Sunflowers

[outofthefire]

At work we have a geka metalworker and every time I use the punch I can't help feeling that the scrap skip isn't the correct place for the hole centres. So I started to pick them up and i've got quite few now. I sorted out a few 17mm ones, got half a gas bottle laid a load out in the base of it and tacked them all together. This is what I got after i'd given it a polish with a wire brush and trimmed the edges.

I thought it looked a bit like the centre of a sunflower so I cut up a bit of sheet this afternoon and spent three and a half bloody hours making two sets of petals. I roughed them out with the plasma cutter then trimmed them with my shears, the grinder would have been quicker but i'm trying to not to **** the neighbours off too much at the moment.

I started to shape a few of the petals on the right side with my air press but I ran out of time. It shouldn't take too long to actually finish this project though the stalk is going to have to be bloody strong because it aint half heavy.

 

[Robotstar5]

Have you thought of throwing it Frisbee style to your annoying neighbour while shouting "catch"?

 

[Premiershipman]

Great stuff, the joys of neighbours eh?

I was using the grinder a lot this weekend but tried,to keep the garage door shut for most of it on Sunday.

 

[gerrymoore]

Great work...and what patience!!!

 

[chunkolini]

Quality work, I like the way it grew all by itself, you seemed to start off doodling and let it develop.

 

[strada]

That looks great, are you gonna finish it ? Or is it going in the corner with the dragon, lol.
Sorry mate couldn't resist.
Those punched out centres would make great scales for a fish,lizard or come to think of it a dragon.

 

[outofthefire]

I'll definitely finish this I actually picked up a bit of the dragon on Sunday and started working it so you never no it might get done eventually. Ideally I could do with 5 or 6 sunflowers of varying sizes to use as part of a fence trouble is I don't know if I can bring myself to do that many petals. I might try and make a guide so I can cut them just with the plasma cutter, if it works it shouldn't be too bad.

 

[outofthefire]

I've got a few ideas for the centres I really fancy trying to make some sphere's out of them. This pic shows a smaller centre made from 17mm centres and 2 made from 10mm centres I might try and make a sphere from the 10mm first. These wouldn't make right good scales because most of them are 8mm thick.

 

[strada]

Why don't you place a few sheets on top of each other then your cutting a number of petals in one go.

 

[strada]

scrap the scales idea then,lol
what's the diameter of the biggest head ?
How about some scaffold bar as stems,

 

[Cobbs]

Very nice! The pattern reminds me of the compound eyes ofinsects...

 

[Windy Miller]

That really reminds me of one I did a few years ago! Significantly smaller, but very similar.

This was before I aged it...

I'm doing this on an iPad, so it won't rotate! Can one of the mods do the honours please?

 

[outofthefire]

Why don't you place a few sheets on top of each other then your cutting a number of petals in one go.

Never thought about trying that does a plasma cutter like going through multiple sheets.

what's the diameter of the biggest head ?

9"

 

[outofthefire]

Very nice! The pattern reminds me of the compound eyes ofinsects...

I thought that as well, the two smaller ones especially.

 

[chunkolini]

Whsispers 'big insects, you need to make big insects, big insects etc etc'
I get these voices sometimes, the only way to get rid of them is to do it.
I need a supplier of slugs like these.
On fleabay some smartypants was after 35p each for them.

 

[outofthefire]

That really reminds me of one I did a few years ago!

I like that, is the centre of your flower made from an old satellite dish? If it is i've got one of them that I cut up to make eyes for the dragon fly but they were too big for it.

 

[strada]

Never thought about trying that does a plasma cutter like going through multiple sheets.

No problem,clamp em if you have to so there is no gap between em,
Hardest part is parting the pieces as the slag holds the pieces together.Best just to cut them,then go round the edge,as you get down to the good steel they will just fall apart.

 

[outofthefire]

Whsispers 'big insects, you need to make big insects, big insects etc etc'
I get these voices sometimes, the only way to get rid of them is to do it.
I need a supplier of slugs like these.
On fleabay some smartypants was after 35p each for them.

I've got a large, round bar spider skeleton made that this sheet steel was meant to cover (yes another half done project ) My intention was for it to be climbing over my gate going into battle with a massive wasp that will be on the side of the house, 8mm slugs would be good for the compound eyes on that.

Once i've got bored with them (which shouldn't take too long) i'll get you a load of them, then i'll make my fortune on ebay selling them

 

[Windy Miller]

I like that, is the centre of your flower made from an old satellite dish? If it is i've got one of them that I cut up to make eyes for the dragon fly but they were too big for it.

Actually no, the centre is made from normal perforated steel sheet. The holes were slightly too small, so I drilled them out a little, and then 'countersunk' them with a much larger drill bit to lose the harsh edges on the holes.

The centre started out as a flat disc that I gently hammered over the end of a tubular former held in the vice. The petals were plasma cut from 22 gauge sheet and cleaned up on the linisher. The stem is 6 or 8 mm round bar

 

[outofthefire]

The holes were slightly too small, so I drilled them out a little, and then 'countersunk' them with a much larger drill bit to lose the harsh edges on the holes.

Blimey that must have pushed your patience to the limit.