How to Make a Steel Rose
Gather design ideas., Visualize all elements of the fabrication process., Acquire the necessary materials and tools., Fabricate the petal shapes., Layout and cut the leaf shape(s)., Detail the parts., Mount the parts onto flower stem., Shape the...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Gather design ideas.
Look at a variety of metal roses both online and in publications, the more the better.
Look at some pictures of real roses too, to get an idea of how the real and metal roses correlate.
Spend a bit of time up front looking at many designs. -
Step 2: Visualize all elements of the fabrication process.
Visualize the end product, then use backward planning to visualize the needed starting materials.
Visualize, also, the entire fabrication process that will give you the awesome metal flower you visualize.
Consider also any jigs you might use if you really like your finished flower and want to make more.
Jigs for individual flower parts like petals and leaf forms might be a good investment.
They will certainly save time. , Use heavy gauge sheet metal for the petals and leaves and a metal rod anywhere from 3/16" to 5/16" for the stem.
You will need a fastening method/tool for piecing the flower together, perhaps a welder.
The forge used for flower-shaping can be a propane forge or a coal forge.
You'll also need an anvil with a horn, a cross peen hammer or swage block, a ball peen hammer, a vice, channel locks, needle nose pliers and a jigsaw with metal-cutting blades. , Layout out some petal plates with four and five petals in a star configuration.
These should have the same radius all the way around.
Use anywhere from three to six of these petal plates for one flower depending on the steel thickness.
A star with thin stems can be made as a bottom piece bent downward as sepals.
Drill a hole in each petal plate with a diameter 1/4" larger than the stem.
Cut the petal plates with a jigsaw .
Leave at least 3/8" between the petal cuts to the hole in the middle. , Leaves aren't necessary, but make the flower seem that much more realistic.
Draw and cut the general shape of the leaf.
It should be at least a 1' long and 1/4' inch wide. , Heat the flower parts in your forge.
Don't let any of them get hotter than an orange heat.
Hotter might cause the metal to melt and you want to avoid phase changes of the metal.
Detail a leaf with the cross-peen hammer, making a ridge from the tip to the stem.
Add light radial ridges for scratch detailing.
Flatten the stem end with the flat face (peen) of the ball-peen hammer.
This will enable the leaf stem to wrap around the flower stem (rod).
Use the ball peen hammer to make shallow bowls out of each petal plate.
Rough up the flower stem a bit while it's hot for a realistic look. , One at a time, heat a leaf stem and bend the edges around the flower stem.
This can be faggot welded onto the stem using a wire feed welder.
Weld each individual flower petal plate onto the flower stem, starting with the bottom one.
Alternatively you can upset the stem while all of the petals are in place.
If you use the latter method, rivet the top over the last petal plate.
Welding is preferred, but if you don't have a welder these welds might be hard to do with forge welding. , Heat the entire assembled flower.
Bend the petals upwards and curve each into the middle using a pair of needle nose pliers.
Do this plate by plate in one direction around the stem.
You should only do two petals per heat to avoid creating stresses and fractures.
You can leave the flower as a bud.
For a full-flower look, bend the petals outward. , A wire brush finish leave a shiny, bumpy edge, which is a favorite.
You can leave the metal scale finish, which is usually flat gray with some oxidation effects, or grind off the scale using a belt grinder.
This needs to be done to at least a 400 grit for a nice shine.
Note that you won't be able to get into the inside of the flower. -
Step 3: Acquire the necessary materials and tools.
-
Step 4: Fabricate the petal shapes.
-
Step 5: Layout and cut the leaf shape(s).
-
Step 6: Detail the parts.
-
Step 7: Mount the parts onto flower stem.
-
Step 8: Shape the flower.
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Step 9: Perform the final finish.
Detailed Guide
Look at a variety of metal roses both online and in publications, the more the better.
Look at some pictures of real roses too, to get an idea of how the real and metal roses correlate.
Spend a bit of time up front looking at many designs.
Visualize the end product, then use backward planning to visualize the needed starting materials.
Visualize, also, the entire fabrication process that will give you the awesome metal flower you visualize.
Consider also any jigs you might use if you really like your finished flower and want to make more.
Jigs for individual flower parts like petals and leaf forms might be a good investment.
They will certainly save time. , Use heavy gauge sheet metal for the petals and leaves and a metal rod anywhere from 3/16" to 5/16" for the stem.
You will need a fastening method/tool for piecing the flower together, perhaps a welder.
The forge used for flower-shaping can be a propane forge or a coal forge.
You'll also need an anvil with a horn, a cross peen hammer or swage block, a ball peen hammer, a vice, channel locks, needle nose pliers and a jigsaw with metal-cutting blades. , Layout out some petal plates with four and five petals in a star configuration.
These should have the same radius all the way around.
Use anywhere from three to six of these petal plates for one flower depending on the steel thickness.
A star with thin stems can be made as a bottom piece bent downward as sepals.
Drill a hole in each petal plate with a diameter 1/4" larger than the stem.
Cut the petal plates with a jigsaw .
Leave at least 3/8" between the petal cuts to the hole in the middle. , Leaves aren't necessary, but make the flower seem that much more realistic.
Draw and cut the general shape of the leaf.
It should be at least a 1' long and 1/4' inch wide. , Heat the flower parts in your forge.
Don't let any of them get hotter than an orange heat.
Hotter might cause the metal to melt and you want to avoid phase changes of the metal.
Detail a leaf with the cross-peen hammer, making a ridge from the tip to the stem.
Add light radial ridges for scratch detailing.
Flatten the stem end with the flat face (peen) of the ball-peen hammer.
This will enable the leaf stem to wrap around the flower stem (rod).
Use the ball peen hammer to make shallow bowls out of each petal plate.
Rough up the flower stem a bit while it's hot for a realistic look. , One at a time, heat a leaf stem and bend the edges around the flower stem.
This can be faggot welded onto the stem using a wire feed welder.
Weld each individual flower petal plate onto the flower stem, starting with the bottom one.
Alternatively you can upset the stem while all of the petals are in place.
If you use the latter method, rivet the top over the last petal plate.
Welding is preferred, but if you don't have a welder these welds might be hard to do with forge welding. , Heat the entire assembled flower.
Bend the petals upwards and curve each into the middle using a pair of needle nose pliers.
Do this plate by plate in one direction around the stem.
You should only do two petals per heat to avoid creating stresses and fractures.
You can leave the flower as a bud.
For a full-flower look, bend the petals outward. , A wire brush finish leave a shiny, bumpy edge, which is a favorite.
You can leave the metal scale finish, which is usually flat gray with some oxidation effects, or grind off the scale using a belt grinder.
This needs to be done to at least a 400 grit for a nice shine.
Note that you won't be able to get into the inside of the flower.
About the Author
Stephen Hernandez
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