How to Make a Metal Star for Your Garden

Materials and Tools:

10 square feet of cold-rolled mild steel
6 inches of ¼-inch mild steel round rod
acetone
Metal Finishes Plus Copperplate and Rainbow Torch finishes
Metal Finishes Plus Rust Arrest
2-inch disposable paintbrushes
clear satin spray paint
TIG welder
1/16-inch mild steel filler rod
plasma cutter
angle grinder
80-grit sanding disks
water
air compressor
welding-safety gear (hood, gloves)
safety glasses
rubber gloves

Steps:

1. Lay out one point of the star to use as a pattern for the rest of the star.

2. Wearing safety glasses and protective gloves, cut out five metal star points with a plasma cutter.

3. Clean the star's edges with an angle grinder.

4. Bend the star points to the correct angle down the center with a hand brake.

5. Wipe all the pieces with acetone to remove any oil residue.

6. Wearing welding safety protection, tack-weld the star points so they fit tightly together, and then finish welding them with a mild steel fill rod.

7. Bend a loop out of the ¼-inch round rod and weld it to the inside of one of the star points.

8. Sand the entire face of the star with an angle grinder.

9. Wearing rubber gloves, brush on copper plate and then rust arrest. Spray with rainbow torch. Rinse with water, spray on rust arrest, rinse with water again and blow dry with compressed air.

10. Hang the star and spray it with clear satin spray paint inside and out. Let dry.