The first artistic forging appeared in ancient times. However, only talented craftsmen could make it. Metal crafts became fashionable in the 11th century and are still gaining popularity. Nowadays, you can make your own metal crafts with your own hands, which we will just get acquainted with.
Observe safety precautions while working!
You will need: sheet of paper, cardboard, pencil, scissors, grinder, sheet metal (1.5 mm thick), hammer, chisel, chemical rust remover, welding machine, 6-8 mm rod, 2 bolts and 2 washers.
Master Class
You will need: a sheet of metal 2 mm thick, a drill with a drill for metal, a grinder, metal scissors, a circle for a grinder for stripping, electric welding, rods (diameter 4.6, 10,12,14 mm), 3 metal balls from a bearing, wire.
Master Class
- Take 2 pieces of metal pipe and make a head out of the first one. Cut out the same parts along the entire diameter as shown in the image, then weld them.
- Clean the part with a grinder with a circle.
- Make the torso smaller than the head in the same way.
- Weld the head to the body of the rat.
- Create and transfer sketches of paws, ears to a metal sheet, then cut them out.
- Fold the blanks for the paws into a funnel, scald them and clean the seams.
- Weld the paws to the body with electric welding and the ears to the head, clean the seams.
- Make rat paws from twigs in this way: the upper paws of a 4 mm rod are welded to a 10 mm rod, the lower 6 mm to 12 mm. Insert into funnels and weld.
- Make a tail from a 14mm rod and weld it to the body.
- Make holes for the eyes (make them smaller than the balls from the bearings), sink the balls into the holes and weld. Also weld the ball nose, drill holes for the mustache and insert the wire into them.
- Clean the rat with a grinder and make it fur like this: apply longitudinal welding seams close to each other.
- Clean the craft giving it shine and varnish it.
You will need: sheet metal 0.5 mm thick, metal shears, yews, whetstone, steel wire 6 mm, hammer, pliers, grinder, welding machine, metal paint.
Master Class
- Cut out 30 petals and 2 rose leaves from metal in this way: start with a 15mm petal, end with 80mm.
- Smooth the edges of the petal with a whetstone.
- Cut rose thorns 10-15 mm long from metal.
- Make a blank for the stem of wire. Bend the stem with a hammer.
- Create a rosebud in this way: clamp the 2 smallest petals in a yew and bend in half. Form 8 petals in an arc relative to the center, weld and clean each part.
- Form the rest of the petals in an arc. Bend the top of the petals with a hammer, weld and clean each part.
- Weld the spikes to the stem and clean with a grinder.
- Clamp the rose leaf in a vise, then release it so that the vein comes out, bend the edges of the sheets with pliers, weld to the stem and strip.
- Weld the bud to the stem, strip and paint.
The decoration of any dacha or mansion in the suburbs can be not only a purchased accessory, but also hand-made metal crafts. Any person can make them, since special knowledge is not required for this.
Thinking about the manufacture of metal crafts, everyone is given the chance to choose the desired production process, based on their own skills and experience. The always chosen work technique will imply some expenses necessary to create or purchase the necessary equipment.
Everyone is given the opportunity to create many different metal crafts, to transform the interior of a home or garden plot thanks to them.
Product technology
Creating crafts from wood and metal is today considered a modern way to make money. Handmade metal structures adorn the cornices and benches. In this case, the master has the right to choose the desired style that is suitable for the house.
In stores, metal items are sold expensively, because they are made by hand. Therefore, today it is important to create such products on their own.
For the production of metal parts and patterned images, it is recommended to choose a suitable work process.
The most modern are: filigree, cutting, bending, forging, stamping, chasing. Upon completion of the preparation of the drawing of the metal product and the required list of materials, the master can begin work.
Metal is the material from which whole compositions of various crafts for the home and garden are created. In this regard, many ways have been developed, thanks to which it is possible to create characteristic things at home.
Methods for creating metal products
Casting. The essence is to fill the mold with liquefied steel. Frozen, it becomes strong. This results in a beautifully shaped product.
Forging. Based on the action on the workpiece with a hammer, temperature, press, etc.
Bending. This technique is similar to forging. The essence of technology is welding and riveting elements.
Difovka. This method is characterized by the use of a hammer in the work. So the iron sheets get the desired look.
Cutting and stamping. Using this technology, the shape of the workpiece changes, holes are made.
Filigree. The raw material is wire of any shape. The craft is created by soldering the bent components of the pattern.
Chasing. The method is considered the simplest. Its essence is the location on the workpiece of inventory, subject to further impact with a hammer. This changes the shape of the product.
How to make a drawing
At the present time, many methods are used to make drawings of metal crafts. They can really be done by yourself, or using automated programs.
Thanks to the scheme, there is a specific understanding of how much material is needed for work. Initially, it will be required in the manufacture of large items, for example, metal gates. Having a prepared sketch, the master will be able to understand whether the craft will look harmonious in the desired place.
DIY metal rose
Sheet metal crafts will serve to decorate the garden in a country house. Among them, a beautiful flower called a rose is most often distinguished. The finished product will be able to please you for many years.
To complete the craft, the following learning method is useful:
When carrying out work, it is necessary to take into account safety precautions, using special gloves and a mask for welding.
Take sheet metal and carve out of it the petals and leaves of the flower. The petals should be cut in the following order: from smallest to largest, starting at 15 mm and ending at 80 mm. You will need to make about 30 petals. So the flower bud will look compact and beautiful. After the edges of all the petals should be smoothed with a grindstone.
From the remaining sheet metal, it is necessary to cut triangular shapes of at least 10 mm in size, serving as rose thorns.
We make a button. Take the two smallest petals, squeeze them in a yew, then fold them into two parts. Then we form eight petals in an arc, holding on to the middle of the bud. Each piece of metal crafts is fixed by welding. After that, you need to clean up.
All other leaves are formed in a similar way in an arc, but with the top bent. The bend is carried out with a hammer. All other petals are fixed by welding and cleaned again.
It's time to weld the spikes to the prepared stem. Afterwards, cleaning is done.
And finally, the rose leaves themselves. It is required to make a clamp and unclench the leaflet in a yew so that the vein comes out. The edges of the leaves are bent with pliers. We fix the leaves to the stem by welding and clean the seams.
The final stage is welding the bud to the stem. Cleaning is also done in those places where the parts are connected. After the whole rose is painted with a special paint.
DIY metal craft rat
Metal crafts for the garden and cottages have an excellent appearance. For example, you can make a metal rat or other animal by following the step-by-step instructions.
Step-by-step process of creating crafts:
Take a couple of pieces of a metal pipe (with a rat size of 50 cm). One of them will serve as a head: we cut equal parts in diameter, and the workpiece comes out.
After using electric welding, we attach the parts and use a grinder to clean the place of the seam. When working, proportional dimensions should be taken into account: the head goes more than the body. We weld these two parts together.
On a thin metal sheet 2 mm wide, we apply samples of the ears and paws of the animal, then cut it out. For the correct shape of the paws, the workpieces are folded into a funnel. We connect the paws with the body with a welding machine and clean the seams. Similarly, work is done with the ears.
After we perform brushes of paws from twigs. Smaller rods are suitable for the upper and lower legs. We weld them and clean them up.
For dressing the tail, you need a rod 14 mm long. He joins the body of the rat by welding.
Now let's deal with the muzzle. Initially, two openings are made in the head for the eye sockets. In size, they are smaller than the balls from the bearings.
We carefully clean the entire animal with a grinder. Along the length of the rat, we make welding lines located nearby. This will remind the elements of wool.
At the end of everything, a varnish without color is applied to the rat to obtain the best effect. In the photo of metal crafts, the animal is covered with a colorless varnish that has a shiny effect. Now the craft is ready, you can give it to your loved ones, or place it in your own dacha.
Photo of metal crafts
Hello to all metalworkers, today we will do crafts made of metal - sheet, and assorted barn-useless, plumbing-necessary, in-house-felting and in-garage-dust-collective. Here, however, any piece of iron, if skillfully, will boldly go into business. I will show what ideas there are for sheet metal contour crafts, what interesting large-scale welded 3D crafts are, I will show unusual small metal welding crafts - for amateur schoolchildren or garage creators with the soul of an aviator.
If you entered our article under compulsion, you will fly away from us on the wings of "want". Without iron and welding - all life down the drain. The author will not let you lie. We will cook and bake.
So for starters, catch a couple of pictures.
- BIRD owl made of metal.
- ANIMAL friend-dog from the spring.
- Metal craft MAN welded construction of locksmith elements.
You yourself determine the complexity and scope of your future metal crafts. You start small. Be inspired by the result. You begin to believe in yourself and want more. Saddle the coolest horse in this world of metal and love.
So let's get started... IN ORDER to understand what metal crafts are. And which of them are suitable for labor-technology lessons at school (for boys in grades 5,6,7). Which of the metal crafts will decorate your summer cottage or backyard garden. What cool metal things can you make for sale. And what grandiose ideas will make you the name of a metalworking sculptor.
Ready… Attention… Forward
simple small metal crafts
Welding and not much material at all.
A little imagination and a welder neighbor. And here you have a cute horse rearing up on your site. Nuts, rod or fittings, a short saw cut of a metal pipe. If there is a shortage of metal, you can add wooden elements.
And here is an almost childish craft. The body and head are metal cans. Ears and tongue are steel shoehorns. Legs are aluminum molds for home baking.
And here is a small miniature metal craft - TURTLE. The armor is a set of nuts of different sizes, the legs are bent bolts. The tail is a screw.
You can create not images of existing real animals, but invent your own funny characters. Like metal cartoons that will do something fun.
Children's crafts
from thin sheet material.
Thin metal sheet is a malleable material for cutting, bending and shaping. Using a special tool, any shape can be cut out of a sheet of metal, then the necessary bulges, grooves and recesses can be minted on a thin sheet. Such crafts made of metal have a sophisticated sophisticated look. They can be used as decorative metal crafts to decorate your garden, front of your house, hedge, attach to the mailbox.
It will decorate your country life. It will make your site visible and not boring.
Here are some photos of some sheet metal crafts that might give you an idea for your own metal animal.
Insert a tray or mesh compartment into the craft - and pour bird food into it. And here you have a finished feeder, which also decorates the garden.
Also, your thin-sheet craft can be useful - attach to it flask for collecting precipitation and you will compare summer seasons and their yields in terms of rainfall.
Optionally, you can supplement the craft with a metal rod, as in the picture below.
Sheet metal crafts.
For cottages and gardens.
But if you have a SHEET of metal available - in the form of a strip of thin metal, or metal sheets for facade cladding, roofing elements, etc. - in this case, you can make original carved crafts from flat metal sheets to decorate your home or cottage .
A simple, almost childish craft made from a strip of thin metal is a snail. By the same principle, you can make a cat, with a tail-pipe.
Here is a flat sheet metal craft. If it is polymerized into a colored polymer, then it will last for several years without rust.
Can be made from sheet metal pattern of VOLUME sculpture ( as in the photo with the deer below). But here you need an accurate drawing with measurements of all quantities and accurate seam welding. This is for professional welders.
Therefore, for beginner metalworkers, simple TWO-DIMENSIONAL sheet metal crafts are suitable. For example, this two-plane deer. One plane silhouette of a deer. The second plane is the legs, it is installed transversely into special slots (groove into a groove) - a slot-slit on the leg, and the slot in the body is put on each other.
Metal sculptures made of sheet iron can be painted with nitro paint (smelly, harmful). And it’s better and more durable to give such a craft for POLYMER PAINTING. Call any company that deals with polymer and they will name the price - the main thing is that the size of their ovens is suitable, containing the dimensions of your craft. Such a polymer-painted craft is baked in an oven and does not rust for many years. Stands in the rain like a brand new factory item.
If you have equipment not only for CUTTING sheet metal, but also for its BENDING and even FORGING, then you can create a complex sculpture using the technology that we see in the photo below.
Crafts ROBOTS made of metal.
Robotics is a tricky business for advanced IT people. We are metalworkers, simple people - we do not create obedient machines. We are making a friend. Home silent interlocutor. Country always ready drinking companion. Guardian of our estate.
We just create a ROBOT - for the soul, not for teams. From pieces of iron and locksmith spare parts.
Any failed (or outdated) equipment can and should be put into action. Extend the life of devices and sensors already in such a "virtual" form. They also want to see the modern world - it's better that way, in a new quality, than in a landfill in the throes of corrosion.
And after all, this is such a fascinating occupation for the master - to create a FACE, an image, a soul, a look at the world - for a new iron man.
You can think of a bold thing - to give each robot a certain resemblance to persons close to you in spirit - for example, give them the names of Comandante Che Guivara, or the science fiction brother Strugatsky, or the French classic Beaumarchais.
And if you do not plan to expose an iron friend in the rain, and set aside a cozy corner for him under the roof of your house. Then the belly of a steel friend can be supplied sound recorder. And at the push of a button on his armored chest, a metallic voice will utter quotes belonging to his bio-progenitor.
It is never too late to tell the truth (P.O. Beaumarchais).
The life of an individual is worth a million times more than all the possessions of the richest man on earth. (Ernesto Che Guivara)
For weeks you spend your soul on vulgar chatter with all sorts of scum, and when you meet a real person, there is no time to talk. (from the novel by the Strugatsih Brothers)
Take another look at the face of your metal robot - what does it look like? Find quotes and give a new body to the immortal soul of a great man. Give her the right to speak.
If you are a recruited fan of the film adaptation of American comics, then you can create a metal craft in your country house - the idol of the United States - a symbol of black and white justice, introduced by an iron fist. All sorts of trans-miracle Yudo-formers (photo below).
The recipe is simple - a photo is at hand, the contents of a dump and good welding.
metal insects.
Crafts for school and beyond.
Techno-sects. Our acquaintances. Small and harmless, with your help, they can show their intimidating anatomy made of metal parts. You are like a god who recreates species and subspecies. Be fruitful and multiply... stew and do not rust.
Here is a cute ant. Also a small craft for metal, just for children in schools.
Insects are a very interesting material for ideas with metal parts. On the Internet, you can print life-size photos of insects and try to recreate their image from the available metal parts. Nature is a rich source of beautiful forms - a stag beetle, a rhinoceros beetle, a snail, a centipede, a ground beetle, a water strider and other living creatures will inspire the hand and thought of the master.
But the craft (metal dragonfly photo below) on which should pay attention to children. You adults should tell the boys what bullets are and how dangerous they can be even without any weapons. Let a child who is fond of metal crafts understand that there are very dangerous THINGS - bullets and cartridges that must be checked for a combat charge before use - only an adult should do such a thing. Your kid should know that a cartridge is not just “a great piece of metal of a cylindrical shape, wow, great, suitable for crafts.” Be sure to explain to him the safety rules for working with metal.
Here is a metal scorpion craft (nuts, screw elements, and bent bolts). A beautiful and interesting craft for those who master jewelry welding and want to create a small metal sculpture from inexpensive and affordable materials.
Pay attention to the armored wings of the iron locust (photo of the craft below) are made from the handles of teaspoons. And each back of the metal insect has its own separate factory pattern.
Now a very popular theme is snails, they are painted on clothes, they are cast from glass, they are carved from wood and placed around the backyard territory - here and there. Or close to a pond.
Metal crafts.
In the form of animals.
Zoo animals can decorate your backyard. Create a small menagerie of metal crafts at your dacha. Old tools, canisters, barrels and some welding work. And now a giant orangutan lurks in the currant jungle.
From spoons or forks, you can create a gentle deer.
Place large fish near the pond on the site. Or a large steel fish can become an office decoration. As a symbol of successful catching fat clients.
Let a steel stallion graze under the apple tree. Mane from chains, the rest from other pistons.
The photo below shows how the skeleton of the beast is assembled first, and then we build up the meat from above for anatomical similarity.
And the water dinosaur is made of metal - pay attention to how interesting the details are combined here.
The animal may be mythical. Populate your country garden with unicorns, chamois, gorgons, mermaids, griffins.
No less proud posture and frogs from the photo below. Also a beautiful piece of stainless steel. The polished sides shine like the proud face of a craftsman. Pure work - 100% anatomical similarity to the original. Look for similar results.
Interesting unusual thick-belly crafts can be made from metal barrels, basins, canisters. The belly of a washing machine can become the belly of a hippopotamus. Walk around the neighbors, collect the old junk. And now the material for the animal hippopotamus.
Take a look at yourself, your dreams and goals.
Take a look at the material.
Try to come up with a daring idea. Which itself will give birth to energy. Itself will give you fire and aspiration.
Whoever has a goal will not get lost. And he will always take the path that leads in the right direction.
Reach for goals. Learn new things.
Good luck to you - in business, in dreams.
If there is purpose, there will be power.
Happy welding. Let everything work out.
Olga Klishevskaya, specially for the site
You can decorate the interior of a house or a country cottage not only with store-bought trinkets, but also with hand-made metal products. Moreover, it is available to everyone, since it requires a minimum set of tools and knowledge. At the same time, such things can make decorate any interior.
Thinking about creating such items, everyone can choose for themselves manufacturing technology based on your experience and knowledge. Although in each case the selected technique will require certain costs necessary for the purchase or manufacture of special equipment.
It is in the power of everyone to create a lot of various metal products, to arrange a garden with their help. It can be both crafts and pieces of furniture, as well as various decorative bridges and forging elements.
The technology of making things from metal
Do-it-yourself metal products can make any design more attractive, including benches, cornices, furniture and other things. Moreover, the owner can choose the style of his choice, paying attention to the fact that the created thing looks harmonious in a particular room.
In stores, metal products are offered at rather high prices due to the fact that they are made by hand. However, if you wish, you can master the science of creating these items yourself, thanks to which you can save a lot of money on this. The only costs that may arise here will be related to the purchase of materials.
To create metal patterns and details, you can choose any technique you like. Quite common among them are forging, stamping, cutting, bending, chasing and filigree. After the scheme or drawing of the product is received, as well as the necessary materials are prepared, the person will be ready to implement the plan to create an unusual and beautiful product.
Metal is the material on the basis of which you can create a whole composition of various crafts for the garden.
Therefore, there are many different methods that allow you to create at home pretty original stuff.
- Casting. The essence of this technique is to fill with a liquid alloy of a special form.
- Forging. This method is based on the impact on the workpiece with a hammer, temperature, press and other methods of deformation.
- bending. This technique is in many ways similar to forging, it is based on riveting and welding of product elements.
- Difovka. This method is characterized by the use of a hammer, with the help of which thin sheets of iron are given the necessary shapes.
- Stamping and cutting. Using this technique, you can effortlessly change the shape of the workpiece, as well as create holes.
- Filigree. This method involves the use of cast or smooth wire as raw material, from which the product is created by soldering the bent elements of the pattern.
- Chasing. This processing method is simple in execution, and its essence lies in placing a special tool on the workpiece, which is acted upon by a hammer, thereby changing the shape of the product.
There are several ways to make drawing for a metal product. It can be developed manually or use special computer programs. Thanks to the drawing, you can find out in advance how much material is needed to create things. First of all, those who plan to make large objects, for example, gates, bars, cannot do without it. Having a ready-made sketch in hand, it will be easier for the master to understand even before starting work how harmoniously this product will look in the place chosen for its placement.
simple metal things
If you do not have experience in making such things with your own hands, then it is recommended that you start by creating the simplest metal objects. Such can be a metal box, which can act not only as a decorative element, but also perform practical functions.
Required Tools
Suitable as a base regular tin can. To make such a box, you will need to prepare a number of tools:
The process of making a box with your own hands begins with cleaning the surface of the can from paint, for which use sandpaper. It is advisable to carry out the operation when the jar is still full. Otherwise, you will have to perform such preparation as carefully as possible, because if the metal is deformed, then you are unlikely to be able to make a beautiful box.
After that, they begin to cut the can: this must be done in such a way that a rectangular blank is obtained. Before that, you need to cut off the bottom, after which the upper part is cut along. During this operation, irregularities will necessarily appear along the edges, which it is desirable to sharpen immediately.
Next, it must be placed on a hard surface, where the images contained in the drawing are already applied with a pencil. After that, proceed directly to the creation of the pattern. You will not have any restrictions in choosing jewelry for the box, but it is still advisable to use symmetrical details. To create a pattern ballpoint pen required, with which you can easily push through aluminum. You can achieve the effect of a pronounced texture if you draw along the contour lines of the pattern more than once. After completing the steps listed above, you will only need to assemble the box.
If you have welding equipment and skills in handling it, you can make a very beautiful metal owl with your own hands. In addition, you will have to prepare the following tools:
At the first stage it is necessary draw a sketch of an owl on paper, after which it is transferred to cardboard. So you make it easier for yourself to cut out individual elements. To create an owl, we will have to make eyes, a body that includes feathers, wings and a tail. To make it easier for you to cut metal parts, you can use a grinder.
When creating the eyes for the owl, make sure that they have large holes in them, through which you can insert bolts. On all the scales you will have to create notches, thanks to which the plumage effect will be provided. To do this, you will have to use a chisel. Paws can be made by connecting parts of the rod to each other, using welding for this. To create a beak, use a piece of bent metal. During the assembly of the product, the beak and paws must be welded at the very end. When all the elements are in place, the owl can be further decorated by treating it with a special varnish.
How to make frost patterns?
Making frosty patterns is not a very time-consuming procedure, but at the same time it is able to provide a rather spectacular appearance to the product, giving it a resemblance to ancient craftsmen's products. This largely contributes manifestation of the structure of tin that looks like crystals. To make frosty patterns, it is recommended to use tin cans, since a layer of tin has already been applied to their surface.
You can develop the pattern as follows: for this you need a candle, over which you need to hold individual parts of the metal for some time. The jar must be heated for a strictly defined time. If it is overexposed, it will lead to damage to the product. The main goal that must be achieved during the heating of the tin layer is to allow it to manifest itself.
You can also make a frosty metal pattern with your own hands if you place the tin on the surface of the steel plate in advance, and then heat or melt.
A burner is suitable for this purpose: thanks to a steady flame, you can easily heat the required area of \u200b\u200bthe tin. As the tin heats up, you can notice how a shine appears on it, which disappears after a few seconds. Try to process the metal sheet in such a way that its sections are heated unevenly, otherwise you will end up with a uniform pattern. To give the workpiece an original look, creating a unique pattern, it is enough to warm the sheet in the corners.
When the desired pattern is obtained, it is necessary to sharply lower the temperature of the metal sheet. To do this, it is dipped in cold water or sprinkled. To make the created pattern visible on the sheet as clearly as possible, the surface can be further treated with hydrochloric acid. For safety, you need to prepare a tool - stick to which a cotton swab is tied.
Sometimes, after warming up, it is not possible to achieve the required clearance. In this case, you can remove it once with sandpaper. It is not recommended to repeat this technique, because otherwise it will lead to the complete removal of the tin layer.
For decoration purposes, you can also turn to wax paint, which is used to process certain sections of a metal sheet, after which they are heated. It is possible to ensure the stability of the pattern created on the jar by treating it with a special varnish. Even better, if you apply a colored clear varnish on it, thanks to which your thing will look even more original.
How is cold forging done?
The cold forging method can also be used to create metal products at home. With the help of this technique, you can make things with an unusual shape with your own hands, this is done with the help of a press. With a small thickness of metal there is no need to resort to heating it, this will help to avoid many difficulties.
Cold forging tools
Although this manufacturing method is more simple than the technique of creating metal products by hot forging, certain tools are also needed here:
- Gnutik, with which the workpiece will be bent to give the desired shape;
- A snail, which is also used to deform a sheet of metal;
- Special flashlight used for weaving;
- A wave that allows you to make wavy patterns;
- A twister that allows you to twist the rods together, thereby making it possible to obtain spiral elements.
Manufacturing steps
Even before the manufacture of a metal product by forging, it does not hurt to depict sketch or product diagram.
Then, using the available tools, they begin to manufacture the constituent elements of the product, and subsequently they are connected to each other by welding.
The last step in the manufacture of metal products by cold forging is the removal of seams, grinding and applying special varnishes.
The most common options for cold forging were discussed above, but it can also be performed in a slightly different way - in the form of embossing. To use this method, there is no need to purchase special complex tools. This technique is based on working with a workpiece, on which a pre-composed pattern is applied by extruding metal. After a sketch of a pattern or image has been prepared, it must be cut out. Then you need to take care of the availability of space for bending the material.
After that, the board is covered with a layer of resin, where the finished workpiece is already laid out. From this moment, the process of its design begins by transferring the pattern to it.
Conclusion
You can decorate your home not only with the help of modern accessories and beautiful little things that are offered in stores. If you wish, you can independently make metal things that will look no worse. Naturally, in the absence of skills in the manufacture of such products, it is possible that the first box or other thing that will be made by your hands will not be as beautiful as you would like.
However, as you hone your skills, you will get better at this task, and subsequently it will not be difficult for you. create more complex things. This will allow you to turn your hobby into a fairly profitable business. After all, things that were made by hand are very much appreciated.
Products made of various metals surround a person in many areas of his activity. For the home, these are decorative items, household items and garden tools. The use of metal objects in the industrial field cannot be described in a few words. In recent decades, do-it-yourself metal products have been created by many amateur craftsmen. Home forges became more and more common.
The most affordable type of metal processing, which does not require large expenditures and sophisticated equipment, is cold forging, which results in individual figures. And they are combined into a single product by welding.
Items created by hand by cold forging are presentable, they can be put up for sale. Therefore, this is one of the options for a profitable private business.
There are many other methods of making metal objects that deserve special attention.
Craft Ideas for Beginners
Before considering how to work with metals, it is worth dwelling on the ideas and drawings of possible crafts.
Metal crafts - decorations for any interior. Animal and plant subjects, monograms, geometric figures and national ornaments are popular.
A simple product for beginners will be a metal owl. It is made in many ways. So, rods bent into rounded shapes, welded together, form a wall stand for flowers in the form of an owl outline.
Sheet metal products by welding are made in this way:
- a sketch of the product and its details are preliminarily prepared on paper;
- transfer the pattern to a metal sheet, carefully cut it out with a grinder and clean the edges;
- notches are applied with a chisel and a hammer so as to give the components the image of feathers;
- a beak is formed, parts of the paws are cut out of the rod, and bolts are threaded into the holes under the eyes made with a chisel in the head part;
- all parts of the bird are welded together;
- clean the surface of rust with a chemical solvent and varnish it.
Protective or fences are decorated with floral ornaments, and a bouquet of iron roses can become an independent decoration of the room. For the manufacture of branches, flowers and leaves, cold and hot forging are suitable.
Leaves are cold forged from thin metal 3.5 mm thick, which bends well.
Briefly, the steps of the process can be described as follows:
- a sheet of the desired shape is cut out of cardboard;
- transfer images to a metal sheet, cut out with special scissors;
- the edges are polished with a machine;
- "burrs" are removed with a metal brush;
- clean and polish the surface;
- with a chisel, the veins are applied to the leaf plate;
- the edges of the leaves and petals are made thinner by beating them with a hammer;
- with the help of round-nose pliers, bend the edges and shape the products;
- finished forms are fixed by spot welding on the branches;
- paint the product or cover it with a special varnish.
Cut across and painted, it turns into an unusual bedside table or coffee table.
Craftsmen decorate the walls of the barrels with openwork carvings, and then build a set for outdoor dining: a table and chairs.
From unnecessary garden tools and pipes, sculptures of animals or fairy-tale characters are created.
Summer residents love do-it-yourself furniture from a profile pipe. This material is practical, inexpensive, allows you to create many useful things: from furniture to a greenhouse. It is combined with other materials: wood and plastic.
For the manufacture of benches with dimensions of 2.3x0.6x0.45 m, a profile pipe of square section 0.03x0.03 m, with a total length of 11 m, is used. As well as boards with a length of 2.3 m, a width of 0.06 m.
A scale of tint colors from yellow to purple is used by blacksmiths to determine the temperature at which metal is heated. The development of color depends on a very thin, a few molecules, oxide film on the surface. Modern craftsmen have learned to control the colors of metal, and use this when designing a product.
The temperature will also help in creating frosty tin patterns. The principle is based on its allotropic forms. Under normal conditions, it is white and is called the β-form. When heated to a temperature above 160 ºС, it transforms into a substance with a different crystal lattice - the γ-form.
In practice, the following happens:
- a sheet from a tin, covered with a thin layer of tin, is brought to the flame of a candle and warmed up;
- in places where the temperature rises, stains appear, which diverge in different directions with curls.
There are nuances in this process:
- uniform heating of the entire sheet will lead to a change in its entire color without streaks;
- enough spot heating - stains are formed in an arbitrary direction on their own;
- overheating of the surface will cause the tin to run off - its melting point is about 232ºС.
However, the effect is beautiful and easy to make at home. A sheet painted in this way can be used to create do-it-yourself tin crafts.
Tin as it is
Tinplate is a type of sheet steel, up to 0.36 mm thick, coated with tin, zinc, chromium, varnish or other substances.
Tin or beer cans can become a source of material for do-it-yourself crafts from tin. Interesting household items or decor are easy to make at home.
Tin is well cut with scissors or a clerical knife, so you can create openwork crafts. Cutting off the bottom of the tin can and cutting out drawings on its walls with a knife, you get a lampshade for the lamp. It can be painted and mounted cartridge.
A simpler lamp will be the same carved lampshade, but with one bottom. Tin candlesticks will create a mood and ensure the safety of using open fire.
All of these techniques are common among amateur masters. But 3 main methods deserve special attention: cold and hot forging, as well as art welding.
cold forging
It includes two main methods of influencing the metal: pressing and bending. The first is the impact action, which leads to the compaction of the upper layer and the mobility of the inner metal workpiece. The second is bending it along certain lines, getting waves, curls, spirals, zigzags.
Metal products created by cold forging are beautiful, simple to perform if the master has all the necessary equipment. The industry offers cold forging machines, however, they can be made independently, which will reduce the cost of the product.
The disadvantage of cold forging is the inability to correct errors. Such a workpiece will be considered damaged.
hot forging
Allows you to obtain a variety of items from ductile metal. Heating gives high plasticity to the material and the possibility of shaping it by force. Many methods of hot forging form a range of products for every taste.
When choosing this technology, it is necessary to consider:
- availability of a forge and provision of fire safety equipment;
- the final result depends on the properties of metals, not all of them can be forged and welded;
- high cost of equipment and materials;
- the effect of heating temperature on the properties of the workpiece.
Despite the shortcomings, the advantages of classical forging are in the variety and beauty of products.
A new trend that originated at the E.O. Paton, brought technical welding to a new level - a fine art. This is no longer rough crafts from scrap metal at their summer cottage, but a way to create masterpieces using welding.
Small figurines of insects or animals in full growth, as well as gates - all these are works of art welding.
To work at home in this technique you need:
- welding machine and consumables;
- iron blanks;
- inspiration and sleight of hand.
The main material is titanium, but the craftsmen talk about the possibility of working with zirconium and stainless steel.
Tools and equipment to help craftsmen
Any technology for creating metal products in a home workshop requires special tools and equipment. Consumables - metal (iron) blanks - can be specially purchased, or be scrap metal. Metal objects that have served their purpose can certainly be found in any garage or cottage. Secondary metal processing is a promising environmental method that reduces the cost of the product.
