Stags Head

[Rustyroost.]

Hi, just getting back into the welding after a 25 year absence, i've seen a pic of a metal wall art thingy i want to make, it's made from 6 mm round bar, cut into small pieces ,and welded together to make a Stags Head, .....i'd like to make this but when i do it i don't want to paint it, i'd like to leave it just the raw black steel, but with shiny sanding disc marks where i'm going to sand down the welds.
It'll be wall hung indoors, but as it wont be painted, i'm wondering will it rust, tarnish or lose it's shiny sanded finish? If you can imagine 6mm round bar which has been given just a 'skite' with a sanding disc, you'll get the idea.
Is there anything i could coat it with to preserve the finish?
Thanks

 

[WorkshopChris]

Clear lacquer.
https://www.toolstation.com/shop/Pa.../sd2737/Industrial+Spray+Lacquer+500ml/p44132
Hi and welcome to the forum.

 

[Rustyroost.]

Thanks for the welcome, i've enjoyed looking at the forum projects over the years, lots of very talented folk on here.

That stuff in the link provided looks like it'll do the trick, cheers.

 

[Migmac]

Get cracking then, I want to see it

 

[outofthefire]

Indoors it should be ok, I personally usually warm up my pieces and wax them or spray them with wd40.

 

[strada]

www.jpennyltd.co.uk/shopping/pgm-more_information.php?id=27
I use this on indoor stuff

 

[Gareth0123]

I saw this in a bar in Dan Haag a few weeks ago.

 

[steve t]

meccano?

 

[Gareth0123]

meccano?

Probably yes; or the continental equivalent.

 

[outofthefire]

Probably yes; or the continental equivalent.

meccano is French

 

[fixedfixer]

meccano?

Oh yes, how I loved making stuff with meccano. Please God, why did I sell my meccano set to buy my first pair of platform shoes? I blame the Bay City Rollers for that one.

 

[slim_boy_fat]

I blame the Bay City Rollers for that one.

You've just aged yourself with that one.

 

[Rustyroost.]

OK, guys, go easy on me haha , baring in mind i repaired crashed buses and done chassis conversions etc and that was 25 years ago, and i've never ever done anything like this previously. i'm quite happy with the results, though it's 'basic' compared with some of the projects you guys can do.
I've really only got a wee welder, a hacksaw, an angle grinder and a 4 inch vice in my shed.

It's made this Geometric style Stag's Head from 6 mm round bar, cut by hack-saw into over 100 small pieces, then welded together. I then used my wee angle grinder to give it a sand, so it has a shiny finish on the front, but the sides of the round bars are mostly black raw steel, though some have had a skiff with the sanding disc too.
Over 9 metres of round bar was used, hard to believe but true.
Rugged and raw, just like the Highland Stag .

 

[slim_boy_fat]

Excellent!!

 

[Rustyroost.]

Excellent!!

Cheers, could've obviously done neater welds with no need to grind, but the idea of it was to get a lot of weld on, so as to leave a large grinded/sanded surface . First time i've bought steel too, could'nt believe how cheap it was from FH Brundle, i just popped into Glasgow to their warehoose for it.

 

[outofthefire]

Wel

Cheers, could've obviously done neater welds with no need to grind, but the idea of it was to get a lot of weld on, so as to leave a large grinded/sanded surface . First time i've bought steel too, could'nt believe how cheap it was from FH Brundle, i just popped into Glasgow to their warehoose for it.

Some welds are pure art in themselves, but art doesn't need to have a perfect weld to be great. A stags head is on my incredibly long to do list