Completed metal project!

Hi all - I just finished up my part of a project and thought I'd share! Again I'm stuck over here in off topic because I can't seem to get the woodworking side of things ramped up. Every time I set up the CNC for wood I get a call from someone needing metal.. ugh. Maybe some day I will have a dedicated machine for each! Hopefully I'll have some fun wood projects coming from the laser also!!

Anyway here's the fun part - this is a set of two 5'x10' gates for a customer's 20' driveway entrance. They wanted to do the hanging and entry post part to save $$ but I look forward to getting a picture of them completely installed! They are 12 gauge steel centers with 2"x4" steel tubing frame. I designed and CNC plasma cut the centers, welded them in the frames, then had them sandblasted to remove the mill scale. Then I let them rust naturally a little, laying face down in my grass to give a little marbled look and wire wheeled them clean. The patina that turns them copper colored is from Steel F/X which I applied with a pump up sprayer then rinse off seconds later leaving them the pretty copper color but still dull. Then I hang them from overhead rails that I built and powder coat them with Super Durable High Gloss powder and roll them into the big ole oven for a bake at 400ºF for about 25 minutes (shooting for 10 minutes at 400º after the part reaches temp). Now they shine like they're wet and should look great for years! (I did use a grinder flap disc to polish the letters of the name to silver before powder coat)

Looks good. Though, I'd love to see close-up shots.

That is really cool stuff.

So your oven is big enough for that - WOW.

That is going to be a seriously cool gate.

I do wanna see finished pics.

Wow, you do nice work Robert. I'd also to see some close up images of each to see more of the pattern, hard to see from that from your pic.

Thanks! I guess (hope) I'm better at gates than photography haha. Here are a few more I tried to take, The sun is bearing down behind me and it would probably be best to take photos of them just before sunset BUT the customer will be here to pick them up today so the finals will have to wait until they are hung!

Yeah Leo, I built an 8' x 8' x 10' oven just so I could do up to 10' gates (on the diagonal) but it's a wonderful setup! I use a 300,000 BTUh propane heater to warm it up.

Quite an oven.

On the photography - full sun is good.

Sun and shade - like the shadow from the trees makes it really really hard to see.

I kinda like the rust, but I like clean painted better.

Even so - that is fantastic stuff.

That is really something. Very nice artistry . Customer will be tickled to death.
David

Yep, something to be proud of. Nicely done.

Thanks all!

Yeah it's quite the hasty bake! I know what you mean, I do like the clean painted look too but the artsy and especially the western folk really like the rusted copper look.

Awesome work!

We can all niggle over the photography but it sure doesn't seem like you need the promotional help at your current level of busy so I'm perfectly happy to take what you have time to get a shot of. Definitely a fun looking project! I'll bet the customer is tickled pink.