Starlight - Easy Welding Project

A super easy welding project for a first welding project or a quick gift for the mid winter celebrations...

...a starlight to light up those dark mid winter nights...

...if you live in the northern hemisphere...infact great anytime of the year.

Step 1: Inspiration

This is a mid winter gift for my wife who wanted a simple star with lights.

I was inspired by the paper lantern lights that have a geometric form that would be ideal for a star full of lights.

The steel rods line out the form of the lantern shape.

Step 2: Get Your Bits Together

Materials

4mm steel rod - 6m will be plenty

LED warm white tree lights x400 bulbs - rated for outdoor use if using outdoor

Cable ties - black

Spray paint - colour of your choice

Tools

Grinder or hacksaw

Cutting disc

Grinding flap disc

Welder of choice - This project used a MIG

Step 3: Dimensions

The star is approximately 475mm tall and 95mm thick at its widest point.

I have included the PDF file of the printout that I used to layout the pieces and set out the welding jig.

You will need 10 pieces of the rod @ 180mm for the external star

10 pieces @ 95mm for the short internal

10 pieces @ 245mm for the long internal

Step 4: Cut Up the Pieces

Cut the rod to length...

...and grind the ends so the joints are nice and clean for welding.

The sharp points of the star need a long cut so a good weld can be run along the joint.

Step 5: Weld

Weld three cut off nails onto your welding table to act as a jig for welding the five arms of the star.

Mark the positions from the PDF template.

Place the first rods of the outer star on the jig and weld the end...

...flip over and weld the other side.

Continue until all five have been welded.

Check out my Super Easy Welding Table Instructable to make your own welding table from an old radiator.

Step 6: A Star Is Born!

Weld the inner joints of the star arms together to form the star shape.

Weld the short rods from these inner joints to meet at a point...and weld the point together.

Take the longer inner rods and connect the ends of the star points to the inner middle point...

...Flip over your star and do the same on the other side.

Step 7: A Star Frame

You will now have the frame of the star welded together

Step 8: Grind

If like me your welding skills still need more practice...

...then you may need to grind down the welds nice to a nice finish

Step 9: Spray

Spray the frame to the colour of your choice...

...I chose black to match the cable of the lights

Step 10: Light It Up!

Feed the string of lights into the steel frame, making sure that the lights fill all of the shape.

Use cable ties to hold the lights wire to the frame...carefully snipping off excess of the cable ties.

Be careful DO NOT TO CUT the tree light wire.

This project used LED tree light with 400 bulbs which packed the framework full of the points of light.

Take time to arrange the bulbs to get an even distribution and not too many outside of the framework for it to work well visually

Step 11: Enjoy

Hang up...

...plug in...

...and Enjoy!

I am entering this project into the LED Contest and the Homemade gifts contest and if you have enjoyed this project, I would really appreciate your vote...thank you so much.

This project is part of my YouTube channel where I try to make cool and interesting projects.

Please check out my channel if you want to see more of the projects, if not there will be more coming to Instructables soon.

Why not check out what I am up to on Facebook.