Cake Stand

[Munkul]

For our wedding in July (if the 'Rona allows it)

I've been keeping quiet about this, mainly because I was scared that it might turn out horribly. Now that I've got this far, I THINK it will turn out fine

I wanted to make my own wedding cake stand! To be different, and experiment a bit. I was also inspired slightly by my work last year getting a copper distillation column repaired by a steam locomotive boiler shop, very interesting stuff So Copper it was. I also wanted a circular twist of some sort to it, and the side stays I did quite a bit of experimenting with. In the end I kept it simple.


I started by experimenting with the TIG, with bits of copper brake tube, sheet offcuts, with electrical wire as filler, also tried silicon bronze but I wasn't confident of making a nice job with it.

I liked this - autogenous pulsed TIG. I went with this for the bases.

Marked out

In process

Bases done

Set the centres using a plum bob, and some "custom" spacing... oh well, at least it's level

Fitting up the side struts

Sides tacked

That's as far as I've got with it. I'll weld them out tonight. It's been a bit of a slow project, because copper is expensive, and I really want it to look good and "as welded" so quite nerve racking to get the fits just right.

I MIGHT have to add a third strut to one side, depending on how stiff the two struts are on their own once I take the spacing out. ATM those two are equal and opposite so when done it will leave one side open for the cakes.

Obviously once I've finished the making, it will get a deep polish and let that lovely copper shine.


The tubing and the sheet are quite different. The sheet is pure deoxidised copper, and after welding it's annealed so soft that it's almost like lead. It work hardens very fast, though, and it doesn't have to do very much work anyways. The tubing I THINK will be arsenical copper, for pressure rated strength, it's thinner, welds just fine, and doesn't barely anneal at all. Which is good - needs to have some strength about it. It's almost impossible to seal the tubing up, as it takes a bunch of amps to melt it and heats the whole thing up so fast, the escaping gas blows a huge hole. So I've left it unwelded on the insides.

 

[mtt.tr]

looks very good like plumb bob, copper can be a right bitch

 

[Bladevane]

Lovely job. I have experimented a little with copper but it's so tricky getting the heat balance. I'm full of admiration for your project, it will certainly be unique.

 

[Gareth J]

looks really good, particularly those sweeping spirals.

 

[Bullet2012]

Nice, and fingers crossed for your wedding.

 

[Feet 'n Inches]

Nice design and execution, particularly the spiral effect Not too sure about the 'cakes' though

 

[stuvy]

Nice design and execution, particularly the spiral effect Not too sure about the 'cakes' though

must be a new trend iv missed out on

I too like the flush fitting spiral, very cooo

hopefully youl be able to wed soon enough mate

 

[duncans]

looks brilliant that mate what a great idea

 

[Munkul]

Thanks guys

unfortunately as i was posting this this morning, I've realised a problem with the spars, they narrow in diameter, the intended cake size won't fit But now I have the technique down, I'll cut them off and make some at revised angles to give more clearance.

 

[duncans]

Thanks guys

unfortunately as i was posting this this morning, I've realised a problem with the spars, they narrow in diameter, the intended cake size won't fit But now I have the technique down, I'll cut them off and make some at revised angles to give more clearance.

when you have finished it and when you get married all your guests will be amazed when they no you made the cake stand ive never heard of it before

 

[stuvy]

What about making the spiral wrap around longer?

hope that makes sense

 

[nickk]

Fantastic.
How about bulging the helix’s outwardly,then connecting them to the shelf with horizontal bars?

 

[Brad93]

Copper notoriously difficult two work with. You’ve made a nice job of that.

 

[Munkul]

well thanks for all the encouragement, but I realised last night it was no good in current form. I liked the design as-was, though, with the helix spars wrapping inwards, so what I'm doing is I've ordered some more sheet, and making a bigger base plate (18") and moving the 1st and 2nd levels up one, removing the small 7" top level.
So I chopped the helix spars off last night. 1 step forward, 2 steps backward, lol

 

[MysterG]

Great job

For our 25th Anniversary party I really wanted to make a cake stand as we were set upon having 5 cakes of different flavours to cater to everyone's tastes.
I had great plans in my mind of a sweeping spiral holding the cakes at different levels.
In the end I just could not work out how to do it with the tools I had available, so ended up with some silver cake boards, spaced at different heights with sections of silver birch from our tree we got reduced in size last year.

Yours makes me wish I'd pursued the more elaborated structure after all ... still there is always our 50th

 

[Munkul]

Got my new sheet of copper, and got most of the base re-made

Marked out - this is where guillotine and belt grinder come into their own, I just cut close and belt grind it right up to the line.

Tacked to the tube ring and one section welded.

at this point it'll take 10 mins to whizz round this tonight with pulse, but I got pulled away last night to work on a freelander.

...and I'll then be in almost the same position I was in 2 weeks ago

 

[Munkul]

new base level made, the small 7" level will be put to one side for now

two spars partly welded. It's not the easiest stuff to weld! Hard enough to get the heat into the mass now, without melting the tube to bits!
The third spar is just offered up but I need to start again with it, the bend radius isn't quite right and it doesn't match.

Not far off, now though. It'll be plenty strong enough with a 3rd spar, this copper tube has a lot more tensile strength than pure copper.

 

[Munkul]

After a great many distractions and other jobs, I finally got the thing finished!

This is after cleaning with vinegar/salt, neutralized and then buffed up with 800 and 1500 grit. I want a slightly rough surface. It will be buffed a bit more though.

You can see where the vinegar has re-tarnished the surfaces already!

 

[tom2207]

very tidy job , well done.

 

[Ali]

Very nice. Made a few of these years ago, nothing like the precision of your work though Far too lazy or rushed to make a proper jig at the time.

Unfortunately I can’t find any pics of the finished thing, I remember there being a surprising amount of weight in the cakes but luckily my welding held.