Garden Arch

[Morrisman]

I need to make a garden arch, 3 in fact but one immediately. One is to replace an existing curved arch. The other two can be the same. I don't have a ring roller, another "one day" project, I got as far as buying some bearings to make one like @KimB did but to specifically roll this stack of box. So in the meantime this will be a cut and shut job. Some quick CAD:

View attachment 392550

View attachment 392551
Doing this outside today so thinking MIG is out. I've a stack of 25x25x2 box and a box of 6013 2.5mm Superon rods been kept dry.

Thinking printed card templates to transfer the angles from the drawing to the box, take the appropriate V out with the slitting disc, bend and "weld". Guessing a jig would be the ideal?

Any tips?

I try curving Z profile steel window framing to make an arch, for the balcony door on our house in the Phils. Total failure, no matter how I did it, it buckled, twisted fought me every inch of the way....

.... so I took the logical route.

 

[Onoff]

I'm thinking this needs stabilising at the bottom, something like this:

https://flic.kr/p/2oxqJgz

 

[Richiew]

When I made some in the past. I made them out of solid square bar and simply pushed the ends into the ground. They don't catch wind and have never gone anywhere.

 

[Onoff]

When I made some in the past. I made them out of solid square bar and simply pushed the ends into the ground. They don't catch wind and have never gone anywhere.

I don't have solid square bar though!

 

[Onoff]

Paint stripping the frame:

https://flic.kr/p/2oxxF8q

 

[Onoff]

Well it's ready to paint. Forgot to ask nicely today and bring home 5L of dilute phosphoric for a quick once over, doh! At least if I remember tomorrow it'll at least have a nice light coat of Persian suede for the acid to get it's teeth into. Then it'll be etch prime and some filler primer over the welds. Final coats with be Baufix black metal paint from Lidl.

Biggest worry is it'll snap at the apex when I remove the studding!

Then onto the next one! Here's to better welding!

 

[Dessieb2022]

Looks really well

 

[Onoff]

Options of 24 or 48% phosphoric acid. I've gone for the stronger one.

 

[Onoff]

A brush with 48% phosphoric then washed off with a 10% solution.

https://flic.kr/p/2oybJQo

Etch primed and then filler primer round the welds.

https://flic.kr/p/2oydggR

I'll paint it black tomorrow.

 

[GRW]

My mate in France just posted this below.
I dunno what how he made the rings (& so nice and equal too) - so I've messaged to find out

 

[Onoff]

My mate in France just posted this below.
I dunno what how he made the rings (& so nice and equal too) - so I've messaged to find out
View attachment 397653

Got to go one better eh?

 

[GRW]

Got to go one better eh?

Lol - I wish it was me. My mates always been pretty handy with all sorts of stuff (mainly job being an artic driver) & since they decided to move to France and bought a place to do up - he's having a whale of a time landscaping, building, fabricating etc for himself and for happy neighbours.

Swine still hasn't replied to tell me how he's made those rings!

BTW- I'd be well happy to be able to turn out neat, symmetrical work like yours. I have much to learn!

Update: He's says he used some "Ring Roller Former Contraption", & that it was bloody hard work rolling 6-metre lengths, that he'll use a smaller size if he does it again!

 

[Barking Mat]

I had a commission for the same last year, but backed out as I didn't have the time to build a decent bendy thing, and the client was a PITA.

 

[Onoff]

to build a decent bendy thing

Is my plan eventually. Think I got as far as buying some bearing blocks a while back. I have a super cunning plan for the dies!

 

[GRW]

A brush with 48% phosphoric then washed off with a 10% solution.

https://flic.kr/p/2oybJQo

Etch primed and then filler primer round the welds.

https://flic.kr/p/2oydggR

I'll paint it black tomorrow.

Once fitted and with your green stuff of choice established & growing well - that'll look grand

 

[J1nx]

That looks like a Nirvana engineering rack?

 

[Beeezer]

A bit like the Edon project, but far superior….

 

[Onoff]

Getting some black on it with a radiator roller:

https://flic.kr/p/2oyokr9

 

[James1979]

My mate in France just posted this below.
I dunno what how he made the rings (& so nice and equal too) - so I've messaged to find out
View attachment 397653

Or just upcycle.

For the hillbilly in your life…

View attachment 397806

Looking good @Onoff

 

[Onoff]

I think I'll drill some small holes in the underside of the box sections and periodically squirt in some ACF-50.

https://flic.kr/p/2oykR2V

I think I'll paint strip the steel for the next one before I weld it together.