3D metal scuplture of some sort to commemorate the death of a friend?

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We lost a good friend this past week.  He's being cremated and his ashes are going to be put in a small CAST IRON dutch oven that they want me to weld shut so if it gets knocked off their fireplace hearth by their dogs.... he doesn't "spill" out... lovely, eh? Had to be cast iron. Here's hoping I'm good with a tube of JB Weld. --Our family has been camping with them for years.... our kids grew up together. He was very "outdoorsy" hence the family's choice of urn and his wife, also our friend, has a beautifully landscaped yard that has a lot of metal art displayed so I was thinking I'd make something to give her on the one year anniversary of her husband's death. I know a bottle tree wouldn't go over well and he wasn't a "flowery" person so a large floral arrangement on a metal rim is out however has anyone made a 3D "gift" like this or does anyone have any suggestions?MM 211Smith Tru Lite O/A set, Thanks Bob!Lincoln AC-225--But you must not change one thing, one pebble, one grain of sand, until you know what good and evil will follow on that act. The world is in balance, in Equilibrium- Ursula K. Le Guin
Reply:sorry for your loss. do a scrap metal reflecting bench. perhaps larger pieces standing vertically. 52 pieces built over the course of the year. one for each week he has been gone. https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com...0f35701d9b.jpg
Reply:A cross welded out of some unique pieces perhaps?Lincoln Power Mig 216Lincoln AC/DC-225/125Miller  625 X-Treme PlasmaMiller 211 Forney 95FI-A 301HF 91110Victor Journeyman O/PMilwaukee DaytonMakita  Baileigh NRA Life Member
Reply:As far as the cast iron, brazing would be the way to go to really "weld" it. I can't see why something like JB weld wouldn't work though.As far as the " sculpture" if he liked camping and the outdoors that would be the direction I'd go. I see two possible options for ideas, one decorative, one useful and interactive. Decorative might be something like a fire pit tripod with hanging pot. You could plant vines in the pot and they could grow over the tripod. I might choose to pick a plant that attracts wild life, maybe humming birds or butterflies. As far as something "useful" a bench has already been mentioned. A fire pit would also be one option. Something everyone could gather around, tell stories and remember him. A gazebo, area surrounded by a trellis  might also be an idea.Try and think of those things he enjoyed most and work from there. Some one who enjoyed fishing, it might be some sort of fish sculpture. If a hunter, maybe it's some sort of metal deer rack....No government ever voluntarily reduces itself in size. Government programs, once launched, never disappear. Actually, a government bureau is the nearest thing to eternal life we'll ever see on this earth! Ronald Reagan
Reply:Jimmy_pop> I never thought about a reflecting bench for their garden but.... the more I think about it... the more I like the idea. I made a little end table out of tools so why not a whole bench? And, our friend collected tools. We used to joke about him buying them just to fondle and stroke them. Some of his tools are still in the original packaging.... he was teased a lot for being a tool hoarder but when anyone needed an oddball tool.... he had it. I'm thinking about collecting a tool from everyone who meant something to him to include in a bench!!!! I could have his oldest son pick through his garage to gather rusty tools for me (I know he has a few) and I certainly could ask all of his brothers and cousins to bring me old rusty tools before moving on to his neighbors and the people he worked with.... they could all be asked for rusty tool "donations". It might take a while gathering up all the tools since he had so many friends but... it's doable. --SuperArc> The cross is an excellent idea since they're both devout Christians. Soon as you mentioned a cross.... I remembered one I liked really well in another thread. It's the cross with the heart in the center in post #139 here, http://weldingweb.com/vbb/showthread.php...t-Sticky/page6. Bob posted those photos so people like me could "steal" his ideas. I think I'll do just that!!!--DSW> Our friend was an avid camper, dutch oven cook, rifleman, and sang in his church choir. He collected cast iron cookware, dutch oven recipe books, baseball caps and tools. He loved to make practical things (never anything decorative) with his hands out of wood and metal. They have a metal fire pit at home sporting laser cut deer silhouettes and some planters that hang from their back porch from decorative metal tree limbs bought at local craft fairs and.... a store bought tripod from Gander Mountain (he shopped there a lot) that has a grate hanging from it supporting a clay bowl their youngest daughter made in grade school so.... I'd say your suggestions were spot on... too bad they were "too" spot on because they're all out in the backyard already.... well.... all except a gazebo that would be out of my skill set.  I wonder if I can come up with something "interactive" though.... something outdoorsy like a hanging mobile using a lid to a dutch oven and maybe wiener forks or ladles?  At his service they played 'Fly Away'. I should search for the lyrics online and see if maybe I can come up with ideas for a mobile after reading the words.Last edited by Equilibrium; 01-14-2016 at 09:15 AM.Reason: Oops... little misspellingMM 211Smith Tru Lite O/A set, Thanks Bob!Lincoln AC-225--But you must not change one thing, one pebble, one grain of sand, until you know what good and evil will follow on that act. The world is in balance, in Equilibrium- Ursula K. Le Guin
Reply:Ohhh.... there were three songs out there with the same title. Here are the lyrics to the song played at his service, http://www.bluegrasslyrics.com/print/node/465. I played around with making a center piece of flying spark plug bugs and now I'm wondering if I couldn't make a mobile out of spark plug bugs? Not my photo---MM 211Smith Tru Lite O/A set, Thanks Bob!Lincoln AC-225--But you must not change one thing, one pebble, one grain of sand, until you know what good and evil will follow on that act. The world is in balance, in Equilibrium- Ursula K. Le Guin
Reply:Originally Posted by SuperArcA cross welded out of some unique pieces perhaps?