|
Materials:
- 1 ½" screws
- Scraps of ¾" pine
- 7 pieces of ½" (#4) concrete reinforcing bar 10' long
|
Tools
- Drill
- Driver bits
- Jig saw
- Wire-feed MIG welding unit
- Welding helmet
- Leather apron
- Leather gloves
- Face shield
- Hearing protection
- Grinder with a steel cutoff blade or a Hacksaw
|
|
Cut List:
- Six 10' rebar pieces
- Nine 3' rebar pieces
|
|
Steps:
Attach two pieces of wood to a table top as a jig to bend the
re-bar |
Place the re-bar between the two pieces of wood to bend it |
|
|
Using a 16" x 12" piece of pine, cut an arc. It doesn't have
to be perfect, just a long arc.
Attach the arc to a sturdy table with screws. Attach a 4"
x 12" piece of pine at the apex of the arc leaving a ¾" space
between the two boards.
Bend arcs in the reinforcing bar by slipping the bar between
the pieces of wood and using your body weight to pull on the
bar. Make gentle, smooth bends by pushing the bar further
into the bending jig an inch at a time. Continue until the
desired shape has been achieved.
|
|
Use your body weight and pull the re-bar to make the bends |
Turn it over to bend in the opposite direction |
|
| Flip the bar to get a curve that runs in the opposite direction
from the first curve. Continue bending all nine pieces of steel
into wavy shapes. |
|
Cut two of the long pieces into thirds with a hacksaw |
Or use a grinder |
Be sure to wear a face shield and ear protection |
| Cut three of the bars in thirds with a grinder or a hacksaw.
Be sure to protect your eyes and ears with safety gear and follow
the manufacturers directions for operating the grinder. |
|
Lay the long pieces on a table |
Place the shorter pieces across them |
Leave enough room at one end to push the trellis into the ground
|
|
Lay out the six long pieces and place the shorter pieces
on top in any desired position. Be as wild as you want to
make a shape that is pleasing to you.
Be sure to leave enough room at the bottom to push the trellis
into the ground. Also provide a bar low enough that climbing
plants can easily reach it. The bottom crosspiece should be
about 2 ½' to 3' up from the bottom.
If you have trouble pushing the trellis into the ground,
you can always drive in heavy-duty steel grade stakes and
tie the trellis to it with heavy gauge wire.
|
|
Before using the welder be sure you have the correct protective
gear |
A welders helmet is essential |
The easiest type of MIG welder feeds wire when the trigger is
squeezed |
When the wire contacts the metal to be welded, the circuit is
completed and the wire melts |
A proper weld contacts both pieces of metal that are to be bonded
together |
|
|
Tack the pieces together with the welding gun. Be sure to
catch each side of a joint so the molten metal will bond the
two pieces together. With a wire-feed welding unit, you hold
a welding gun and depress the trigger. This feeds a continuous
spool of steel wire out of the gun, a little at a time. When
you touch the metal re-bar with the wire, it completes an
electrical circuit. The surface of the re-bar is etched a
little by the electrical charge and the metal wire melts and
bonds the two pieces together. When all the pieces are tacked
together, go back and add more metal to make solid joints.
|
|
Details of completed trellis |
 |
 |
|
It is important to get some instruction from a professional
welder or take a class with a welding school. There are many
configurations of welding tools and materials that will essentially
perform the same function. Also, safety is an issue and a
professional can tell you exactly what is important to remember
when welding, and which equipment is essential. Welding is
easy and a few hours with a professional can provide skill
and confidence and preventing injury.
In the Toronto area, Advanced
Welding Techniques Inc provides complete courses designed
by you. They can be reached at 905-212-9948 or look in your
telephone directory for someone nearer you.
|
|
Be sure to shake out your hair when the job is completed |
|
|
|
|
Artisans'
work featured on this episode:
(click pics for Artist info and larger
images)
|
More topics
