quick60 Posted February 8, 2012 Share Posted February 8, 2012 After reading bump down to the second reply for a resized web friendly photo, thanks. A friend who is in the construction business is building a porch swing to match one that he was told is about 100 years old. There is a metal bracket on each front corner that reinforces the upright post and the arm rest. It is also the attachment point for the chain on the front corners. He has asked if I can replicate the brackets to match the ones on the existing swing. I know this is probably pretty easy for some advanced smiths but I am a novice and I am trying to figure a starting point. Any help would be appreciated. Looking at the attached photo the corner bracket is 3/16" thick, 3 7/8" from top to bottom and 2 3/4" from back to the outside of the scroll which is 3/8' diameter. The piece that joins the back of the bracket to the top is 1/2" wide looking straight on and 5/16" thick from the view in the photo. This round section looks like it could also be a seperate piece that was forged to shape then welded to the corner bracket. My first thoughts are that it is cast and this may be so but I do not have that capability so forging it is. I thought of starting with 3/8" round and forging the corner bracket to the dimensions I need then taking a seperate piece of 5/16" round shaping to match then, fogive me, welding it to the corner bracket with my MIG welder. Once completed should the bracket be hardened at all so that if a rather large fellow sits on the swing the scrolls will not try to straighten out? Any advice would be appreciated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
r smith Posted February 8, 2012 Share Posted February 8, 2012 First advice is to re size the photo so it can load in a reasonable amount of time. You did not say how wide the flatbar is the bolts go through. I would make the L shaped flatbar a little shorter on the top leg and use the gusset piece as the hook as well. Instead of stopping the gusset under the hook bend a 270 degree loop for the chain to hook to. I am guessing he wants to build another separate swing and not repair one where the part would need to match exact? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quick60 Posted February 8, 2012 Author Share Posted February 8, 2012 Resized photo attached!!!! It is 7/8" wide. I had thought of that as well but wanted to get some ideas. He is building an entirely new swing to match the existing one. The brackets do not have to be exact but he wants them as close as possible. Thanks for the reply. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
r smith Posted February 8, 2012 Share Posted February 8, 2012 Take your 3/16" x 7/8" flat bar and forge the 3/8" round section on it. I would do it that way just because the length is shorter than forging the flat section, and you will have heat to bend it as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pat Roy Posted February 8, 2012 Share Posted February 8, 2012 I would make up the L shaped flat bar to match the existing, bend up the round bar into nearly an S shape and weld the two together. Pretty straight forward. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThomasPowers Posted February 8, 2012 Share Posted February 8, 2012 I'd worry more about the chain giving way than the curl getting bent! Mild steel, normalize, no other heat treat. If you are worried about it then make it from leaf spring---do proper pre and post heats for the arc welding and then normalize the entire piece. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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