How to make big globes or forming metal?

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I'm looking for either a place to buy huge sheet metal globes approx. 1.5' to 2' round.  I know making these spheres would be quiet hard and was hoping some place could make them up for me or if somebody knew some place they were sold at.I currently only do metal fab for cars which is pretty simple with straight lines but I'm looking into making a metal costume for Halloween, kinda of like a suit of armor I guess, and I was wondering how does one form some sheet metal to what you want it to be.  Would I just buy a lot of sheets of metal and just pound away at it with various hammers, wood forms, and other such pounding tools to form it into the shape?Would it be good to make a wood form of the pieces and pound the metal into the wood form to shape it?If there are any gamers on here you'll know the character Samus from Metroid.    That's the suit I want to replicate.  I know it'd be a lot easier to form it out of some sort of plastic, foam, etc but I like over doing things and a metal suit would just be that much more awesome.Hobart Handler 1871998 VW Jetta TDI - 1997 VW Jetta Project Carhttp://calebhammel.com
Reply:Wow, a full metal Samus costume would be pretty cool, though I imagine it could get pretty hefty.I'm not sure what the best way would be to form the pieces, though. I know the shows where they make custom motorcycles show them using an English wheel to form fenders and tanks.   Then again, I guess blacksmiths go for more the pounding method, but that would probably be more challenging.If you find a good way to make it happen I'll be curious to hear how you go about it.
Reply:You could cut the ends off or old propane tanks with the "bullet" shaped caps...of course only after properly cleaned and emptied and ready for the scrap heap.Esab Migmaster 250Lincoln SA 200Lincoln Ranger 8Smith Oxy Fuel setupEverlast PowerPlasma 80Everlast Power iMIG 160Everlast Power iMIG 205 Everlast Power iMIG 140EEverlast PowerARC 300Everlast PowerARC 140STEverlast PowerTIG 255EXT
Reply:Try a commercial cookware supplier. I have picked up aluminum hemispheres up to about 36" fairly cheaply (giant salad bowls and mixing bowls) For a true hemisphere, I generally need to work a flat off the bottom. For a full sphere, weld two together.You might also try commercial lighting suppliers. 18" reflectors arn't that unusual, though there will usually be a hole at the bottom, and they ae more likely to be between a sphere section and a parabolic section.
Reply:I was about to say, Propane tanks. Or metal bowls.  The only cheap way to make a steel hemisphere is to stamp them or deep draw.  Now very few companies do that as there isn't a large demand for deep metal hemispheres in large sizes.years ago I wanted a large hemisphere and originally went for metal, but not being able to find one in the size  3' diameter IIRC.  I contacted a company that made acrylic sun roofs and surveillance camera domes and they were able to vacuum form two for me for under $200.That's been my experience, a  Sphere is perhaps one of the hardest simple geometric shapes to form out of metal.Welding EngineerCertified Scrap Producer
Reply:I'll second enlpck, commercial kitchen stores can be a great resource for sphere shaped stuff. Also, one of my fav's, but keep it between you and me.......China Town............tree letters.....W-O-K. They are thin and great for tons of stuff.  Also, your local fire extinguisher supplier. I looked at a pic of Samus. Those are some pretty big "hemisphere's" . There will be a place somewhere around you that does testing and refilling of all sorts of sizes of tanks. Couple of those cut at an angle would work great! Just clean them out well and DO NOT USE Halon tanks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Good luck200amp Air Liquide MIG, Hypertherm Plasma, Harris torches, Optrel helmet, Makita angle grinders, Pre-China Delta chop saw and belt sander, Miller leathers, shop made jigs etc, North- welders backpack.
Reply:check out hardware for building gates, if I recall the last time I was at my local metal supply store I saw globes about the size you need in the fencing area....Synchowave 180SD  Bernard 3500SS water coolerMillermatic 200Parker Plasma Tec 40dvOperating Engineers Local 12
Reply:Fantastic suggestions.  I've got about 3 propane tanks that are empty sitting at my house right now.  I'll check those out, otherwise I'll see about WOKs but if I recall those aren't half circles, they are a small portion of a sphere.  The huge lighting domes might work great though.  Many things I gotta check out.I posted this in my VW Forums since I'm a VW fanatic and one guy suggested to made MDF layers for the armor pieces, print out 3/4" cross sections of the armor and then glue all the layers together and smooth which seems like it'd be a lot easier for making the molds than free handing and what not.  Then I'd have a foam mold that I could make harder molds out of.  I'll probably end up doing that for the main armor pieces.  Helmet is super easy.  I just need to modify a full face helmet.I'll post up pics in another thread when I start getting all this together.  Thanks for the sggestions.    More are always welcome.  I won't be able to start looking for the items until I get back home in the next few days.Hobart Handler 1871998 VW Jetta TDI - 1997 VW Jetta Project Carhttp://calebhammel.com