New Introduction

[Ian66]

Hi, my name is Ian.
I've been carving wood for a few years & have recently become interested in metal working. I'm interested in making metal sculptures & have started my first project. It's my first time working with making a frame & then skinning it with sheet metal. The shaping of the sheet metal & cutting pieces to the right size since they will have lots of curves is where i could use some help & hope to find some answers here. My first discovery was, don't fluxcore weld 22 gauge sheet metal. Thanks for accepting.

[RockHillWill]

Welcome to the forum Ian. Visit often and post when you can.

[cliffrod]

Welcome to the forum, Ian. Great to have another carver here. Hard to believe how few people carve anything- I can't imagine not carving as often as I can, no matter what it is.

This is a really great place, although if you're MIG welding your metalwork with flux core wire you might find the reception to be a little less than inviting..... Good to know you're seeking a better way to do a better job. I think we all are. Post often.

[Ian66]

Thanks AC. I'm using the flux core welder for now since it was affordable. Once I figured out that 22 gauge sheet metal was too thin & switched to 18 gauge things have been better. I actually came here for metal shaping tips, it was a link from a metal sculpting page. I'm doing ok pounding things into shape but since I'm attempting things like a human head, I'm hoping to learn something about laying out patterns on the sheet & getting the shapes & curves to come out better.

[cliffrod]

Very cool- I have similar sculptural goals with metal as well. The human form simply has no peer. No MIG here, most is gas welded and some TIG. A recurring theme here is much like any carving project and something I have said for many years- little pieces are little mistakes. Being a competent welder allows you to make and join smaller pieces into one large one.

There's some that [I]can[I] make an entire complex panel in one piece, but even those wizards agree it's usually better make it in smaller pieces welded together for faster, more consistent success. Individual pieces can be done and redone until they work, instead of throwing out the a big part and all that work. Lots different than carving from solid with one shot at success.

Doing several pieces with adequate overlap allows trimming to a quicker fit, as long as you can then weld it up as needed. Getting a large piece to fit everywhere is tough. Getting several to fit the same seems much easier. Learning where to break a part into pieces to facilitate success is important.

If you're looking for welding equipment, search the forum. There's some great specialized gear available, not like typical welding store offerings. I would love to see some of your carving work as well, probably best done off the forum. All my info is linked.