Still just an Idea...
This is the chalk pattern we used as a template to cut the parts for the main fish on the gate, modeled after a Queen Trigger fish. - 1/25
The Frame
We decided to design the gate to look like a big wave, to keep in theme with the railings. - 4/25
The Wave
We'll like most of our projects, this one was designed on the fly, we had a basic idea of what we wanted, but getting the steel to bend into the shapes Dave see's in his head is another thing, and that one wavy piece was not looking the way we wanted it to. - 6/25
The New Wave
So although this final wave pattern was not exactly how we pictured it, it was a lot better then the one in the last slide. - 7/25
Final Fitting
After most of the pieces are in place we wanted to make sure the gate still fit and would open wide enough for "Dave" to get his big but through before doing all the final welds. - 8/25
The Crab
Once the final structure welds were completed we wanted to add a few more sea creatures to the piece, so we started with a small crab. - 9/25
The Little Fish
We also decided to hide a few little fish in the piece, and here's Dave screwing around with the placement. - 12/25
My Turn
Once the gate welding was complete, I acid washed it to remove the oils and rust to prep it for painting. - 13/25
Drying
Since it was getting towards the end of summer, we were pressed for time to complete the gate and our window of nice weather was small so I manually dried this piece - normally we would hand dry it as much as possible then allow it to dry for a few days in the garage. But I needed to start painting asap. - 14/25
Zinc'in
First coat is a Zinc based paint, this is an outside gate and will be in some harsh weather, so we need as much rust protection as we can afford. - 15/25
Zinc'in
Almost complete, once this coat is finished the gate will sit for about 7 to 10 days to dry, this crap takes forever to dry. - 16/25
Primer Coating
This is the primer coat, an additional layer of protection from the elements - this is the hardest coat to paint because the color is so close to the Zinc paint, it's hard to see what I painted or didn't paint. - 17/25
Primer Complete
The primer paint dry's fairly quick, so in a few days the final coat of paint can be applied. - 18/25
Color!
This is the part I enjoy most, adding the color and detail, and look the gate still fits in the hole. - 20/25
