Hat Planter

[blacksmithstris]

A recent project for a Milliner lady, who wanted something a little different for her front garden. Made from 1.5mm sheet mostly. Will be galvanized and mounted on a stand.

I was concerned about having a sharp edge so I folded over them over, reminds my partner of a pie crust, and now I can't quite get that out of my head!! My customer likes it though, so that's all that matters!

Am slightly concerned that the welds have a lot of brown staining around them. My old welder seems to be doing that recently. I have fiddled around with the settings on the regulator but nothing seems to make a difference. The torch is new as of last year but the regulator is quite old, so I am wondering whether the regulator might be developing a fault. Anyway, it's not often I do long runs of weld like that so any suggestions welcome. Thanks for looking. Colleen.

 

[ytre]

Looks really well and very neat welding, will the flowers or complete hat be painted after galvanizing?

 

[blacksmithstris]

The customer wants it black, yawn. Could be nice with some colour, but she already has black ironwork around so wants it to match. I could try to convince her, maybe, we shall see!

 

[chunkolini]

Nice one, looks almost soft to the touch.
Would Mr Slash like one.
Iron Mad Wilkinson the Victorian industrialist used to wear an iron top hat and lived in a cast iron house.

 

[blacksmithstris]

Nice one, looks almost soft to the touch.
Would Mr Slash like one.

Thanks!! Oh, now that would be fun, a hat for Mr. Slash!

Nice one, looks almost soft to the touch.
Iron Mad Wilkinson the Victorian industrialist used to wear an iron top hat and lived in a cast iron house.

Bet he had a neck of steel to support that iron top hat!! (groan!!!!!!)

 

[rosco454]

I really like that.Agree with Chunkolini about it looking soft,must be all the smooth edges.

Can I ask how you got the edge on the petals of the flowers,can't quite make it out from the pics?

Cheers Ross.

 

[strube1369]

That certainly is a "little different". Nice. Very nice.

 

[shirazman]

Real nice bit of skilled work there. Love those flowers...wow

 

[blacksmithstris]

Thanks, all. Ross, the flower petals were cut out with oxy propane, the edges left rough but wire brushed to remove the sharp edges. Usually my 'standard edge' for petals and such.

 

[CRB]

?Will you lose any of the detail when it gets galvanised?

It would be a shame.

 

[blacksmithstris]

Hmmm, yeah, might lose a bit actually, but shouldn't be too bad if they don't have too much dross in the tanks, worse bit is it coming back with spikes all over it... I've had some bad experiences with galvanizing before, but this has so many water traps in it I thought it best that it get done. Now I'm wondering if where I've folded over the edges might present a problem... Might get on to them and get some advice.

 

[shirazman]

brown deposit

Nothing wrong with your regulator, if there was you would get porosity first. I get this deposit quite often doing outside corners or fillets. Its down to torch angle and where the gas escapes to. You lay a very neat weld, want a job? I'm sick of guys that say they can weld, you give them a test and you would think a bird had **** on the plate. Start on Monday
p.s. very very beautiful work

 

[pedrobedro]

Bet he had a neck of steel to support that iron top hat!! (groan!!!!!!)

No he had a brass neck It does look a nice organic piece, shame to paint it black.

 

[blacksmithstris]

Nothing wrong with your regulator, if there was you would get porosity first. I get this deposit quite often doing outside corners or fillets. Its down to torch angle and where the gas escapes to. You lay a very neat weld, want a job? I'm sick of guys that say they can weld, you give them a test and you would think a bird had **** on the plate. Start on Monday
p.s. very very beautiful work

Thanks for that info, I've tried everything, turned the flow right down, until I get porosity, and all settings in between til the maximum, doesn't seem to change at all, so I've just turned it back to normal (about 12) and it does it sometimes, but yes, you are probably right, could be due to torch angle. I was only taught for two weeks of welding when I did my art degree, my Dad (who was a fabricator and worked on ships) helped me for six weeks when when I got my first workshop, that was 5 years ago, so anything I know about welding came from those 8 weeks, and reading on here of course! And thanks for the compliment on my welding!

I'd love to have a second job welding! Unfortunately the commute would do me in!!!

It does look a nice organic piece, shame to paint it black.

I agree, I am not much of a fan of black painted ironwork, but it's the traditional thing to do and the customer is always right, I'm not sure she'd be swayed.

 

[astro_al]

Nice work. How about hot zinc spraying it instead of Galveston, that's what I do with anything detailed. You don't get any extra crap anywhere.

Cheers, Al

 

[blacksmithstris]

Hi Al, thanks, Hot zinc would be my choice of finish, (as I have a zinc sprayer 30 mins away) but last time I had a railing done, I brought him one of my flowers and he said he couldn't do it because "he can't spray around corners" So I assumed there would be too many unreachable recesses in this to do. If this is not true, I need to find another zinc sprayer!

 

[blacksmithstris]

Finally got a stand put on. Brought it round to the lady today for a dry fit before it goes off to get finished, just in case she wanted me to change anything. She brought out a little cyclamin to pop in it to see how it would look! So here's a pic of it in situ, just au natural, was thinking it could even be quite nice just rusted, but the lady wouldn't go for that, she wants it black, "just like ironwork should be"!!! Will have to drill in to put a grub screw or something into the copper pipe into which it's sunk. the lady is worried about metal theft, not quite sure if that would deter, other than sinking it in concrete!