Welded Nail Christmas Tree Ornament
by Phil B in Living > Christmas
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Welded Nail Christmas Tree Ornament
Square cut concrete nails are now available in the USA as a standard item at Lowe's and Home Depot stores. These nails are heavy enough to weld without burning them away. I have made this ornament using 1/16" #6013 rod on a 220 volt stick welder and also at a setting for 1/8" stock on a flux core wire feed welder.
Begin With the Shed Roof
I weld small parts on a piece of aluminum angle clamped in a vise. The aluminum allows me to weld small parts and takes away excess heat that would cause the part to melt and blow away. Place two nails tip to tip at an angle associated with a shed roof. Weld them together lightly. You do not need a lot of strength. At the same time, knock the slag away before disturbing the setup to make certain there is fusion between the two pieces.
I have made some of these ornaments with nails 1 1/2 inches in length. That is No. 4 Common. I get them from TremontNail (dot) com. The heads are large enough the nails do not really lay flat during welding and that can cause distortion problems. In that case, I recommend picking a front side and a back side of each nail. Grind the head so the back side is flat. It is extra work, but the results are better.
Weld the Floor of the Shed
Weld Two Nails for the Shed Walls
Weld the Floor to the Walls
Bend Two Nails for Mary and Joseph
(I apologize for the blurry photo, but the orange and black switch on my bandsaw is sharp.)