How to Make an Iron Arbor

Design an iron arbor on a piece of paper. Draw the entire arbor in one picture and make separate, up-close pictures of the details of the design, such as any iron leaves or iron flowers you want in the arbor design. Tack these pictures to the wall in your work area for reference while working.

Heat your propane forge to 1,800 degrees Fahrenheit.

Cut 50 feet of hot rolled mild steel into two 14-foot sections and the remaining amount into 1-foot sections using a hacksaw.

Heat a 1-foot section of steel in the propane forge to 1,800 F holding the steel with tongs. The steel will be white when it reaches the correct temperature.

Pound the heated steel on the anvil using a ball peen hammer into the shape earlier decided on in the drawing. Use the tip of the anvil to make curved ornamental designs and use the head of the anvil to flatten the steel.

Heat the ends of the decorated section of steel to 1,800 F in the forge by holding the section with tongs.

Pound the heated end of the decorative section to an untouched 1-foot section of steel until the bars are melded together. This will not take much more than five strokes with the ball peen hammer.

Continue to pound out the decorations for the iron arbor making 11 decorative sections.

Heat one end of each 11 decorative sections to 1,800 F in the propane forge.

Pound the heated ends of the decorative sections perpendicularly to one of the 14-foot bars of hot rolled steel using the ball peen hammer at 1-foot intervals starting 1 foot from one end.

Heat the free ends of the decorative sections with a propane torch to 1,800 F. Pound these ends to the second 14-foot bar of hot rolled steel at the same 1-foot intervals as on the first 14-foot bar.

Heat the two 14-foot bars in the middle to 1,800 F and bend the bars into the rounded angle decided on earlier in the drawing.