may lack a certain refinement. In the end, I took a broken 1/4 inch ratchet handle, took the ratchet mechanism out, welded a short length of thick round bar either side of the head and ground the final shape down with a linisher and die-grinder.

Overall, I'm happy with how this has turned out - just hope the sister-in-law likes it!