Hobbies And Interests
Stick-figure Art Pieces
Three readily available welding work pieces are round steel rod, chain links and plate steel. Cut a 1/8- to 1/4-inch flat plate of steel into any desired shape to create a solid base for your stick figure. Weld a pair of chain links to the base to resemble feet. Use round steel rod sections to create the legs, torso, arms and neck. Use chain links to make the hands and head, as well.
Shop Stool
Use ¼-inch angle iron and a square piece of ¼-inch plate steel to make a stable shop stool to "take a load off." This project will help hone your metal chop-saw skill and give you the opportunity to make easy 90-degree welds. Instead of welding the seat to the angle iron frame, add another dynamic to the project by bolting it on with a metal drill.
Air Tool Rack
This simple project will allow you to hang your air tools vertically, using the couplers as the hanging method. To do this, weld ¼-inch threaded pipe coupler, which serve as mounts, to the angle iron. Screw the brass air couplers, the same female couplers found on all pneumatic hoses, into the mounts, and the air tools can be hung. Once the angle iron is mounted on a wall (via welding or bolting), slip an air tool into each coupler to securely hold it in place until the tool is needed.
Spark Plug Holder
If you like to keep an organized spark plug drawer, and you have a piece of flat-plate steel lying around, you can make a simple rack that holds plugs upright. Start by welding three pieces of flat-plate steel into an open-ended square (in other words, one side of the square is non-existent). Drill through the rack's top plate with a drill bit slightly larger than the threads of the spark plugs. This project will teach you how to cut and weld 90-degree corners with the OA method.