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Artisan Welding Projects

Welding can be more than the straight-forward bonding of two metal pieces with heat. Use welding techniques to create ornamental metal structures to enhance your home, give as gifts or sell at arts and craft fairs. Artisan welding projects created from found objects or scrap metal range from the simple to complex.
  1. Decorative Cross

    • Create ornate crosses from scrap metal, found objects and decorative pieces of metal. Start by welding two bars for the base and then add dimension with more metal. Wrap the entire piece with wire and beads, or use a solution of denatured alcohol and saltwater to quickly rust the cross, giving it a vintage appearance.

    House Numbers

    • Large, decorative house numbers make an artistic addition to your home. Use a plasma cutter to cut numbers from sheet metal, and then weld twisted wire or scrap metal pieces on top for decoration and dimension. Or, form house numbers from found metal objects without a base -- such as old car parts, tools, kitchen utensils or scrap metals -- and weld them together.

    Wind Chimes

    • Form ornamental wind chimes using leftover metal and found objects. Plan out the design before beginning to get a basic idea: Wind chimes generally consist of a base that holds four to eight strings with chimes. An ornate, artistic piece or a simple metal object can serve as the base. The same choice applies to the chimes; use an arrangement of metal objects, a mix of metal and glass or a single found object for each chime.

    Water Fountains

    • Build a fountain for your garden by arranging copper bowls into a visually pleasing grouping. Attach metal leaves, copper birds or bent metal piping to resemble vines. Purchase a pump for the fountain and set it up according to the manufacturer's directions.

    Outdoor Sculptures

    • Free-form abstract statues in your garden serve as a flexible artisan welding project. You can fill an area with twisted metal objects welded together or make an animal sculpture using found metal objects. Old garden tools, welded together, make metal scarecrows, giant flowers or insects.

Sculpture

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