Step 1: The Design

Hi instructablers I will be showing you how I made this wishing well for my wedding.

The wife and I wanted something different to use as a wishing well and couldn't find one so I said I would make one. We came up with a few ideas and decided on a heart shape.

Some criteria we had for it were that we wanted to see the cards, needed to be big enough for a minimum of 100 cards, look pretty and to be able to use it again in the house after the wedding.

I worked the final size out to be 400mm H x400mm W x200mm D.

It is made out of steel. The round bar had to be thin enough to bend by hand because I don't have the proper forming tools.

I drew out the design on paper to the actual size it was going to be when finished. I also used the drawing as a template when I bent all the shapes.

Step 2: Tools and Materials

Tools-
Angle grinder with cutting discs and grinding discs
Hammer
Tape measure
Scriber
Texta
Square
Something round for bending the sheet metal. For me it was a 9kg gas bottle.
Clamps
Welder
Pliers pointy nose and flat nose
A piece of rope

Materials-
3/16 round bar
8mm round bar
13x3mm flat bar
1.2mm zinc sheet steel
Piano hinge

Step 3: The Exciting Part

I started off with cutting the zinc sheet and bending it to the right shape. Then cut the 13x3mm flat bar to run flat along the top of the sheet so that when the lid closes it has something to sit on. I also cut the piece of piano hinge. I tacked the flat bar and piano hinge together to make a rectangle shape.

Once they were tacked together I tacked them to the zinc sheet. Then it was time for the tricky and time consuming part. Cutting and bending all the round bar. I used a piece of rope and laid in on the template following the curved lines of the heart to get the length of each part. Once I had that length I went and cut all the round bar to size.

The round bar was then formed into shape using the pliers. Checking it on the template as I went. After many hours of hand hurting work I had all the heart shapes made. Now it's time to tack it all together.

I started tacking from the small heart and tacked everything on the inside worked my way out. I did all the welding I could on the inside so that it was all hidden. Before I knew it it was all taking shape and looking really good.

Step 4: The Lid

The lid was the next and final part to make and put on.

The lid consisted of lots of semi circles so that the cards could be put through.

In the middle of the lid there is another piece of 13x3mm flat bar that all the bits of round are welded to. I put that in so that the round bars don't bend and move around.

Step 5: The Base

The wishing well needed something to keep it standing.

So I got some 8mm round bar and made some swirls on the ends and put a curve in it. I tacked them on. It was very wobbly with just them so I got some 3/16 round bar and made some little swirls to add in on top and join back the main heart shape. That fixed the wobbly problem and looked even better.

Step 6: The Final Welding

By this stage it has all been tacked together.

It is no time to weld it all together. I welded wherever the hearts touched. With the zinc sheet I did a little weld about 20mm long and about 50mm apart. I did that so that it wouldn't move and rub on the round bar. Also helps to keep the shape of everything.

Step 7: The Smoothing and Painting

Now is time to go around it with a flap disc on the grinder to smooth off any welds that are lumpy or that are on the outside. Once that is all done its ready for paint. I decided to get it powder coated because it is a lot more durable and is a better finish.

Step 8: The Finished Wishing Well

I was very happy with how it all turned out! Everyone loved how it looked!

Thanks for taking the time to read and look at this instructable.

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