home » Decor

DIY metal crafts for flowers. Metal crafts (88 cool ideas for adults and children)

Many people have a desire to produce any product; beginners and experienced craftsmen create metal products with their own hands for sale. Some people come up with some pretty interesting developments.

What can you focus your attention on? How to start manufacturing products from steel and non-ferrous materials? What is in demand today? What products will be in demand in the near future? What tool should you have on hand? There are many questions. It's quite difficult to answer everything. But many potential entrepreneurs will still be concerned about finding their place in the market.

From idea to market

The peculiarities of the market are such that a very tiny product may be in demand, but large products, into which a lot of thought, work and talent have been invested, will turn out to be unnecessary. There are plenty of paradoxes in free trade.

Hardware is still in greatest demand.

  1. Nails are bought in kilograms. They are used in construction, the manufacture of other goods, and in the production of packaging.
  2. Self-tapping screws came to replace nails. The advent of cordless screwdrivers has changed construction technologies and furniture production. It is much simpler and easier to assemble any spatial structure using self-tapping screws than to use disposable fasteners.
  3. Screws (bolts) and nuts are fasteners that connect individual parts to each other. The demand is enormous. It is difficult to imagine any production that does not use threaded hardware.
  4. Wire staples are used in conjunction with staplers. Mechanical, electrical and pneumatic staple driving devices are used in all walks of life. A small box of staples is available in any home. The goods do not sit on the shelves.
  5. With the advent of tools for quickly connecting parts into finished products, blind and threaded rivets help in the production of complex one-piece units. The range of rivets is constantly expanding.
  6. Electrodes for welding are soft steel wire coated with protective compounds. Even ordinary clay on the surface of wire rods allows parts to be welded together using electric arc welding.

To start producing hardware, it is enough to purchase automatic machines, for example, a nailing machine. All that remains is to thread the wire from the next roll into the machine and adjust it to the desired nail size. All further work proceeds without human intervention.

To operate the nailing machine, you will have to purchase wire and boxes where the finished products will be packaged. In the production of nails, one person performs the duties of director, accountant, foreman and auxiliary worker. Everything is in one hand. All that remains is to distribute the goods to retail outlets and wait for the results from its sale.

The equipment for the production of other hardware is not much more complicated. In a small workshop and even in a garage, entrepreneurs organize completely modern mini-factories that produce in-demand goods.

Those who managed to establish the production of hardware in the early nineties of the last century still continue to produce them. Small factories export staples, nails, screws, screws, bolts and nuts to dozens of countries. Electrodes are purchased in tons in the retail chain.

What can an amateur manufacturer offer?

When it comes to metal products, many potential manufacturers begin to fantasize about the manufacture of large spatial structures. Others see themselves as blacksmiths, forging intricate fences or steel flowers.

In fact, the list of metal products is quite extensive:

  • Jewelry production. It is not necessary to use precious metals and alloys to create a sought-after product. Most jewelers work with cupronickel, bronze, brass and copper. They decorate their works with pebbles collected from streams and rivers. Jewelry and decorations sell out quite well before major holidays.

  • Cold steel is an interesting line of work. The demand is constant. However, the manufacturer is always under close surveillance by law enforcement agencies. It is advisable to start making weapons to reconstruct historical events. There is no need for sharp sharpening, just similarity with the prototypes is enough.

  • The production of armor will be in demand in the coming decades. Many clubs are being formed where those who want to get involved in history are looking for manufacturers who can produce ammunition for medieval knights according to the given designs and height of the customer. The price of the products is quite high. As long as the quality is high, the demand is quite high.

  • The production of metal structures for protected soil is a rather promising area of ​​activity. Greenhouses and greenhouses, made wisely, are always needed in summer cottages. Even raising livestock in chicken coops on a metal frame is more interesting than traditional methods. Rabbit hutches made from a profile pipe, lined with panels, allow you to raise furry animals quite profitably.

  • Stairs for the home are most often made on the basis of a metal frame. The designs address different ideas for manufacturing staircases and railings. Having mastered the technology of calculation and welding, the master will receive a profession in demand for several decades. Individual construction is only gaining momentum. Entrance lobbies and interfloor staircases will be ordered constantly.

  • Metal furniture is in demand outdoors. Various types of benches, benches and tables are used in parks, gardens, dachas and personal plots. These items, after being painted with protective paints, can be left outdoors. They are not afraid of precipitation, temperature changes and other natural disasters. The demand for such products is always stable, especially in spring and summer.

  • Metal gazebos are a rather interesting line of production. Prefabricated and welded structures do not require the use of complex technological equipment. Any craftsman who has mastered the features of using an angle grinder and a welding machine is able to independently weld structural elements. After painting, ready-made fragments are obtained; all that remains is to deliver them to the site and assemble them. The sheet material serves as a roof.

  • A steel swing can take its place near the house. It is based on a metal frame, as well as a swing installed in bearings. The device is simple and can be mastered by a skilled person.

  • Accessories for carpentry and plumbing tools are in demand. Many craftsmen require simple devices, which make it easier to manufacture: hives and components; facades for cabinet furniture; parts for various crafts - and many other things that home manufacturers use on a daily basis.
  • Rural residents and summer residents will buy gardening tools and tools if the products contain new ideas that reduce labor costs. Conventional rippers or uprooters will be purchased by those who have to work on the land.
  • Agricultural devices for walk-behind tractors and mini-tractors, which use more efficient methods of soil cultivation, will definitely be appreciated and paid for by buyers.

To master the manufacture of a particular product, you can read the relevant books, watch videos and get acquainted with step-by-step instructions on the basic operations and the tools used.

How to start and grow a business?

You can hear the opinion that to create your own business empire you need significant initial capital. Without it, it is impossible to organize a profitable business. But history proves otherwise. With relatively small investments, gigantic fortunes and enormous production are created:

  1. Henry Ford began building production with one successful engine on a self-propelled wheelchair. It cost only $50 to not only design and build the first engine from water pipes, as well as carts with steering and brakes. Already during his lifetime (1924), the company produced more than a million cars a year.
  2. Dale Carnegie remained a teacher all his life, but managed to earn more than a billion dollars. He correctly decided on what he had to offer: he taught others how to make money. He earned money himself; his heirs could not count the inheritance for another twenty years.
  3. Michael Rubin started his business at the age of ten, selling seeds. No initial capital. Then he organized the first snow removal company: he hired friends to work and agreed with the neighbors that within an hour there would not be a single snowdrift left near the houses. An enterprising boy at the age of 12 headed a small cleaning company. At the age of 14 he had his own store. Today his fortune is estimated at more than $2 billion.
  4. Sergey Brin came to the USA at the age of five and now heads GOOGLE. Anyone who wants to will always find the necessary information about him.

The main thing is not the presence of initial capital, it is important to desire and try to achieve the fulfillment of your desires. You need to put all your time into this and try to find ways for further development even in losses.

There are certain rules that should not be ignored. If you decide to deal with metal and products made from it, you need to decide on the place where the production process will be organized. You will need tools, fixtures and raw materials.

At the initial stage, non-mass production is organized, they start with the first experimental models, on which demand is tested, the limit price of the proposed sample and the wishes of potential customers are determined.

It's time to consider some areas of activity.

Jewelry production

It is not necessary to use precious metals in your work. Copper, bronze, brass and cupronickel look quite attractive. These metals can be cast into special molds to create original products.

Stable demand among buyers for products made by weaving. Various chains, brooches, necklaces and bracelets are jewelry in which openwork wire weaves create unique designs. Having mastered the complex technology of creating spatial structures, the master will acquire a circle of people willing to buy his products. In the future, a transition to the use of silver and gold as raw materials is possible.

Jewelry manufacturing technology using casting method

To familiarize yourself with the features, you need to look at the proposed photos and explanations for them.

For foundry production on the table you will need:

  • A flask is a device into which blanks are cast. It creates a mold for future casting.
  • Container for preparing molding sand. Here different types of gypsum are mixed and mixed with water.
  • Device for centrifugal casting. Most often, this is a special chain suspension, which is untwisted to force the foundry mixture to fill the mold with a certain force.
  • Tool for grinding cast metals.
  • Gas burners - they are used to heat the flasks, molding mixtures and melt the metal.
  • Devices for making models. In the production of rings, cylindrical supports of different diameters are used.

For spatial and flat models, boards are used, on which the model mixture is placed and the model is cut out;

  • Sets of cutters - they are used to cut out the design of the future product.
  • Grinding tools for processing models and castings: files, needle files, sandpaper, drills and other abrasive tools.

To perform casting you need to have:

  1. Foundry mixture - if there is copper and lead, then mixing them in different proportions, bronze is obtained. By mixing electrical copper and tin, brass is obtained. Old nickel silver products can become raw materials for the manufacture of silverware. Some craftsmen purchase brass fittings, cut them and cast their products;
  2. Molding sand is a special product that uses fine sand mixed with gypsum. Ordinary building plaster will not work; the shape and size of the grains will not allow you to repeat a complex and small pattern;
  3. Modeling wax is a plastic structure from which complex surfaces are cut. This material, slightly heated, can be glued in the right places. Beginning craftsmen use paraffin from candles. Simple models can be cut from cheap raw materials, but the quality will be low.

Information: Carl Faberge began making bronze jewelry. At first he cast medals and cigarette cases. Only after mastering the technology did he begin to use silver, gold, platinum and aluminum in his work.

Attention! When preparing foundry mixtures yourself using lead, tin, zinc, antimony and other heavy metals, you should have exhaust devices to remove vapors.

Step-by-step guide to making a brass ring

Attention! Lost wax casting technology. It received this name because after pouring the molding mixture and its hardening, the model wax is melted. It doesn't stay inside at all.

There is also a method of casting using burnt models. In them, the model is made of polystyrene foam. When molten metal is poured, the model is burned out.

The work begins with preparing the wax mass. It is heated. At a temperature of 62…65 ⁰С the wax melts. Heat a little higher, to about 70 ⁰C, so that it remains in the molten state longer.

Wax is applied to the surface of a template of a certain diameter. A good craftsman usually has a set of templates so that he can make rings for different clients. The minimum size is 12 mm and the maximum is 28 mm.

Subsequently, all work on preparing the model is carried out on the surface of the template. The wax is cut to the shape of the future product. A pattern is formed on the main surface.

If the stone needs to be secured in the future, small tendrils are created on the model. They will hold the stone on the front surface of the ring.

The template allows you to work without the master touching the wax with his hands. Therefore, there are no fingerprints left on the surface. Having a set of cutters, skilled craftsmen cut out a convex or concave design. This is how signet rings are made.

When developing the model, it is agreed upon with the customer. Then the exact product approved in the order will be manufactured. Sometimes a master makes not one, but several models. Subsequently, one or more are selected to be cast from metal. The work is quite complex, so this stage of work is negotiated and paid separately. Each new model is a new product that the master spends time on.

Attention! You can design a product in 3D modeling programs and make a model using a 3D printer.

After all the elements of the future product have been worked out, the model is removed from the mandrel. A gating system needs to be manufactured. It will be needed for subsequent metal pouring. Ensure that there is sufficient volume for the melted mass. There should be plenty of it.

Ordinary plasticine is used as the basis for making a sprue. Filling is done through at least two holes. One is molded, and the second serves as a vent - air outlet. It is correct to place them at different heights. Thick wire is used to create holes.

The rods are slightly heated before installing the model. Then she sits down easier. They try to make the casting hole lower, and the projection a little higher. Its filling will occur with the reverse movement of the metal at the moment the space is filled.

The flask is put on the gating system. A tight installation will not allow the molding sand to leak.

Inside the flask you can see that the model does not touch the walls of the flask anywhere. There will be no deformation of the product when pouring.

The molding mixture is mixed with water. A solution is obtained that must be poured into the flask.

When pouring, it is advisable to place the investment ring on a vibrating table. Then air bubbles will be removed from the poured mass. The absence of bubbles will make it possible to obtain a durable shape without defects. It remains to wait until the gypsum present in the mold hardens.

The gating system is removed from the flask. Now the wires responsible for pouring the metal are visible.

Remove the wire. There will be access for metal through small holes. But for now there is a model inside. It is surrounded on all sides by the frozen molding mixture. When removing the wire, try to act carefully so as not to damage the workpiece.

After removing all the auxiliary elements, the mold begins to warm up and wax is removed from it. The flask is turned upside down. Place it on a dish where the wax will flow out.

When the wax comes out, a cavity is formed inside for the metal. Filling by centrifugal injection molding is provided. A special device in the form of a box and chain is used. The flask will have to be rotated by hand so that, under the influence of centrifugal force, the metal penetrates more fully into the most distant spaces of the form.

Heating is carried out in a device for centrifugal casting.

Attention! At home, other injection molding methods are also used. Many jewelers use potato halves. When there is molten metal, the flask is covered with a potato and pressed against the flask with force. Below, the high temperature is over 800...900 ⁰С. Moisture evaporates from the surface of the potato. The resulting steam presses on the molten metal with its pressure. It penetrates into the most remote parts of the form.

When all free moisture has evaporated from the mold and a temperature close to the melting point of the metal being poured has been reached (about 850 ⁰C), pieces of brass (nickel silver, copper, bronze or other material) are placed on the sprue part.

The molten metal flows into the mold. Now you need to force it inside. They begin to unwind the device for centrifugal casting. Craftsmen using steam apply potatoes and wait for the steam to push the metal inside.

It doesn't take long to turn (about two minutes). The fluidity of the metal decreases quickly. You need to wait until the product hardens inside the mold. The temperature difference between the device and the surrounding air is high, so after 5...8 minutes the casting will become solid.

You can destroy the plaster and remove it from the flask by waiting for it to cool. This is what they do when casting gold products. If mold particles cool quickly, they can damage the soft metal.

In cold water, the mold will collapse within a few seconds and the product will be released. It's easy to get.

The casting shows the remains of the gating system. Use pliers to cut off the excess. They can be reused. When using expensive metal, use a jigsaw to saw through the sprues.

The immediately cast part looks unattractive. It is treated with sandpaper and polished. Gives a marketable appearance. If necessary, the drawing is refined using pens, giving it an even greater convexity. Skilled craftsmen apply a fine mesh, which will enhance the texture effect.

The size is being finalized. After casting, it is possible to reduce the diameter of the ring. You can simply grind off the excess inside with files or needle files. More often they use mandrels (a tool made of a hard material of a given size, for example, balls from a bearing), which are driven through the holes.

Using polishing wheels, the surface is processed and a high-quality product is obtained.

Products containing copper are treated with sulfur. It helps you see the depth of the drawing. The easiest way is to use sulfur ointment purchased at a pharmacy.

By firing at a temperature of 250...280 ⁰C, the oil evaporates. The sulfur film settles in the depressions. Excess on convex areas is removed by polishing using polishing pastes.

The finished metal product is examined for defects. If they are not there, then you can give them to the customer and receive payment for the completed order.

Video: decorative elements made of metal.

Other types of own production for profit

By studying step-by-step technologies, you can master several different professions in the manufacture of metal goods.

The issues of individual production are quite interesting. For an active person, a direction will always be found, which in the future will become the work of life.

Every owner spends a lot of time thinking about how to decorate their home. Today there is a huge choice of materials - wood or plastic, but in the first place is metal - one of the durable, strong, resistant materials in the world, serving as an example and standard of metaphors.

History of origin

Metal products became most popular in Europe in the 11th century. Everywhere, facades of buildings, fences, and decorative statues began to be decorated with unusual forging, and the profession of a blacksmith became an honorable and famous figure in the early Middle Ages.

What kind of craft can be made from metal?

Having thought carefully, the owner decides to present a piece of the unusual to his home, but the question immediately arises: should I buy it or make it myself? Of course, do it yourself, because doing something with your own hands is much more pleasant and more profitable from a price point of view.

Today, forged ornaments for grilles, doors or fences are in fashion; forged animals, a mysterious owl, or a Russian bear also look great in the garden. Ladies prefer forged bouquets, and a rose created with their own hands will surprise anyone.

What do you need to make metal crafts?

There are not as many tools as it seems, all you need is the following list:

  • Photo of a craft you like;
  • Paper;
  • Welding machine;
  • Chisel and hammer;
  • Grinder for cutting metal;
  • Special rust solvent;
  • Pencil and scissors, when using a stencil;
  • Several washers or bolts for decorative elements;
  • Steel rods, from a few centimeters to a meter.
  • The basis of creation is sheet iron.


Step-by-step DIY crafts

An original idea for a metal craft would be an owl. First, for aesthetics you will need a template or stencil. It can be made from a sheet of paper with drawings printed on it.

After cutting out the owl drawing, the stencil should be applied to a sheet of steel and the drawing should be transferred; it should be done in the most realistic way.

The next step is to trim the metal with a grinder and drill holes for mounting and inserting the owl's eyes. After creating the body, you should move on to the details: the legs are made from a rod, and the irregularities are smoothed out with a grinder. At the end, our beauty is treated with a chemical rust remover and painted.

Master class on making roses

And materials. List of basic tools:

  • Welder.
  • Hammer and pliers.
  • Sheet steel
  • Bulgarian.
  • Special paint for metal.
  • Grindstone.
  • Steel wire with a diameter of 6 mm.
  • Metal scissors.


Attention. Do not forget about safety precautions when working with these tools! Be sure to wear gloves and a welding mask when working.


We take metal cutting scissors and cut out thirty rose petals (thirty petals will make the bud seem more magnificent). You need to move in cutting from small to large, that is, from 15 mm to 80 mm. Your rose should not be prickly. Therefore, a sharpening stone will help smooth out all the unevenness of the petals.


After forming a complete flower, we weld the spikes and clean off the excess with a grinder, clean the seams and cover with a layer of protective paint - the craft is ready.

Metal products with steel wire

The British National Academy of Sciences declared in 1856: “Everything that can be invented has long since been invented,” but time has shown a different outcome. So it is now. Every year new ways of decorating are invented.

For example, in recent years it has been fashionable to make a figure from wire or rod. Combinations and special weaves create an impression of indescribable beauty.

Master class - butterfly made of twig

In terms of its complexity, a steel butterfly is not difficult and will not take much time. Typically, the work technique consists of twisting the wire (the manufacturing process depends on the correct material: the material should not be too thick so that it can bend, but should not be too thin so as not to bend) into several layers.

A body is created using spiral turns, after which wings made from two ovals are attached.

Some interesting facts

Metal is the most ancient mineral of interest to humans. He mined it, forged it, and then a new fence or another forged deer lit up the smile of passers-by.


During the rapid introduction of Hollywood films and the development of artificial intelligence, the topic of androids and the like became relevant. Although the world is far from the rise of the machines, it is always possible to forge a transformer, say, for an exhibition.

Vitaly Yashkovich from Krasnoyarsk became famous throughout the city for his miracle robots. His collection includes such titans of world cinema as: Megatron, Terminator T-200 and T-800, Star Wars androids, as well as droids from cartoons. The owner himself claims that he will not sell his robots to anyone, they say, he created for the soul

You too create, because the world is unidentified and multifaceted. Give him something new and unusual.

Photos of metal crafts

Surely you can find metal waste at every dacha. It could be like small screws, nuts, and larger products. For example, pipe scraps, leftover metal sheets, etc. However, metal waste can be useful not only as recyclable materials. You can use them to make a variety of things that will decorate your garden. You can make various beautiful products from ordinary wire and pieces of metal.

Many summer residents decorate their plots with expensive metal crafts purchased in stores. Manufacturers justify the high cost of crafts by the fact that they are usually created by hand. However, if craftsmen from manufacturing companies can create beautiful metal products with their own hands, then why not do it ourselves? To create things like this no complicated devices required. Everything you need can be easily found at the dacha.

Safety precautions

First of all, you should think about safety precautions. Of course, when working with the simplest materials, without welding, it is almost impossible to get severely injured. However, during production crafts from a tin can, you can get seriously injured.

If you work with ordinary wire and nuts, it will be enough to wear safety glasses and hard gloves on your hands. When working with a welding machine, the equipment must be more serious. In addition to gloves, you should wear a mask and face shield, as well as a protective suit. The room must be ventilated regularly. When working with wood (if there are ignition sources nearby), you should always be able to put out the fire.

Metal crafts

For your first DIY metal crafts, you don’t need any complicated tools or equipment. A simple aluminum tin can is enough. You can make a small box out of it. In addition to the jar, you will need:

  • sandpaper;
  • scissors;
  • ball pen;
  • gloves.

It is advisable to take a whole jar, not open. The surface of the still intact can must be cleaned of paint with sandpaper, while trying to do everything carefully so as not to accidentally bend it. Next, you need to cut the can so that you get a rectangular blank. To do this, the bottom of the jar is cut out, and the top part is cut lengthwise. All roughness and sharp corners must be removed (with sandpaper).

Then you can start creating a diagram of the designs on the product. Using a regular pen, you can easily squeeze out patterns on the jar, since aluminum is a soft metal. Then all that remains is to form the jar so that it takes the shape of a box.

More complex products

Crafts made from scrap metal can be much more complex and interesting than a simple box made from a tin can. You can make practical products. It’s easy to make a barbecue from an empty metal barrel. In addition to the barrel, you will need:

  • iron rods or pipe scraps for legs;
  • welding machine;
  • Bulgarian;
  • for safety - protective accessories.

The barrel needs to be cut lengthwise. The legs are welded to the lower part, the top will be the lid.

Naturally, a barrel of chemicals, paint or other similar non-food substances is not suitable for making a barbecue. It is optimal to use a water container.

Complex products

There are many interesting techniques with which you can create beautiful iron crafts.

  • Filigree. This technique allows you to make beautiful patterns from wire by soldering.
  • Coinage. The technique is quite often used to make crafts. The technique involves changing the shape of a product using a hammer.
  • Casting. The mold is filled with molten iron (or alloy), giving the product the same appearance as the mold. This method of making crafts is similar to the factory one.

At first, complex crafts will not work. And simple products, frankly speaking, will be unimportant. But gradually the skill is developed, and making a complex craft is not difficult. Ideas can be taken from special magazines and books. But it would be much better to make products according to your own drawings. By constantly improving your technique, you will be able to create real masterpieces from metal.

Crafts made from metal such as steel using welding turn out to be quite durable and reliable, and even a person who has had no experience with such technology before can make them. The main thing at the first stage is to fully comply with safety precautions during work, that is, not to get exposed to hot sparks or hot metal, and also not to get an eye burn.

Crafts made from metal blanks using welding will be very useful in a private or country house, as well as in the country. Thanks to these products, you can very quickly and easily develop even a large area, build a fence, make a gate, gazebo, canopy, and so on.

First of all, you need to get a reliable welding machine. In domestic conditions, where it is not necessary to obtain very high quality connections, unlike industrial work, transformer or inverter equipment is used. Each of these devices has its own positive and negative characteristics.

Transformer structures are distinguished by their large dimensions and large mass, which makes it difficult to carry out work if the device needs to be moved over significant distances, for example, when constructing a fence or other large iron products. Another disadvantage of transformer welding is the fairly heavy load on the electrical network, and they cannot be connected to gasoline or diesel generators.

The positive aspects of this equipment include the simplicity of the device, which allows you to assemble it yourself in a short time. It does not provide for the presence of any serious electrical circuits, so, by and large, there is nothing to break there.

Inverter-type welding machines have a more complex design, so it is not possible to assemble them yourself. They work using a completely different technology, which allows you to work not only with steel, but also with various types of non-ferrous metals. The manufacturing technology involves the use of a smaller transformer, which makes it more compact and lighter. Largely due to this, the equipment is much easier to transport than transformer devices. Electric current consumption is much less, the load on the network even from the most powerful device is minimal. It is allowed to connect the structure to generators.

Basics of welding work

If you have to weld for the first time, then you should not immediately start producing a complex structure. First, you should try your hand at unnecessary metal parts. At the first stage, you should learn how to light an arc and hold it at the required distance from the metal so that it produces a constant voltage. In the future, you need to understand how a welded joint is formed by surfacing molten sections of workpieces on top of each other.

You should definitely play with the current strength to figure out how to regulate it correctly, since this indicator will vary greatly depending on the thickness of the workpieces. The current strength is selected so that through-melted holes do not appear in the metal. The diameter of the electrode also plays an important role. To obtain high-quality metal products with your own hands at home, it is enough to use electrodes whose diameter will be within 2-3 m. Electrodes should be taken new and completely dry; even slightly damp products will not allow you to obtain a high-quality arc and will ultimately create a poor-quality arc the seam.

The production process of simple products

As mentioned above, it is best to start with the manufacture of the simplest, even elementary, structures. For example, it could be an ordinary metal box that will perform not only decorative, but also certain practical functions. You can make it from an ordinary tin can. To make your work as convenient as possible, you need to keep a number of certain tools on hand:

  • inverter or transformer type welding machine;
  • scissors;
  • sanding paper;
  • ruler and pencil for making markings;
  • a fireproof and non-melting surface that will act as a working base;
  • paper for drawing the future product.

Initially, old paint should be removed from the surface of the workpiece - this can be done using coarse sanding paper. The fact is that it is strictly forbidden to weld painted surfaces together. When exposed to high temperatures, paint will burn out, turning into toxic fumes that are very harmful to human health, and it will also heat up the metal too much, which can lead to burns.

Old paintwork should be removed very carefully, since tin is a very soft metal that can be easily damaged, for example, dented. Now the jar needs to be cut with metal scissors or an ordinary hacksaw. First, the bottom is removed, then the upper part is cut lengthwise. It is highly likely that there will be burrs or other irregularities along the edges, which should be removed immediately by cleaning them off with a file. When the workpiece is made, it is bent so as to form a box. Be sure to check all corners with a square. All bends will need to be carefully welded, as tin will form burns very quickly. Thanks to welding, the structure acquires the necessary strength, and special stiffeners are also formed. It is better to make the lid on small hinges. They can be secured to the surface using small rivets, or you can try to weld them to the product. To keep the box closed, make a small cap-type hook.

Safety precautions when carrying out welding work

Welding work should be carried out taking into account safety precautions, since this is a rather dangerous type of activity, both the welding itself and a number of preparatory works, which include cutting, milling, securing workpieces, and so on. The following points pose a danger:

  • electric shock;
  • damage to the organs of vision by ultraviolet radiation, which comes quite intensely from the lit arc;
  • possible contact with scale, sparks and other foreign objects in the eyes;
  • penetration of toxic fumes into the lungs;
  • if there are open areas of the body, they can receive burns from molten metal or sparks;
  • When using balloon welding, you should protect yourself from a possible explosion of the balloon.

It is best to protect your eyes from radiation using a special mask or safety glasses. There are relatively cheap masks on sale with darkened glass, through which the arc is very clearly visible, but at the same time this glass will absorb ultraviolet radiation well, thereby preventing damage to the organs of vision.

It is much more convenient to use a chameleon type mask, since it will turn dark immediately after the arc is lit. This can be achieved due to the presence of special automation and sensors that instantly respond to the occurrence of a strong source of ultraviolet radiation. Many craftsmen use welding glasses at home, as they perfectly protect the eyes from radiation, but significantly less restrict movement, and also allow you to make the viewing angle much larger, which is important when carrying out welding work. With the right approach to welding, you will be able to obtain a high-quality connection without any harm to your own health.

Products made from various metals surround a person in many areas of his activity. For the home, these are decorative elements, household items and garden tools. The use of metal objects in the industrial sector cannot be described in a few words. In recent decades, many amateur craftsmen have begun to create metal products with their own hands. Home forges have become increasingly common.

The most affordable type of metal processing, which does not require large expenses and complex equipment, is cold forging, which results in individual figures. And they are combined into a single product using welding.

DIY metal products

Items created by hand using cold forging are presentable and can be put up for sale. Therefore, this is one of the options for a profitable private business.

There are many other methods for making metal objects that deserve special attention.

Craft ideas for beginners

Before considering ways to work with metals, it is worth dwelling on ideas and drawings of possible crafts.

Metal crafts are 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. Thus, rods bent into round shapes and welded together form a wall-mounted flower stand in the shape of an owl outline.


DIY metal owl

Sheet metal products are made by welding in the following way:

  • a sketch of the product and its details are first prepared on paper;
  • transfer the pattern to a metal sheet, carefully cut it out with a grinder and clean the edges;
  • with a chisel and hammer, notches are applied so as to give the components the appearance of feathers;
  • a beak is formed, parts of the paws are cut out of a rod, and bolts are inserted into the holes for the eyes made with a chisel in the head part;
  • all parts of the bird are welded together;
  • The surface is cleaned of rust using a chemical solvent and varnished.

Protective grilles on windows or fences are decorated with floral ornaments, and a bouquet of iron roses can become an independent decoration for a room. Cold and hot forging are suitable for making branches, flowers and leaves.


Forged roses for windows

Cold forged leaves are created from thin metal 3.5 mm thick, which bends well.

Briefly the stages of the process can be described as follows:

  • a sheet pattern of the desired shape is cut out of cardboard;
  • transfer the images to a metal sheet and cut them out with special scissors;
  • the edges are polished using a machine;
  • “Hangnails” are removed with a metal brush;
  • clean and polish the surface;
  • With a chisel, veins are applied to the leaf plate;
  • the edges of leaves and petals are made thinner by beating them with a hammer;
  • using pliers, bend the edges and shape the products;
  • the finished forms are secured by spot welding to the branches;
  • The product is painted or coated with a special varnish.
Forged umbrella hangers Wrought iron gate for fireplace with roses
Wrought iron railings with roses

Floral patterns made by high-temperature forging are stronger due to the compaction of the material. Medium, hard and soft grades of steel are used. The optimal steel grades are those that contain a minimum amount of carbon - 0.25%. And they do not contain harmful additives - sulfur, chromium, phosphorus.

Crafts that you can make yourself from scrap metal can be useful for your dacha.

For example, after cutting a barrel lengthwise, shelves are installed inside and wheels are installed at the bottom. The outside is painted with bright paint. And the cabinet for small items is ready.


Barrel cabinet

Cut crosswise 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.

Sculptures of animals or fairy-tale characters are created from unnecessary garden tools and pipes.

Summer residents love furniture made from profile pipes, made with their own hands. This material is practical, inexpensive, and allows you to create many useful things: from furniture to a greenhouse. Combines with other materials: wood and plastic.

To make a bench measuring 2.3 x 0.6 x 0.45 m, a profile pipe with a square section of 0.03 x 0.03 m and a total length of 11 m is used. As well as boards 2.3 m long and 0.06 m wide.


Bench drawing
Drawing of a bench with a back

Using the product drawings provided, you can independently make a bench with a back, as well as a greenhouse from a profile pipe with square and rectangular sections of 0.2 x 0.2 m or 0.2 x 0.4 m. Considering that a rectangular pipe is suitable for a durable frame, and a square pipe is suitable for partitions .


Homemade bench made of metal and wood
Bench with forged legs

Metal parts of old mechanical watches, coins, paper clips, tin cans, cutlery, wire - material for the production of toys or jewelry.

Aluminum and tin are soft metals suitable for making toys. To create a cat, a dog, a hedgehog, a crocodile and a dragonfly, you need to transfer the sketch onto a sheet of tin, cut out the shape and bend it as shown in the dotted lines.

Sketch of an animal made of tin Template for making a hedgehog from tin Sketch of a dog from tin

Patterns that won't melt

The most common type of decorating objects made of metals is creating patterns using hot and cold forging methods. They look great both in the design of house facades and garden products.

The details of the drawing are made separately, assembled according to a pre-prepared template in full size. Fastening is carried out using welding or clamps.

Metal patterns for decoration are chosen from various motives. Architects distinguish the following styles in forging:

  1. Gothic - represented by figures with sharp silhouettes. It is characterized by trefoils, thorns, lilies, precise geometric shapes, as well as notches when one rod pierces another.
  2. Romanesque - dense patterns of curls and curving branches, square cross-section. The most recognizable detail is the wide trunk from which branches diverge.
  3. Renaissance - rounded shapes combined with cast figures. It distinguishes two independent styles - Baroque and Rococo.
  4. Baroque is for kings. Pompousness and intricacy. It contains flowers, spirals, curls.
  5. Rococo - does not have large elements. The patterns are transparent and airy.
  6. Classicism - broken lines intersect at right angles. The designs are restrained and symmetrical. No curls.
  7. Modern – abstract forms predominate. May include oriental ornaments. Contains a large number of curls.
  8. Hi-tech is the youngest style. Characterized by geometric strict shapes and lack of smooth lines.

Finished forged products are coated with metal paints, highlighting individual elements in different colors. Today, craftsmen have learned to paint them using heat treatment during production.

Various metal patterns

A scale of tarnish colors from yellow to violet is used by blacksmiths when determining the heating temperature of a metal. The manifestation of color depends on a very thin, several molecules, oxide film on the surface. Modern craftsmen have learned to control the colors of metal and use this when designing a product.


Heated steel colors

Temperature will also help in creating frosty patterns in pewter. 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 can, covered with a thin layer of tin, is brought to the flame of a candle and heated;
  • in places where the temperature rises, streaks appear that diverge in different directions in curls.

There are nuances to this process:

  • uniform heating of the entire sheet will lead to a change in its entire color without streaks;
  • Spot heating is enough - streaks form independently in any direction;
  • overheating of the surface will lead to tin dripping - its melting point is about 232ºС.

However, the effect is beautiful and easy to do at home. A sheet painted in this way can be used to create crafts from tin with your own hands.

Tough as it is

Tin is a type of sheet steel, up to 0.36 mm thick, coated with tin, zinc, chromium, varnish or other substances.

Cans or beer cans can be a source of material for DIY crafts made from tin. Interesting household or decorative items are easy to make at home.


Beer can animals

Tin can be cut well with scissors or a stationery knife, so you can create openwork crafts. By cutting off the bottom of a tin can and cutting out designs on its walls with a knife, you will get a lampshade for a lamp. It can be painted and a cartridge mounted.

A simpler lamp would be the same cut-out lampshade, but with one bottom. Tin candlesticks will create the mood and ensure the safety of using an open fire.


Tin lamps
Tin candlesticks

If a beer can with smooth walls is cut to form a rectangular sheet, then various shapes can be cut out of it. Flocks of tin birds, butterflies, and fish will complement the interior design motifs.

Metal technology

The following technologies are used to create metal products at home:

  1. Casting is a technique for making things from molten metal by pouring it into collapsible molds. The method is rough. Does not allow obtaining products with high accuracy. Surfaces are rough. Used for the production of household items and jewelry.
  2. Hot forging is a high-temperature effect on a metal workpiece, followed by mechanical processing. The metal becomes plastic. The workpiece can be given any shape. The process is labor-intensive and energy-consuming and requires special knowledge of the properties of metals. Decorative metal parts are obtained, assembled into products using clamps or welding.
  3. Cold forging is the effect of bending and pressing on metal. The individual elements of the pattern are connected by welding. You can make small and large decorative elements for premises, summer cottages, and courtyards.
  4. Art welding is the art of creating metal sculptures, jewelry and decorative parts using gas welding. Heating is also used to color the product with tarnished colors.
  5. Bending (bending) – giving a curved shape to sheet metal, profile, pipe, wire during cold stamping. Manual bending is used to form homemade metal frames, for example, from old pipes.
  6. Diffling or hammering is carried out by striking a cold thin sheet of metal (2 mm) with a hammer to stretch, shrink and bend it. With its help you can get jewelry, dishes, armor.
  7. Filigree and filigree are jewelry techniques that make it possible to obtain openwork patterns from twisted wire or solder it onto a metal surface.
  8. Embossing is a type of applying a design to a surface by hitting it with a hammer, while between it and a metal plate up to 1 mm thick there is a tool that gives the desired shape. This technique is used to decorate dishes, jewelry and coins.

Tin wall decoration

All of the above techniques are common among amateur craftsmen. 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 metal: pressing and bending. The first is the impact action, leading to compaction of the top layer and mobility of the inner metal workpiece. The second is bending it along certain lines, creating waves, curls, spirals, zigzags.

Metal products created by cold forging are beautiful and easy to make if the craftsman has all the necessary equipment. The industry offers machines for cold forging, however, you can make them yourself, which will reduce the cost of the product.

The disadvantage of cold forging is the inability to correct mistakes. Such a workpiece will be considered damaged.

Hot forging

Allows you to obtain a variety of items made of ductile metal. Heating imparts high plasticity to the material and the ability to shape it by force. A variety of hot forging methods create a range of products to suit every taste.

When choosing this technology, you need to consider:

  • availability of a forge and provision of fire safety equipment;
  • the final result depends on the properties of the metals; not all of them can be forged and welded;
  • high cost of equipment and materials;
  • influence of heating temperature on the properties of the workpiece.

Despite the disadvantages, the advantages of classical forging lie in the variety and beauty of the products.

Art welding

A new movement that originated at the Institute named after E.O. Paton, brought technical welding to a new level - a fine art. This is no longer crude crafts made from scrap metal at a summer cottage, but a way to create masterpieces using welding.

Small life-size figurines of insects or animals, as well as gates, are all works of art welding.

To work at home using this technique you need:

  • welding machine and consumables;
  • iron blanks;
  • inspiration and sleight of hand.

Art welding

The main material is titanium, but 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 will probably be found in any garage or cottage. Metal recycling is a promising environmental method that reduces the cost of the product.

To work in cold forging technology you need the following machines:

  • torsion bars;
  • bending;
  • inertia-stamping;
  • twisters.

Processing a steel blank by hot forging implies the presence of:

  • forge;
  • anvils;
  • Shperaks;
  • ticks;
  • sledgehammers;
  • handbrake;
  • shaped hammers.

Also, to assemble the final product, some of its parts can be turned on a lathe.

When working with sheet material, as a rule, you need:

  • regular or metal scissors;
  • knives;
  • chisel;
  • hammer.

The main tool of any creative work is imagination. Dexterity and skill will complement it, and then a real masterpiece will be born.

If you find an error, please select a piece of text and press Ctrl+Enter.

stankiexpert.ru

DIY metal crafts using welding

The fastest and most reliable way to fasten metal parts is electric welding. Anyone can learn how to use it. Having bought a welding machine or an inverter, and also spent half a pack of electrodes to gain practical skills, you can safely try to create metal crafts with your own hands. Installation of structures, repairs at the dacha, production of garden accessories and much more from now on becomes available.

The first metal crafts

Many people now have welding. Often the device is purchased for construction or repair purposes. Not even necessarily for yourself. If there is a need for it, you can call a self-taught neighbor or a familiar specialist welder. After completion of the work, the unit simply stands idle.

But sooner or later the moment comes when you should make up your mind and try to cook something yourself. There is nothing wrong with that, if you want it. The main thing at this stage is not to get burned and not to catch “bunnies”, and experience comes with practice. If you have a summer cottage or a country house, welding will always be used. With its help, you can solve problems of territory development much faster.

Not everything can always be bought in a store. Welding a gate, building a base for a bench or table, “grabbing” a hook to a metal post for attaching a rope or an additional support for weaving grapes - this seems like a small thing, but it seems inconvenient to call a welder over and over again for this reason. This means you need to master the basics and solve everyday problems yourself.

Of course, it’s not worth taking on serious work with critical connections right away. You can practice on a piece of scrap metal. At the first stage, you should learn how to light an arc and hold it, maintaining a constant working gap between the workpiece and the electrode as it burns.

After this, you need to work out the technique of forming a weld, fusing a layer of metal onto a flat surface. Then you can proceed to adjusting the current for different thicknesses of the workpieces being welded. Welding is a technique for joining two metal parts, based on melting their surfaces at the junction. They are joined into one by adding a layer of electrode binder material.

The current is selected in such a way as to ensure melting of only the surface layer without the formation of holes. It is better to master the technique on electrodes with a diameter of 2.5-3 mm. They must not be old and must be dry, otherwise the first experience will most likely be ineffective, which may discourage you from learning how to create metal crafts.

Welding makes it possible to correct minor and sometimes serious flaws or installation errors. It is enough to cut off the seam of the “tack”, and the parts are separated. After cleaning the area of ​​unsuccessful welding, the process can be repeated.

Material

Any owner of a country house or owner of a summer cottage will probably have metal waste on their farm. These may be the remains of pipes after the installation of a gas pipeline, water supply or heating systems. A real owner usually does not throw away the remains of a steel angle, channel, or pieces of reinforcement. You can also find used nails, bolts and nuts.

Such scrap metal very often becomes a material for new repairs or improvements to old ones. There will probably be outdated garden tools, chains, old dishes, as well as spare parts from a car, motorcycle or bicycle in the garage or shed that have not yet been handed over to collection points.

From all this you can make useful and practical metal crafts. With your own hands, using welding and available handy tools, you can repair old garden tools or make new ones from waste, taking into account personal experience, your preferences and business conditions.

Metal crafts for the garden

You can make your backyard cozy without purchasing new equipment. From used, but still strong metal, you can build a base for a country table or bench. Finding the right sheet of particleboard for the table top and boards for the bench won't be a problem. Racks can be made even from substandard inch pipes.

If you have a supply of material, you can swing on a swing. It is better to make the structure permanent, with the base concreted. You need two sidewalls made of pipes welded at an angle, with jumpers for rigidity. The more massive the swing seat is, the larger this angle should be. The jumpers can be welded at ground level or even below so that they are not visible.

It is better to make suspensions from chains, but you can also use a reliable rope. The beam for fastening must be massive. A thick-walled pipe, a piece of rail or channel will do. It is best to fasten frame parts and suspension brackets by welding.

Sheet Metal Crafts

At any dacha, with rare exceptions, there is a barbecue or other similar device. A couple of logs for sitting, an old stump as a table and charred bricks for limiting the fireplace and laying skewers - for some, this may be relaxation, but it is better and more convenient to use a more advanced design.

The grill can be disassembled. You can bring it with you to your dacha, or it can also have a permanent home with the possibility of transporting it to a storage location. A barbecue made from an old steel barrel is quite suitable for this solution. You can make it yourself and get by with just a grinder and a drill. However, it will be better and easier if you use a welding machine.

An empty and washed barrel is cut lengthwise along the vertical center line into two halves. Legs made of rods, fittings or pipe sections are welded to one part. The top part serves as a hinged lid and can be mounted on old welded door curtains for convenience.

Crafts made from thin sheet metal can be secured by welding only after gaining some experience. In order to reliably weld parts and not burn a hole with the electrode, you should accurately select the welding current and work with short tacks with constant monitoring of the quality of the seam.

Metal sculpture

The garden around a country house is not only an area where trees and shrubs are grown for collecting fruits and berries. This is also a place to relax! A garden sculpture will be an excellent addition to well-groomed plantings.

It may not necessarily be made of concrete or plaster. For a person with creative potential, there are no limits to its expression. If at the moment you only have at hand a welding machine, half a pack of electrodes, scrap ferrous metal and the desire to create, then from all this you can build an original and unique composition. Moreover, the complexity of execution may vary.

It depends on the available material and the idea. Such metal crafts for the garden in one case can consist of a dozen different, at first glance, incompatible parts of different origins and purposes. In another case, it can consist of hundreds of repeating elements of the same type, connected by welding into a three-dimensional model.

Where do you get ideas from?

This question cannot be answered unequivocally. Someone, seeing random details in one place, imagines how they will fit together if they are combined into a common composition. Another purposefully goes to a scrap metal collection point and wanders around mountains of this trash in search of a suitable part for the chosen sculpture.

You can get ideas or simply take someone’s already realized idea as a basis from specialized book publications that are dedicated to metal crafts. There is nothing wrong with creating something you like from scrap materials available around the house.

In any case, DIY metal crafts created according to an existing drawing or sketch will be original. Welding is not copying, but a kind of creativity. Any weld that is made with a decorative intent and repeats a pattern or composition is perceived as a kind of masterpiece.

Safety precautions

To ensure that DIY metal crafts do not serve as a constant reminder of a bad welding experience involving a burn or injury, care should be taken. Working without a mask or shield is strictly prohibited, otherwise you may be exposed to ultraviolet radiation.

A protective suit will protect clothing and body skin from flying sparks and splashes of molten metal, and thick mittens or gloves made of dense material will protect your hands. It is not recommended to knock scale off a seam without protective glasses; sharp fragments flying in all directions can get into your eyes.

When working near wood or fire-prone surfaces, have a bucket of water and a wet cloth on hand. Random sparks or electrode residue that bounce off and land on such materials can cause smoldering and subsequent fire. When working indoors, you need to pay attention to proper ventilation.

fb.ru

Crafts for the garden: 10 funny metal figurines

The best way to attach such metal garden crafts is welding, although for different designs there may be other methods of attachment.

After all, such crafts at your dacha indicate that you not only know how to work well, but are also able to relax cheerfully and from the heart.

http://idealsad.com

newdom.mirtesen.ru

Crafts for the garden from all sorts of things in half an hour

You can make beautiful crafts for your dacha with your own hands from all sorts of things - from what you have at hand. We offer you several simple projects that will take no more than half an hour.

DIY garden crafts.

Owners of old Soviet chandeliers probably immediately recognized what the “water” in this original garden stream was made of.

So, if you have an old chandelier with transparent plastic or glass pendants, then you can make yourself such beautiful crafts for your garden. This option is made with a watering can - we attach beads or pendants to a wire, thread it through the spout of the watering can and attach a nail to the inner end of the wire - it will hold our flow of beads.

The number of beads depends on the size of the watering can - if the watering can is large, there should be a lot of them so that they can be seen from afar. The watering can can be hung on a tree, or attached to a rod in the middle of the flowerbed.

A water faucet can also be decorated with a bead - if the faucet is operational, then it is better to consider a cover for the spout that would be convenient to remove.

For those who do not have an old chandelier with pendants in stock, we offer another project: we concrete the metal rods on a small area, and attach a watering can to their upper ends.

You can leave our original craft in this form, or you can put a container with flowers below or create a flower bed.

Beautiful crafts for the garden made of glass.

Do-it-yourself garden crafts are a simply inexhaustible topic! We will also use the leftover dishes and make a garden angel out of them.

It is not necessary to make your first experiment on unnecessary crystal dishes - you can easily start with ordinary bottles, old salt shakers and glass salad bowls. We connect everything using universal glue. If our base is a bottle, we will also need a metal rod on which we will place our figurine.

Oddly enough, such crafts made from scrap materials can be quite functional, for example, a lampshade for a garden lantern.

If not every form of dishware is suitable for a garden angel, then almost everything that is not needed in the household is suitable for magic glass flowers - plates, saucers, vases, bowls, etc.

We select the shape of the flower from the availability of unnecessary dishes - it is not necessary to take only transparent ones; the basis for the flower can easily be an ordinary plate. Glue the dishes together with universal glue.

Think in advance about how you will attach this flower in the garden. There are two options: the first - on the back wall of the flower you glue a bottle (jar, vase, etc.) - a container that can be put on a rod.

The second option is to simply glue a piece of plastic pipe to the plate and put it on the rod.

There are simply a sea of ​​options for such colors: different shapes, colors, combinations... try it!

Crafts for the garden made of metal.

Over time, any summer resident accumulates all sorts of pieces of iron in his household, either old garden tools, or necessary pieces of metal that are a pity to throw away and have nowhere to use. From all this metal you can make wonderful crafts for the garden.

Such country crafts can be made from old garden tools, pipe scraps and anything metal that every owner can find in the barn.

The best way to attach such crafts is welding, although for different designs there may be other methods of attachment.

Look at the character of this fun garden figurine made from scrap metal cans and old springs.

And this “master’s dog” is particularly thorough and friendly.

As already mentioned, metal garden crafts can be made without welding. For example, this openwork wire panel is made on a metal frame made of thick wire, to which the entire image is attached with thin wire. Maybe this is a garden nymph, or maybe the mistress of the estate.

Garden crafts made of stainless steel look more neat and do not require regular maintenance, but they are more complex to manufacture.

For the bravest: a grasshopper-mailbox can not only surprise your good friends, but also frighten uninvited guests.

Our imagination is amazing - this either a pig or a puppy that is waiting for us in the depths of the garden is charming and makes us smile.

Metal garden crafts require not only the availability of suitable material, but also your free time. Don't feel bad about wasting your time making a garden figurine instead of painting a fence.

Original crafts for the garden.

Look around - is there metal mesh left in the barn after renovation? Excellent material for garden lamps.

If you have old spoons lying around, teach your son how to solder, and he will be happy to remember the funny things he did as a child with his father.

After all, such crafts for the dacha show that we not only know how to work well, but are also able to have fun and relax from the heart.