English Style Garden Gate

Well here we go. I start with my client approved design, measurements from the location and a blank floor as my canvas.

I make a full scale drawing of the design to guide me as I forge and weld. It also allows me to catch design mistakes before I make them on the real thing. The Devil is in the details.

  

I like to have the client stop by the studio to see the full scale drawing and to get a feel for the scale and proportion of the gate. It also gives me an opportunity to discuss material sizes and any changes I might need to make and get their approval.

As I make progress on the framework, I mentally start working on the forged details. 

 

The flowers will be made of 16 gage mild steel. I rough them out with my band saw and grid them to finished shape.

I had to make a bottom die to crease the front of the flower.

Then I had to make another bottom die to crease the back of the flower.

Now the flower goes in the forge. Just looking at this gets me excited.

Again I stoped to make more tooling. This tooling pushes the flower into into its basic shape.

I know what you’re thinking. Does it really take all this effort just to make one flower? No, it takes more. More hammering, more shaping, and more fun.