HandsomeRyan Posted August 10, 2012 Share Posted August 10, 2012 This is a wine bottle torch holder that I made for some friends (who's initials are H and M of course) who were just married. It is all 3/8" round and 1/2" square bar stock and the bends were done using a harbor freight compact bender (I don't have a forge or proper anvil yet to make the bends that way). Overall I'm quite happy with how it turned out. The bottle will be filled with lamp oil or citronella tiki torch oil. The wick is a 1/2" fiberglass tiki torch wick and it is held into the neck of the bottle using a 1/2" x 3/8" copper pipe fitting which has a small hole drilled at the shoulder and a piece of 12ga. solid copper wire is run through the center to hold the wick in place and wrapped around the outside to keep the wick/fitting from falling into the bottle. On with the pictures! Completed torch ready to be gifted. It is rattle-can painted with a "hammered" finish paint. This shot shows the torch before final cleanup and paint being tested. It was a little windy but the torch seems to work well. Water is put in the bottom of the bottle and the oil is floated on top to avoid needing as much of the expensive lamp oil. This picture shows how the bottle is actually retained in the holder. The J shape will work on any conventional wine bottle because they all have a dimple in the bottom that it hooks into. Did quite a bit of cleanup with a flap disc and hand files between when this was taken and the paint job. Finally, to really make this gift special beyond just making the present I wrote a letter to go with it to tie the gift to the event. below is that letter:Dear Hxxxx and Mxxxxxxx, Congratulations on becoming husband and wife. I hope the two of you will find as much happiness in your marital bond as I have in found my own. There is nothing that equals the feeling of finding that special someone. The person who completes you and makes your entire world a happier place. Instead of the traditional gift of housewares, I've chosen instead to make you a gift with my own hands, heart and mind. I hope that it is something you can use but beyond simple utility I hope that you look upon this as a symbol of your relationship itself. The empty wine bottle symbolizes the inebriation of infatuation that all lovers feel as their romance begins. The world is seen through rose colored glasses. Much like a person after a few glasses of wine, feelings of happiness and contentment abound. It is a cruel trick nature plays as these unnaturally positive feelings do not last forever but they do act as a part of the foundation upon which a meaningful relationship is built. The initials are welded together using a process that bonds the two pieces of steel into one. The seams are not simply covered up, they are removed completely. It becomes indistinguishable exactly where one piece ends and the next begins. This represents the vows that you have pledged to each other. While this connection does form something new, it does not diminish either of you as individuals. The letters used here are still letters even though they have been combined into a more beautiful and functional piece of art. Likewise, each of you will retain the unique and wonderful characteristics that make you who you are. By pooling all the traits which make each of you extraordinary you bring forth something magnificent. The imperfections visible within the construction of the piece are symbolic of the reality that no relationship is perfect. Just as this piece has welds showing and marks from the grinder, so too will any relationship have its own bumps and scuffs. Marriage is not a proclamation that you have found someone without faults. Rather, it is the pronouncement that you have reached a level of enlightenment which allows you to see past the faults and focus on the joy and happiness that each of you brings to the other's life. Finally, the torch is a symbol of the light that each of you bring into the darkness of your spouse's life. Having someone by your side that you can depend upon to give clarity and assistance in times of need. Marriage means never having to face the shadows of uncertainty alone. May you enjoy a long and happy life together, -Ryan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pkrankow Posted August 10, 2012 Share Posted August 10, 2012 Very poetic. Phil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John McPherson Posted August 11, 2012 Share Posted August 11, 2012 Fabulous and original! Mind if I share this project with my students? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HandsomeRyan Posted August 12, 2012 Author Share Posted August 12, 2012 Mind if I share this project with my students? I'd be flattered if this gets shared with others who might appreciate it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZIG Posted October 1, 2012 Share Posted October 1, 2012 Thanks for the idea. Very nice gift. I Like to use the hammered paint spray as well. The & looks very nice. Think I will make some for my moms garden area they set around the fire pit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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