Ornamental iron
doors add elegance to a doorway.
An ornamental iron door is stylish and adds flair to the decor of the home from the first moment a visitor sees the house. Ornamental iron doors are often priced rather high if the design is intricate or thick iron bars are used to make the door. The details are made more easily with thinner metal, whereas the thicker metal is needed in giving the iron door a strong frame. It is not easy to make an iron door due to the need of high heat and specialized tools, however, it can be done with care and persistence. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
1. Prepare a design before starting to create the ornamental iron door. Measure the doorway, draw a design for the ironwork you want done, and have the proper amount of hot rolled mild steel ready. If this ornamental iron door is built for a home's entrance door, then 40 feet of metal is the proper amount.
2. Heat the propane forge to 1800 degrees Fahrenheit.
3. Heat the rolled mild steel, while holding the metal with tongs, until it is a yellow-white color and then remove the heated metal from the forge.
4. Place the heated mild steel on the tip, the small end, of the anvil. This is where the curves and loops are made in the ornamental iron door. To make flattened areas in the ornamental design, attach the metal to the anvil with a vice and hammer with the flat end of the ball pein hammer.
5. Hammer the steel with a ball pein hammer to loop the metal around the tip of the anvil. The flat end of the hammer is used to manipulate the metal around the anvil tip. Use the hammer to shape and direct the metal into the design set out in the drawn plans.
6. Cool the pieces of iron in a bucket of water to ensure the details and dimensions created are what is needed for the design. If not, reheat the metal and start again. The temperature of the water is unimportant as it will eventually become room temperature as the work proceeds.
7. Making an ornamental iron door takes training and practice.
Connect two pieces of hot rolled mild steel by heating the ends of both pieces in the propane forge until yellow-white. Hammer them together with the round end of the ball pein hammer.
8. Finish the design of the ornamental iron door by heating and hammering the metal pieces together as per the design. Use the chisel to create decoration in the metal, such as carving in the initials of the homeowner or vines for grapes. The ornamental iron door will not be easy to create and will take more than one day. Hammering and heating the iron takes many hours and precision.
9. Once the ornamental iron door is finished, allow it to cool for an hour. Then screw the hinges, at 7 inches from the top of the door and 7 inches from the bottom, into the side of the door with a drill and 1/2-inch screws and attach the door to the doorway with the hinges.
Tags: iron door, ornamental iron, ornamental iron door, mild steel, ball pein, ball pein hammer, ornamental iron door
