Scrap gate project.

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Well the "hand forged steel panel" ( scrolly, hammered middle part) wasn't scrap but it was on sale for dirt cheap.I had all the 3/8" x 1-1/2" h.  r. flat bar and the hammered pickets with baskets in stock, left overs from old jobs.This is a 3'-0" garden gate for the Asheville Home Builders Association Charity  Auction/ Wine Tasting Fund Raiser. All proceeds will be awarded in form of a scholarship to a student enrolled in local secondary courses related to the building industry.A local GC I've worked for, who's on the board, hit me up for a donation. I figured why not do something nice for some one else.(who coincidentally happens to be my target market)( I need to find out if wifey will want to go, we'd need a dd, though. I know I'd taste the crap out of some good wine, and with the auction date being a month or so past our #2's expected due date she'd finally be able to have a glass or 3 if we could get a baby sitter.)Since it's a freebie I'm not going crazy with the design, simple and quick. Git-r-done. Build it on the cheap.It's all cut bent laid out and ready to square up and tack.So far maybe 1-1/2 hours invested. When it's done I'll throw a quick and dirty 3 step (etch-prime-top coat) paint job at it.I Think I have enough left over urethane black and flattening agent to go with the usual semi gloss black. Or I might ..."make that s**t pop"... and go high gloss black. Here's the money shot, everything else was "free"Brian LeonardAppalachian Ironworks L.L.C.434 Long Branch Rd, Marshall, NC 28753828 649 9966828 702 [email protected]
Reply:as a receiver of college scholarships (sorry, not building trade), i can assure you that your work is greatly appreciated.  Great job!
Reply:Donations to education are appreciated.  Both my girls had scholarships and either an on-campus or a co-op job.  Both graduated with zero debt.  Thank you to all who made that possible.John.
Reply:Brian,Nice design and layout, as usual.  Hmmm, 'make it pop'?  How about painting the central flower/sunburst in a bright gold against the rest being black?  That would POP.   IMHO.  The best laid schemes ... Gang oft agley ...
Reply:Originally Posted by MoonRiseBrian,Nice design and layout, as usual.  Hmmm, 'make it pop'?  How about painting the central flower/sunburst in a bright gold against the rest being black?  That would POP.   IMHO.
Reply:Looks good as usual, center piece looks like a Kings Metal part. I like the arched basket picket on top. Buy what you can and make up the rest is my motto. Thumbs up on the donation thing.PeterEquipment:2  old paws2  eyes (that don't look so good)1  bad back
Reply:Originally Posted by castweldLooks good as usual, center piece looks like a Kings Metal part. I like the arched basket picket on top. Buy what you can and make up the rest is my motto. Thumbs up on the donation thing.Peter
Reply:Originally Posted by app-ironworksllcThanks, Peter.Yeah it's hard to beat King's prices on this stuff. Shoot if I had to build this myself it'd easily be 10 times more $$$. If you get their sales fliers you'll see the panel (and low sales price) in the latest one. The hammered pickets came from there, too.I wish we had an American Mfr. that could compare, I hate sending my money overseas.I sent some pics to the GC yesterday, and got a reply today. Let's just say they're very pleased. I think they were looking for something simple like maybe a candle holder.
Reply:Ok here it is after welding and most grinding.Now it's up to about 5 hours labor.Good Lord! this thing is heavy. I don't have a scale at the shop, but I'm sure it's over 70 pounds.I don't know what I was thinking at first (maybe I didn't think at all) when I figured on using 1-1/2" x 1/8" wall square tube for the newel posts. I just ordered some 3" x 3" x 1/4" tube. I may wrap them with some decorative banding to spice them up a little. ( I guess I can't call it "scrap" any more ) I already picked up some fancy post caps for the 1-1/2" tube. I'll still use them, but I'll have to build a transition to make them fit the 3" tube. I'm definitely using Moon's idea of painting the flower. After the black is on there I'll mask it off and paint the petals bright yellow. I may brush that on, instead of spraying, and add highlights and "lowlights" to give the flower petal a little more realism. Then I'll spray a clear over that for more protection.Truthfully I am not really looking forward to painting this. All those little corners, nooks and crannies are a pain in the butt to get good coverage on. Before spraying I will have to use a brush to get some paint in the really tight spots.Every time I paint something that's "scrolly" I recall an incident at a shop I used to work at:My helper and I had finished a really nice driveway gate and he volunteered to paint it since he'd been getting some paint instruction form the owner. So this was the 1st job the owner let him paint on his own.After many hours of spraying he comes out of the booth and says:"I'd like to meet the man who invented scrolls.""Why?" I asked."So I can tell him to take every scroll ever made and stick it up his a**......sideways" A little more progress has been made.Decorative post caps before modification.Last edited by app-ironworksllc; 10-15-2010 at 11:31 AM.Brian LeonardAppalachian Ironworks L.L.C.434 Long Branch Rd, Marshall, NC 28753828 649 9966828 702 [email protected]
Reply:Well it's ready to go. They're coming to get it tomorrow morning. The Charity Auction/Wine Tasting is tomorrow night.I wonder how much it's going to auction for.Brian LeonardAppalachian Ironworks L.L.C.434 Long Branch Rd, Marshall, NC 28753828 649 9966828 702 [email protected]
Reply:I dunno. But that thing turned out WAY nice. very good work!
Reply:Brian, you need to get a bunch of 1"X3-4" stickers made up with your logo.contact info to stick on this stuff somewhere. That is nice stuff.
Reply:If you don't have a sticker at least attach an envelope with a bunch of your cards for the winner to hand out! Also have some handy for people to pickup at the auction.Beautiful work!-- fredLincoln 180C MIG
Reply:I did put together an installation instruction and maintenance sheet and a bunch of cards to go with it.  So they raised a total of about 3 grand, the gate got a winning bid of $250.00, which was the highest bid on any item at the auction.The person who bought it is the publisher or editor of Builder/Architect of WNC magazine. I've been told to expect a call from him looking for a feature on my shop and work. Even if he doesn't call it's great that I could help someone out, anything more than that is just gravy.Brian LeonardAppalachian Ironworks L.L.C.434 Long Branch Rd, Marshall, NC 28753828 649 9966828 702 [email protected]
Reply:Originally Posted by app-ironworksllcI did put together an installation instruction and maintenance sheet and a bunch of cards to go with it.  So they raised a total of about 3 grand, the gate got a winning bid of $250.00, which was the highest bid on any item at the auction.The person who bought it is the publisher or editor of Builder/Architect of WNC magazine. I've been told to expect a call from him looking for a feature on my shop and work. Even if he doesn't call it's great that I could help someone out, anything more than that is just gravy.
Reply:I don't know what your local values for that sort of thing are but I think the winning bidder got a steal. Also, a top notch gate, to boot.A couple of years ago, an aunt won a gate at the local A & P show (agricultural and pastural) and it was hot dip galvanised, made in Indonesia and the prize included hinges and a catch plus powder coating. Currently in your $ it's $390 worth. 3 foot x 4 foot.[ATTACH][/ATTACH]Downside, it was a quenched hot pit, so there were all sharps bits all over it and they didn't clean it up prior to powder coating, so it's all "snaggy" and the powder coat is thinnest on all the sharp points and the zinc oxidises through the coating.Upside, it keeps the dog in and acts as an early warning system for visitors.I think you've shown the way that things should be done for events such as fundraisers and promos for companies. Well done.If I'd been giving a gate away from my business at an agricultural show, I'd want it to be a good representation of my business. You've succeeded here and admirably so. If I want a gate locally, I'll be looking around, if not making it myself as although I've nothing against the people that gave the gate away, it just hasn't made quite the impression it should have. Attached Images"One of the things we have to be thankful for is that we don't get as much government as we pay for." (Charles Kettering)Mitch 180 (NZ)Lincoln SAM-400-220 + ?-400 Fordson Major + 2 x Tractapac Humber 80 + Procut 40 PlasmaMiller Spectrum 375