How to make a wrought-iron fence by yourself
The contents
When we purchase a land for home or cottage, the first thing is almost always done – the territory is fenced around the perimeter. Sometimes the fence at the time of construction of the main buildings put temporary, sometimes at once erected the whole complex at the same time. It happens that the old fence was in disrepair and needed to be replaced. Regardless of the reasons for the installation of a new fence requires time and can significantly reduce your Bank account.
When installing any type of fence (wood, brick, concrete, welded, or forged), there are three options:
- available at specialized companies;
- to do it yourself;
- to order only the sections of the fence, and the installation to carry out myself.
Wrought iron fence is considered to be one of the most graceful and beautiful. It is durable, durable, not affected by various natural phenomena. Tolerates cold and heat without changing the appearance. With proper care, a wrought iron fence will last more than one generation of your family. However, with all its positive characteristics, it has one very significant drawback, which forces to abandon the installation in favor of other types of fences cost.
If you have the desire, enough free time and a keen assistant, you will be able to make a wrought iron fence with his hands. You’ll get a good fence, the skills of a blacksmith, and a decent amount of money saved.
The creation of a wrought iron fence divide into four stages:
- preparation for work;
- manufacturing sections;
- the construction of the Foundation and columns;
- installation.
Preparing ↑
In order not to waste time on additional purchases of material and equipment in the process of building or installation, you need to determine the exact number of everything. This will save time and the same money on logistics. So, first, take paper, a pencil, and draw the fence, which we’d like to see on the site. Of course, you can order the drawing and calculations in the design office, but we do it ourselves.
When the drawing is ready, then proceed to the calculations. They must be precise, down to every centimeter. Measure the perimeter of the site, envisaged pegs angles and locations for the pillars, pulled to the accuracy of the calculations the rope, eliminate the deviation. Each section of fence must not exceed in length one and a half or two meters, otherwise the fence under their weight may fall or have to invest in a strong Foundation.
Choose the type of supports that will be mounted on the fence. Wrought iron fence can be installed on round or square metal supports, concrete, brick, but not on hardwood. We will focus on metal round bearings and a strip Foundation with a step section in one and a half meters.
You then need to determine which tool is necessary for the realization of our pattern, but you should pay attention to their technical training. If you’ve never tried working with metal, you can go several ways:
- to attain and study several textbooks;
- to see the video content;
- to take a few lessons from the masters of blacksmithing;
- to simplify your drawing;
- to order complex design items at the blacksmith;
- to stop cold forging and welding.
Below is the list of equipment, tools and materials for the production of wrought iron fence with the use of hot and cold forging.
Cold forging is the most economical and more feasible option because it requires less skills to work with metal than hot forging. Equipment you can buy new or used, rent or pay for his work in the smithy. For each item required your machine. There are several:
- snail attaches to the bars of spiral form;
- Gothic allows you to bend the desired angle;
- the Twister also creates a spiral of twigs, while, you can replace the grip;
- pattern makes long sticks in circles, while being able to change radius;
- the flashlight helps to twist the rod in complex figures;
- wave makes wave-shaped rod;
- or other.
There are also patterns for some items, their acquisition will greatly simplify the work.
For hot forging needed:
- horn. It is closed and open type, the latter may be stationary or portable;
- the hammer, which make mechanical or spring-spring;
- anvil.
In addition, we need an additional tool, including for the creation of the Foundation:
- welding machine;
- an angle grinder with cutting and grinding discs;
- pliers;
- roulette;
- building level;
- rope and pegs;
- hammer;
- area;
- brush;
- shovel;
- mixer or the capacity for manual mixing;
- cement, sand, gravel.
For forging the best to buy steel rods with a diameter of 12-14 mm, if less, the fence will be too thin and unreliable, and if more is harder to work with the material. Experts recommend the above.
Manufacture of sections of wrought iron fence ↑
In order to proceed to the most difficult phase, namely, the creation of our fence, you need to equip the working space for placement of all equipment. When hot forging technique to observe fire safety and be sure to purchase extinguishers and for yourself clothing and personal protection equipment. Same goes for welding.
It is important to do or to find (to buy) a table on which will be collected section. Size table top should correspond to the height and length of one section. You can, of course, to collect on the ground (asphalt, concrete slab), but on the table more convenient. Chalk transfer the pattern on the surface, precisely following the drawing, otherwise you will get curved fence.
Do every detail carefully and accurately, counting how many revolutions you need to do to get items of the same size. Making them all one partition – start Assembly. We take the easiest option – the use of the welding machine. You can, of course, all parts attach using hot forging, but if you are a blacksmith, it is not recommended, as it is laborious, long, hard, requiring high professionalism is the process.
First weld of metal tubes 2,5×2,5 or a little more frame that is already welded all of the items. If the result of your work was satisfactory – proceed to the next.
The video clearly shows how to do some elements of the wrought-iron fence with their hands:
When all sections are ready, grind the welds, sanded, removing debris, oil and apply rust inhibitor. Paint will be after installation, but first make a Foundation.
The construction of strip Foundation under a wrought-iron fence ↑
When the first calculations for the wrought-iron fence with their hands we have already outlined, drove stakes and stretched the rope. Now clean the area of excess space, garbage and remove the turf. Then with a shovel and dig a trench assistant. Depending on the height of the fence, the soil type, regional climatic characteristics make the depth of 70 cm and width from 30 cm Sections of the fence, we have identified six feet to this should be added 7-10 cm on each side and put the support poles. In pits around the pillars fall asleep sand and gravel – we stamp them.
Align the bottom of the trench and fall asleep by 10 cm of sand, tamp it. Then proceed to the mating fittings. You can stay on the welded version, but experts believe that the knitted frame reinforcement will be stronger than welded. Take your pick. In the end, you should get the rebar in a grid with cells of 10 cm in diameter.
Make a casing made of sheets of plywood or boards. The height should be five or seven sentiment higher than expected of the Foundation to the concrete shimmered, and it was easy to take it off. After installed rebar. Of course, you can collect it in the trench, but when the space is more – the work will go faster, the main monitor width. Now it remains to make concrete and pour it. So the concrete was stronger, when casting try to avoid air bubbles in them then the moisture can accumulate quickly and the concrete will crack.
Now I wait 3-4 weeks until complete setting of the concrete. It is possible not to wait, beginning to pour the Foundation, and then start creating wrought iron fences. Thus, while you create a masterpiece wrought iron fencing – concrete will freeze.
Installation of wrought iron fence ↑
Installation of wrought iron sections on the metal strip is a simple matter. Here, we offer two options:
- welded directly to the posts;
- welded to the posts before installing the Foundation special mounting loop that will «dress» the section of the fence.
The second option, the installation will take a very short time.
If you use welding when mounting, don’t forget to clean up the welds and to treat their anticorrosive composition. You can now begin to paint the fence.
On the support posts sure to put the caps, you can buy them in the store or make your own from sheet steel on the same equipment for cold forging. Such covers will protect the Foundation from ingress of moisture and increase the life of the fence.
As the wrought-iron fence to protect from prying eyes due to their design, you can add sheets of corrugated sheets or to plant a hedge. In any case, whatever you choose, you’ll be the owner of wonderful, beautiful, one-of-a-kind wrought iron fence, made by hand.