Farmweld Posted September 7, 2013 Share Posted September 7, 2013 This is a project I am halfway through for two different customers. We got a request for a fence with a rural theme to go in an old folks home. A bit of research around here came up with a design for a wheat head that looked pretty good and I built one as a concept display and sent it off to the customer. They liked it and we got the order so I've got to make nearly 12m of fence with one of these every 100mm, about 120 of them. Then another customer is in the workshop to discuss his pool fence and see's the sample I made and likes it, he wants the same on top of his fence so I have an additional 10m of fence with the same spacing, another 100, so about 220 in all. I tried everything I could to twist whole lengths of rod cold to speed up the job but short of building a Heath Robinson cross between a wire feeder and rifling cutter I was going to have to do it the hard way. To start with I got 60 lengths of 6mm rod and chopped it into 200mm which gave me 1800 pieces. I then had to weld them together in pairs to give me 900 pairs. I tried with my spot welder for the first couple of hundred but the weld didn't hold when I tried a few test twists so it was back to the MIG and weld away. Here's the 900 pairs in blocks of 50 ready to start twisting After doing all that I needed to build a basic twister to do all of this twisting with. I haven't got a picture but it was a piece of 35mm solid round with a 4" angle grinder wheel slot cut in one end and a handle on the other, and slot welded from flats at the other end the correct distance away. I clamped that to the side of the forge and then the next morning we were away. The end of the first day looked like this, At the start I could do a bundle of 50 in just over 50 minutes, by the end of the day that time had come down to about 35 minutes. I kept alternating the direction of twist with each bundle to stop the boredom factor and the 20L bucket I was using to quench in was hot after the first run of 50 and would boil towards the end of the second. Another day saw me able to take this picture of the whole lot done. Since then I've sorted them into four piles (even, tight one end, tight both endes, tight in the middle) and started to weld them into bundles of four. I'm about halfway through doing that and will take pictures at the end. Then I've got to make a swage to go in the power hammer to forge down the ends and a weld them all onto bars to go in the fences. I think I might be busy for a while longer yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
njanvilman Posted September 8, 2013 Share Posted September 8, 2013 Nice little production line you have going. Looking forward to see the finished twists and fence. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
windancer Posted September 8, 2013 Share Posted September 8, 2013 That is an amazing bit of work you have going. I like the looks of the finished head and look forward to seeing more pics. You probably don't feel much like photos at the end of your day but they are much appreciaed! Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DSW Posted September 8, 2013 Share Posted September 8, 2013 I like the look. I can't wait to see what the finished fence looks like. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert Yates Posted September 8, 2013 Share Posted September 8, 2013 Wow very cool line started the fence will be very nice . Sam Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimsShip Posted September 9, 2013 Share Posted September 9, 2013 So correct me if i'm wrong, but a wheat head it 2 bars twisted together, then forged with another set of 2 bars twisted together? (Both in the same direction?) That looks awesome. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jcornell Posted September 9, 2013 Share Posted September 9, 2013 So correct me if i'm wrong, but a wheat head it 2 bars twisted together, then forged with another set of 2 bars twisted together? (Both in the same direction?) That looks awesome. From looking at the picture, one pair has a right-handed twist, the other pair has a left-handed twist. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bosox Posted September 9, 2013 Share Posted September 9, 2013 Great work! You totally nailed it. Looking forward to seeing the finished project. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frosty Posted September 10, 2013 Share Posted September 10, 2013 Very nice production techniques you have there my friend! Being able to organize and do production work is what makes doing large projects profitable, heck even possible. Putting the work in on the front end to save unit time is so often the difference to making bid. I'm really looking forward to seeing the twister you made up and further progress pics. Frosty The Lucky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farmweld Posted September 10, 2013 Author Share Posted September 10, 2013 I've had a hickup with the second job and I've got to go out and re-measure the site so its been put back a couple of weeks so I might have to split the run in two to get everything done on time. I've got the first hundred plus heads welded up and did a tryout on a spring swage on the weekend but this week has gone to s*&t since then and I haven't touched anything since. The joys of running your own business from home and having to juggle an employee, a todo list, and home. I also need to do a cleanup before I attempt the next step just to get all the cr@p off the floor give me some dancing space without the MIG welding ball bearings and another trial run with the swage to confirm the process will work as I hope. (If wishes were fishes) Of the 1800 originl bits I've lost 2 pairs to welding stuffups and 6 pairs to twisting stuffups, means I am only down one head total! Finding matching pairs to make the quads is getting increasingly difficult as I work through the piles though. I'm learning that to get out the end of this I am going to have to juggle differences to make the number I need or make another batch to cover the ones that just aren't right. Under a hundred to go though! Andrew Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DSW Posted September 10, 2013 Share Posted September 10, 2013 but this week has gone to s*&t since then and I haven't touched anything since. The joys of running your own business from home and having to juggle an employee, a todo list, and home. I also need to do a cleanup before I attempt the next step just to get all the cr@p off the floor give me some dancing space without the MIG welding ball bearings and another trial run with the swage to confirm the process will work as I hope. (If wishes were fishes) Ah Andrew, I feel your pain... Yeah it never seems I have enough weeks in my days at times. Then other times when things are slow you just about pull out your hair because you've got the time to do all those "around to projects", but no cash to do them... It also sounds like you have another problem I have. You may be too picky about your own work. Not necessarily a bad thing though. It's usually the mark of a craftsman. One thing you might think about though. Part of the idea of a "hand forged" item, is that no two pieces are ever the same, so irregularities are acceptable within limits. In fact many people TRY to get that result vs the "machine made" look where everything is exactly the same. I often have to remind myself that there is a balance between perfection and profitability. Chances are 99% of the time the public won't ever see the "glaring" issues we would. Most will just look at it and see a nice fence, even if you welded it up with bubble gum stick welds and left half the slag on things. I know I find myself constantly critiquing stamped concrete ( since I did that for over 15 years) as well as iron work. My family thinks I'm nuts however and can't even begin to see what I spot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farmweld Posted September 12, 2013 Author Share Posted September 12, 2013 I'm drawing up a calender that has a couple of extra Fridays in each week just so I can get it done by then and another couple of days at the end of the month for the same reason. Only to be used when we're flat out of course. We had a three day workshop cleanup and reorganise about a month ago, because it needed to be done and we had been talking about it for a while. Amazing how much quicker things get done when you don't have to rummage through boxes and bags to find something. I used to work on the "it's in this general area" principle for ages, thats OK for playing but costs when its work. Being picky, part of my problem there is I was an aircraft mechanic for twenty+ years and thats one of the job requirements. I get the whole "hand forged" bit and my work, much as I try and avoid it, meets that requirement. I still have an underlying (desire/compulsion/need) to make things as best as I possibly can and have to remind myself of the economic requirements as well. I, too, often console myself with having built "features" into something which grates if it is a traditional/formal/very structured piece but is OK if it is an "organic" piece which you wouldn't be able to pick by its very nature. An example of this is the picture below that was sent to us by a customer of a design that is similar to what they wanted. I saw the mistake within seconds of looking at it but my wife didn't, she picked the bronze flowers in the top were out of line. Depends on what you are looking for. Andrew Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rich Hale Posted September 12, 2013 Share Posted September 12, 2013 Good is the enemy of excellence. Talent is not necessary for excellence Persistence is necessary for excellence Persistence is a decision... This is my shop motto...I think you describe it as yours also.... Thanks for showing us your work! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farmweld Posted September 18, 2013 Author Share Posted September 18, 2013 Quick update Started drawing out the ends on Tuesday and quickly discovered I needed to weld them up more so I shut down the forge and cranked up the welder for the day. Try again yesterday and away we went All I can say is thank god for powerhammers, I managed to do about 90 of the heads over the 8 hour day, wouldn't have had a hope if hand hammering. I got my working man to start trimming and grinding them and after work the table looked like this Here's a closeup of the finished items Andrew Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farmweld Posted September 24, 2013 Author Share Posted September 24, 2013 We're starting to make visual progress. Got six of the eight panels made to a basic stage so there's the last two panels and the gate to go, then I have to add 6mm rod as wires and lots of leaves. Might have them finished in a week or so if I can keep going at this rate. Andrew Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Camero68 Posted September 24, 2013 Share Posted September 24, 2013 Wow! It's already looking great. Beautiful design and production on the twists. Can't wait to see the finished product. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farmweld Posted October 22, 2013 Author Share Posted October 22, 2013 Here's the finished fence panel back from the powder coater: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neg Posted October 22, 2013 Share Posted October 22, 2013 Definitely looks like wheat. Awesome job! :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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