Stainless pot.
- Thread starter Marlborough Handcraft
- Start date
I finished up another few pots over the weekend. A pair of slab inspired pots, as well as a round pot. They are all made of 12 gauge steel, or .100" thick, or just under and 1/8" thick if that's more your style. If you measure things the weird way, that's just under 3mm. I guess I should put these thing in the wind as they say, and post them for sale over in the selling forum? Should I post them here?! Anyone know the rules on that? Ok enough yammering on, here are a few photos.
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HorseloverFat
Squarepants with Conkers
NICE!
sorce
Nonsense Rascal
The pot I got is so friggin dope I don't even wanna talk about it without a picture of it planted.
Put that finish on em them sell em here!
Sorce
Put that finish on em them sell em here!
Sorce
You like that finish? I can do that
I've started seasoning these pots. Here are photos of a finished one. More on the way, what do y'all think of the finish?
sorce
Nonsense Rascal
It looks glossier than mine, though it may just be the reflection off that outside bead..speaking of that outside bead. Just noting the little crevice left on the join on the interior. It's not horrible, but seems a place for corrosion to begin, trapped sediments, salts, blah blah....
I do like the look of the outside bead though, if on a bit less caffeine! Lol...I used to have a caffeinated money zone where the shake would make a perfect bead! Only till about 9AM.
Sign em.
I think a slight rounded (for the rounds) punch down in the center would assist a nice drainage and allow for a little more depth.
Sign em.
Sorce
I do like the look of the outside bead though, if on a bit less caffeine! Lol...I used to have a caffeinated money zone where the shake would make a perfect bead! Only till about 9AM.
Sign em.
I think a slight rounded (for the rounds) punch down in the center would assist a nice drainage and allow for a little more depth.
Sign em.
Sorce
I hadn't really thought about sediment etc buildup on the interiors, but can add a bead on the inside seam in the future. I've stamped my makers mark in all of the new pots. I'll definitely have to dish the bottomed of round pots moving forward, I can see that as a potential issue for sure. This one might be a touch more glossy though it might not, I can't remember off hand. My assumption is they're pretty dang close to the same though. The round you have is stainless, this is steel.
Maiden69
Masterpiece
Rust will be inevitable unless using 304SS or higher. 409SS will give a nice patina finish without excessive rust build up, and either one with some heat treatment will develop some nice color as well from straw to purple depending on the treatment. Also, once you season them, you could seal the finish under clear powder coating or Cerakote to prevent further rust build up.
@Marlborough Handcraft have you thought about TIG brazing with silicon bronze? That will flow better into the joints without the problem of melting through the thin metal and will add a different interest into the pots as well.
@Marlborough Handcraft have you thought about TIG brazing with silicon bronze? That will flow better into the joints without the problem of melting through the thin metal and will add a different interest into the pots as well.
You are correct. 400 series stainless is a bit cost prohibitive at this point, though a possibility in the future. If I were to go into more costly materials, however my preference would be coreten or a514, something that would surface rust and then rust no more. I very much would prefer to stay away from the clear coats and cerakote type finishes, mostly as I don't particularly like them, and prefer to not have an added cost. But as they say, the customer is always right. If you look at some of the welds closely, they are silbronze as it's easier to weld and I am much out of practice (thought getting back into the swing with every pot). Long term I may metal finish some, but that again would not be as cost effective. I do like the heat treatment idea however and might whip up one or two in stainless to play with that. I sure do enjoy welding stainless.
Maiden69
Masterpiece
I haven't used 409/410 in a while... what the hell happened to the prices? It used to be cheaper than 304 around 5 years ago. I do mostly exhaust work in 304 and aluminum welding as a hobby/side job. I started dabbing into sil/bronze after Jody posted a few videos a few years back, but I really didn't have the need for it. Thought it would be cool for this projects. Never worked with coreten before, but I noticed a lot of places near by using it.
It might be a function of how much the shop I work in uses 400 series vs 304 or 316 ss, but we've always gotten 300 series for cheaper. That's not even starting to talk about what's happening lately with material prices due to covid, or availability for that matter. I work as the detailer (low level engineering) for a metal fabrication shop and we've seen massive price increases in the past 2 months, as well as being put on material delivery limits. As for coreten etc., our shop has made a few signs out of it and is pretty cool to work. I should check how we welded it to see if we did anything special as far as welding rod is concerned. The material surface rusts and that acts as paint would, stopping the rust from continuing to degrade the steel. I assume the use of unicorns is employed to make that happen, cause to my mind, that is some magic happening.
Mayank
Chumono
Like @Bonsai Nut said earlier, I was not expecting much when I clicked on the thread but was kinda bored and I thought what the heck. I must say these pots are gorgeous, especially the round one. The feet are super cute, the finishes are awesome. Love them!
sorce
Nonsense Rascal
I don't necessarily think issues are a potential as much as it's a quick way to make em a little more special....if the die is loaded blah blah...
Ping!
Sorce
That's a fair point. The pieces aren't cut with a die and punch, I would have to hammer out the bottom dish after welding most likely. I'll have to play with one and see what happens next time I'm near my forge. I've been wanting to toy with dishing sides in the forge anyway, though I'm pretty sure it will turn to crap. But if it works well it will be quite cool looking.
Maiden69
Masterpiece
yes... COVID is messing up the industry big time... I was shopping for cedar to finally make my benches for the trees and the price is almost 2.5 times what it was in 2019 when I made the deck on my old house. I guess I will end up making the entire structure in sch40 tubing that I have on hand and then just do the bench tops in cedar to save some money.
As far as welding rods, I found the following online.
From what I found if you are just doing a single pass, the weld pulls enough of the material to form the patina on the surface of the weld with the ER7XX rods.
To get that uniform bronze color you need to bring the heat down, it will help a lot if you have pulse on your machine.
As far as welding rods, I found the following online.
From what I found if you are just doing a single pass, the weld pulls enough of the material to form the patina on the surface of the weld with the ER7XX rods.
To get that uniform bronze color you need to bring the heat down, it will help a lot if you have pulse on your machine.
PA_Penjing
Chumono
These are getting better quickly. I really hope you stick with it until any issues are smoothed out. These are completely unique. Very industrial feel
markyscott
Imperial Masterpiece
Sean Smith had an interesting display at the 4th US National Exhibition that featured a metal pot with a cherry-red paint. He displayed it on a stainless stand and he painted the Jin on the juniper with a metallic paint. I’ve never forgotten it. Perhaps if we ask nicely, @William N. Valavanis will be so kind as to share with us a copy of that picture. It was a memorable display and a great example of a creative and imaginative exhibit.
s
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@Maiden69 The sil bronze looked more bronze before seasoning of the pot. The photos may not very well show it. I've never used pulse, though the machine I use has the ability. I'll dig into it a little. And that's some good info on the welding rod for coreten. Thanks for the help.
@PA_Penjing I think the majority of the issues are smoothed out, not it's just about refining a style and slowly improving with each pot. I do appreciate that you enjoy them.
@makyscott I'd greatly like to see that. I'm very interested in what others have done with the idea of metal pots. I know alot of more traditional people don't exactly like the idea, which I completely understand, I just enjoy putting things I'm good at (metalworking) together with something I'm very enthralled with (bonsai). Rather making my small mark in my own way on something that has been here long before I, and will be long after.
@PA_Penjing I think the majority of the issues are smoothed out, not it's just about refining a style and slowly improving with each pot. I do appreciate that you enjoy them.
@makyscott I'd greatly like to see that. I'm very interested in what others have done with the idea of metal pots. I know alot of more traditional people don't exactly like the idea, which I completely understand, I just enjoy putting things I'm good at (metalworking) together with something I'm very enthralled with (bonsai). Rather making my small mark in my own way on something that has been here long before I, and will be long after.
Maiden69
Masterpiece
you should sell a WYO (weld your own) bonsai pot kit for the diy'ers here. I would like mine square, 304SS, 4130 or 6061 please 
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