In order to add elegance to your home décor, you can simply install a wrought iron handrail to your stairways. The task of creating a handrail is quite a difficult task especially if the design is a complicated one. Ironwork can be easily done by using thinner type of metal. However, thicker metal is needed to ensure that the handrail could stand up to the daily usage that it will be receiving. Whenever you are dealing with ironwork, be prepared to be involved in high heat and fast-paced work along with a steady pair of hand and detailed eye. These essential traits are a must skill for anyone who wants to ensure the project is successful.
To create a wrought iron handrail, you need:
- 40 feet hot rolled mild steel
- Propane forge
- Propane torch
- Tongs
- Anvil
- Vice
- Ball pein hammer
- 2-gallon bucket of water
- Chisel
Creating a Wrought Iron Handrail
How to Create a Wrought Iron Handrail
- First thing that you need to do is to draw a design for your handrail before you start to do any of the required tasks.
- Ensure that you have a detailed sketch always available with you while you are at work. This is to help you to view the drawing for a quick reference because when you are dealing with ironwork, you must always be fast in every process that you do.
- Ensure that you have a detailed sketch always available with you while you are at work. This is to help you to view the drawing for a quick reference because when you are dealing with ironwork, you must always be fast in every process that you do.
You must always wear protective gear whenever you are working with any hot metal.
- Then, you should be heating up the forge up to 1800 degrees Fahrenheit.
- After that, you need to hold the milled steel using tongs while wearing your hand gloves
- Heat up the steel right until it started to glows to a color of yellow-white.
- After that, you need to hold the milled steel using tongs while wearing your hand gloves
- Next step for you to do is to remove the steel from the forge
- You must quickly pound it into the shape that you required for your handrail starting from the top of the handrail, the straight, the thicker section and build onto that piece.
- You must quickly pound it into the shape that you required for your handrail starting from the top of the handrail, the straight, the thicker section and build onto that piece.
- Once finished, you need to make the loops of the design
- This can be done by hammering the pieces of your milled steel over the rounded end of the anvil using the ball pein hammer.
- Next, create the straight and thinned sections just by hammering the pieces over the flat top of your anvil.
- This can be done by hammering the pieces of your milled steel over the rounded end of the anvil using the ball pein hammer.
- Use a propane torch in order to meld pieces together by heating up the sections
- Make sure the pieces become the yellow-white color.
- It will take you longer time using the torch than the forge because the torch take longer time to heat.
- Make sure the pieces become the yellow-white color.
It is adviced that you heat on the specific parts rather on the whole piece at one time because you might risk damaging the work that you have done earlier.
- Finally, you can complete the handrail in sections before you start to add the vertical bars that you will attach to each step. Then, you need to finish the next section.
- The handrail is considered complete once you managed to place enough sections according to the amount of steps in your stairway.
Always remember that if you want to create a wrought iron handrail,
- You must take note that the milled steel is only pliable for around 20 to 30 seconds. Therefore, you need to move fast.
- Always make sure that your work area is clear between the forge and the anvil in order to prevent burning or other accident to happen when you are using the yellow-white hot metal.
- The handrail is considered complete once you managed to place enough sections according to the amount of steps in your stairway.
