On Sunday September 8, we finished assembling the metal arch. In order to do this we had to insert the two sides of the arch into the ground. We needed to make sure they were exactly 4 ft. apart from one another and as close to square as possible. We inserted the arch into the ground hitting the stabilizers with a hammer. They work very well as long as your not putting the arch into stone, if you try to hammer them into stone they will bend. Originally we tried to put it together in the driveway which did not work due to the stone. We put the sides in the grass to assemble it so it worked out very well.
In order to keep the sides square we ended up using the wash line prop rod to keep the one side straight up. We were on a slight incline which caused the side to lean. Use anything you can to keep the sides straight.
Next, we needed to tack on the top of the arch to sides to make sure they are as close to square as possible when we weld it together permanently. Tacking is just pulling the trigger of the welding gun long enough to fuse the two pieces of metal together. This is not where we fully welded the arch to the sides due to safety and the type of welder we used. It is not good for overhead welding which is what Justin was doing here. We ended up backing the truck into the yard for the front side of the arch and using a step stool to stand on the back side of the arch for welding. I do not recommend doing this. You can fall off of the truck or it also poses a fire hazard with the gas tank. This step requires knowledge of welding.
We used cable ties to fasten the top of the arch to the sides while he tacked the opposite side.
Justin was not displaying the best example for safety. In the video below he did not have his welding jacket on because I was wearing it. I was supposed to stand on the truck and hold the arch on the sides. I was a sissy and was too scared. Also never look at someone welding. My eyes were closed or looking away the entire time he was welding. It can cause welders flash to your eyes which can blind you!
After tacking both sides that were in place he took the zip ties off and tacked the other side of the arch. He was then able to pull the arch out of the ground and lay it flat to fully weld the top of the arch. After this, he was able to weld the bottom stabilizer bar on. The welds warped the metal a bit so this was a necessary step.If your arch warps slightly it will not matter much. We are covering ours completely with vines so it will not be noticeable.
The next step is optional. We ground some of the welds down that got lumpy as a result of the smaller welder. This just makes a more finished look and will protect your hands from snagging any of the lumps while wrapping the arch. This is what we used the angle grinder for.
The last step in the metal working was to paint the arch. We used brown paint and primer combined in a spray can. Make sure you fully coat the metal or it will rust. Below I have two images of the finished product.
I will be making another post about the vine wrapping part of the arch. If you have any questions on the metal working or welding part of the arch, feel free to post below and Justin will try to answer them the best he can.
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