Scrap metal art or projects

[Equilibrium]

And along comes another enabler...
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Back at ya kevinacaron... before long everyone following psa's thread will be rooting around in recycling bins on garbage day and walking up and down RR tracks scouring them for "goodies"-
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[HT2-4956]

Ha ha ha.... so that's what it is.... a payback. Blame psa.... he started this thread.
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I still haven't come up with an appropriate Star of David design to donate to the nursing home and was salivating at the mere thought of picking up 6 of them and copying what you did with the addition of a "garden-safe" edging material when I followed DSW's link and gasped at the prices. I really want that off my bucket list but.... won't happen unless I run across some that are more reasonably priced on eBay.

Eq.

I've got quite a few more of those already on hand. And I'm pretty sure I know where to find gobs more of them. They're used and not quite as nice as the ones I just put together but they should work for you. If you PM me your mailing address I'll put some stuff (including some of those sickle teeth) in one of those small if it fits it ships USPS boxes. Remember you got me those welding merit badges and wouldn't let me reimburse you so.....

I just have to get these disassembled.

[HT2-4956]

Got another fish starting to come together. Not completely happy with it yet but it'll jell here soon I hope. This one's going to be a "Gear Eyed" Salmon (as opposed to the "Socket Eyed" variety). Got to find some expended metal to use for fin-age on it.



That picture psa posted of his cigar box lamp caused me to stack these cubes up just to see what they'd look like.

[psacustomcreations]

Ha ha ha.... so that's what it is.... a payback. Blame psa.... he started this thread.
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I still haven't come up with an appropriate Star of David design to donate to the nursing home and was salivating at the mere thought of picking up 6 of them and copying what you did with the addition of a "garden-safe" edging material when I followed DSW's link and gasped at the prices. I really want that off my bucket list but.... won't happen unless I run across some that are more reasonably priced on eBay.

EQ and HT2,

Repeat after me... Hello. My name is EQ and/or HT2. I am a scrapaholic. Not a day goes by without me thinking about scrap metal. I see it every time I turn around. I have been known to sneak off and work on a piece of scrap metal when no one is looking.......

Remember that admitting you have a problem is the first step of a twelve step program.



I have a pretty big piece I am trying to finish today so I have not posted in a few days. It is not purely scrap but I will post a pic later today if I can get it finished. I just hit the duty cycle on my MM 175 so I came in to eat some lunch and hope the machine cools off. This is the first time this has happened in quite a while.

[Equilibrium]

Please mark some of those sold to the highest bidder!!! Will have to clean out PMs before I can send you an address but... my "greed" will motivate me to do something about the PMs that I should have done last winter. Oddly enough... I was needing to go through my PMs anyway because I have some plants that I wanted to gather seed from to send to you for your bees. They're very showy and have height to them. Two bloom at times when little else is blooming and are so worked over by native bees and honey bees that the sheer weight of all the bees on the Cacalia can drop them to the ground. I've got some amsonia, monarda, and liatris that gets a good work over too. If you want photo ops... these plants will do it for you.
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With the exception of diamond plate sheet metal, I actually prefer metal rusty with dings and dents. Causes me a lot of problems though since I clean up the least amount I think I can get by with before tacking and we all know I'm using a MIG machine. My bad.... more like really stubborn.
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Speaking of stacking things.... I tried stacking some rocks down by the pond and realized I didn't own anything that could drill into rock. Oops.

[psacustomcreations]

Got another fish starting to come together. Not completely happy with it yet but it'll jell here soon I hope. This one's going to be a "Gear Eyed" Salmon (as opposed to the "Socket Eyed" variety). Got to find some expended metal to use for fin-age on it.



That picture psa posted of his cigar box lamp caused me to stack these cubes up just to see what they'd look like.

Please don't take it wrong, but I am not a fan of the chain for the gills. I think the rest of the fish has such clean lines the jaggedness of the chains detract from it.

Another option is to clip off some corners and make the boxes look like they are partly inside each other at weird angles. Check out Bruce Gray and some of his pieces. Keven Caron may have also made a few like that.

[psacustomcreations]

I was asked to make a hoop obstacle for the Vint Hill Dog Park. Donner helped me out with the layout and tested it out for me.

[HT2-4956]

Please don't take it wrong, but I am not a fan of the chain for the gills. I think the rest of the fish has such clean lines the jaggedness of the chains detract from it.

Another option is to clip off some corners and make the boxes look like they are partly inside each other at weird angles. Check out Bruce Gray and some of his pieces. Keven Caron may have also made a few like that.

psa,

I wasn't liking the look of that chain the way it was laid out in that picture either. Turned into a smooth curve though is working better, don't you think? I'm liking this bigger gear as the eye also.

[psacustomcreations]

HT2,
The bigger gear and smooth curve look a lot better.

Have you thought about putting one of the hooks in its mouth and maybe a piece of 1/4" round bar attached to the eye of the hook? You can either have the round bar going up to the surface or get something kind of twisty dangling down like it is the one that got away.

[Equilibrium]

The gear for an eye is a nice touch. What about a fin out of a cultivator sweep? I know you have some of those.

[HT2-4956]

HT2,
The bigger gear and smooth curve look a lot better.

Have you thought about putting one of the hooks in its mouth and maybe a piece of 1/4" round bar attached to the eye of the hook? You can either have the round bar going up to the surface or get something kind of twisty dangling down like it is the one that got away.

That's why those hooks are sitting there next to it. I've already been thinking that getting a hook incorporated into one of these fish would be an interesting thing. Maybe not in this one, but it's coming. I like your idea of it hanging down like it's one that broke the line and got a way. I've got access to getting quite a few more of those arc sections that are what I've been using as the main body of these fish. I can see building a whole school of these things eventually. Each with just a little bit different look to them. Price wise, what do you think? I was hoping for around the $150 price range.

[HT2-4956]

The gear for an eye is a nice touch. What about a fin out of a cultivator sweep? I know you have some of those.

oohhhh, nice idea. I've been trying to keep them pretty two dimensional so they hang against a wall. But using a plow sweep as a set of bottom fins might be a good way to get one to be free standing. I like it.

[psacustomcreations]

That's why those hooks are sitting there next to it. I've already been thinking that getting a hook incorporated into one of these fish would be an interesting thing. Maybe not in this one, but it's coming. I like your idea of it hanging down like it's one that broke the line and got a way. I've got access to getting quite a few more of those arc sections that are what I've been using as the main body of these fish. I can see building a whole school of these things eventually. Each with just a little bit different look to them. Price wise, what do you think? I was hoping for around the $150 price range.

$150 might be a good price but it will depend on where you sell them.
How big are they?
Shipping might be more than you expect. Even though they are not heavy, they will take up a bit of cubic feet. By the time you wrap it several layers of bubble wrap and then box it up you have a decent sized package.
Depending on where you ship it could cost $25-30 more. In this era of free shipping from Amazon and Ebay some consumers do not mind the cost but balk at additional shipping.
I would do some research on shipping options such through fedex and make an account there if you do not have one. You will get a discount on the price.

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[Equilibrium]

The table is perfectly square now.... that took some doing.
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Wasn't too thrilled with the loss of contrast in the chains so took a wire brush to some of them and brushed water on some of the others and now I'm not so sure I like it. Might put it back outside to rust up again to take the harsh edge of its look. Oh, I'm not adding a lower shelf. The gussets and braces were just to stop it looking like a twisted tortilla chip. I can't think of a material to use for a lower shelf that won't compete with the top.
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This is next on my list... it's a cheap conduit arbor destroyed by the weight of Kentucky Wisteria that I need to replace. I'm going to use either 1/2" or 3/4" pressurized pipe but am wondering whether it would be better duplicating the radii by heating them or by using a bender?
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[psacustomcreations]

The table is perfectly square now.... that took some doing.
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Wasn't too thrilled with the loss of contrast in the chains so took a wire brush to some of them and brushed water on some of the others and now I'm not so sure I like it. Might put it back outside to rust up again to take the harsh edge of its look. Oh, I'm not adding a lower shelf. The gussets and braces were just to stop it looking like a twisted tortilla chip. I can't think of a material to use for a lower shelf that won't compete with the top.
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This is next on my list... it's a cheap conduit arbor destroyed by the weight of Kentucky Wisteria that I need to replace. I'm going to use either 1/2" or 3/4" pressurized pipe but am wondering whether it would be better duplicating the radii by heating them or by using a bender?
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In order to speed the rusting process have you tried putting vinegar or hydrogen peroxide on it for a bit then washing it off?

As far as the arbor, in order to make the bends consistent why not make a wooden form? You wont need heat or to spend money on a bender. There is a bit of spring back but if you make the form with a little more bend in it, it should open back up to what you want. In addition, all the pieces will spring back the same. I think it will be much harder to use a bender and make them all consistent.

[DSW]

I think it will be much harder to use a bender and make them all consistent.

Define "bender". A form that you use to bend something around IS a bender. It's just home made. Consistency is easy this way.

Given a choice I'd do it cold rather than hot. Chances are you'll get a more even curve and more consistent results. PSA's wood forms would most likely be my 1st choice, especially if I thought there'd possibly be others in the future. Down side would be that you'd need a fairly hefty table to fix the form to so it would stay put as you crank the pipe around.

It could be "bumped" as well using a fork type bender making small "bends" say every 1" or so. To do this well, you'd rough the shape, then keep laying it on the original or a drawn pattern and making small adjustments until it matches. It's a bit easier to make the arch tighter than wider, so if you err, do so that way. Again you need a solidly fixed vise or table to hold the bending fork. This is a bit easier if you are doing one off bends, or if you are doing multiple bends of different radius's. It's also the easiest way to do very large bends many times. Note that the distance between the forks can help you get a tighter or gentler bend to your piece.

Another possible option is to hammer it out. It's similar to bump bending as you do multiple hits each spaced a small distance apart. The hits are usually done in the gap over two solid rounds or heavy pipes to close the arch, and bridging something solid to open it. The arches on the base of my forge made from 1/2" x 1" solid were hammered out cold and it really didn't take all that long to do so. If bumping or hammering, it can really help to take some chalk and mark fixed distances on your piece, that way it's easy to stay consistent.

EQ, if you want, we can work on this later this month when I'm out there.

[psacustomcreations]

Define "bender". A form that you use to bend something around IS a bender. It's just home made. Consistency is easy this way.

.

I was referring more towards an EMT bender like the first pic or a hydraulic one like the second. Without knowing EQ's familiarity with either device or budget constraints I was using my version of a generic ( and probably incorrect) term.

I have used the EMT bender to make "S" bends in 1/2" pipe. The first bend was easy since the pipe was resting on the floor. The second bend was harder since the pipe would not rest flat on the floor. It ended up cork screwing a bit and i resorted to the BFH to straighten it out. This did result in some dings on the pipe.

I have tried with limited success using the hydraulic bender to make large radius bends. The old pump it twice, loosen and move a few inches or so, pump twice/move etc, etc, didn't work too well for me.

[HT2-4956]

psa,

Would you have any interest in buying a set of parts from me to build one of these T-Rex dinosaurs? I've got 3 sets of parts laying here. If you find you've got a market for them I'm sure we can come to some kind of arraignment where I'll send you the cut file for them and you can have some one local to you cut the parts.

[psacustomcreations]

psa,

Would you have any interest in buying a set of parts from me to build one of these T-Rex dinosaurs? I've got 3 sets of parts laying here. If you find you've got a market for them I'm sure we can come to some kind of arraignment where I'll send you the cut file for them and you can have some one local to you cut the parts.

Thanks for the offer but I will have to hold off for now. When I go to craft shows there is one other family/vendor that sells a lot of plasma cut items that goes to several of the same shows. I like to differentiate between our items by having things that are a bit out of the ordinary. Not saying theses are ordinary, just that mine are a bit off the wall since every one is unique. Kind of like your fish.

There are some people selling similar items on etsy for only $110 or so and I just don't see how they are making money off it.

My goal is be able to sell enough items to keep expanding my shop and eventually get a plasma table. It is pretty packed right now and I am working on saving enough money to put an extension on the back so I can get all my yard items and misc out the shop.

[sivy]

I'm still a crappy welder but this is a small sculpture that I did today from scraps I had around.

"In need":








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[Cooley]

psa,

Would you have any interest in buying a set of parts from me to build one of these T-Rex dinosaurs? I've got 3 sets of parts laying here. If you find you've got a market for them I'm sure we can come to some kind of arraignment where I'll send you the cut file for them and you can have some one local to you cut the parts.

How much? My niece loves building the wooden kits like this from harbor freight, it'd be cool to weld one up and powder coat it

[psacustomcreations]

I'm still a crappy welder but this is a small sculpture that I did today from scraps I had around.

"In need":








Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

This looks great.

[HT2-4956]

How much? My niece loves building the wooden kits like this from harbor freight, it'd be cool to weld one up and powder coat it

Cooley,

Sent you a PM.

[Equilibrium]

Haven't tried any rust accelerants yet other than a little bit of water just because it was there. I do think some of the chain ended up too bright after wire wheeling some of it and do need to dull it down a tad.
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I have at least two of those EMT benders that I bought at garage sales cheap thinking they'd come in handy some day. Have never used them and don't know what sizes they are although I can check. Have access to and have used a hydraulic tube bender over at my welding teacher's place and it looks just like the red one in the photo.
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I sooooooooo wanted to play with fire but it's sounding like cold is the way to go.
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sivy> fun sculpture!!! Love the piece you chose for the torso.
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Cooley> Awesome gift idea for a kid into dinosaurs!!! I've always loved that dinosaur that HT2 makes.... too bad our kids are long out of their dinosaur phase. Just an FYI.... last year when I took some things in to be powder coated white, I saw a metal head and foot board waiting to be picked up that was camo coated for a girl in pinks. When I asked about it, they said they'd started with a coating of burgundy and went back in and added rose and light pink. It looked awesome. Bet you could do something like that starting out with a base powder coat of black followed up with greens and browns.

[HT2-4956]

Thanks for the offer but I will have to hold off for now. When I go to craft shows there is one other family/vendor that sells a lot of plasma cut items that goes to several of the same shows. I like to differentiate between our items by having things that are a bit out of the ordinary. Not saying theses are ordinary, just that mine are a bit off the wall since every one is unique. Kind of like your fish.

There are some people selling similar items on etsy for only $110 or so and I just don't see how they are making money off it.

My goal is be able to sell enough items to keep expanding my shop and eventually get a plasma table. It is pretty packed right now and I am working on saving enough money to put an extension on the back so I can get all my yard items and misc out the shop.

psa,

No problem. Just thought I'd float the idea out there.

If it wouldn't be to much trouble could you get me the link to that etsy page where you said some one was selling something similar? I'd kind of like to see just what they've got going on.