Brake Rotor/ Rail Road Spike Pendant Light

The first step it to select your materials. In the case of the spikes, mine were used , they need to be burnished on the wire wheel. The brake rotor in this project came from a Mercedes Smart Car. Use welding magnets to hold the spike in place and weld to the brake rotor. Next, cut spikes to length to frame the lenses, and cut and grind lenses to fit. [cutting art glass with a traditional stained glass cutter and grinding the final size with a diamond, water cooled stained glass grinder bought on Amazon for $88]. Set the lenses with some black latex caulk. As an added detail , cut the heads off of some spikes and weld to the top of the rotor as an architectural detail before setting the glass. The hanger welded to the top of the fixture was an Edison Co. cable fitting that was salvaged after a wind storm. Use a decorative lamp cord with a fabric jacket to wire the fixture and weave it through the chain to the ceiling where it will be mounted. All metals should be top coated with either clear powder coating or clear acrylic enamel for rust protection. these are very heavy around 25 pounds, make sure the ceiling mount is properly secured to accommodate the weight. All metals prior to coloring should be polished clean in order to accept the oxidation agent and yield max color.

I used both a mig welder and tig, but either one could be used exclusively. The brake rotor , of course, is made of cast iron and isn't supposed to lend itself to being welded, but I found that it seemed to work quite well.. After assembly of the metals, oxidizing it to a blued/ black finish is necessary for the overall look of finished rustic-ness. This can be done with gun bluing or a cold, black oxide agent. I used Insta Blak 333. This is not an easy project for a beginner but can be an effective tool to learn many techniques at one time. A designer to the stars friend, said these would be quite salable in her market place and that she would buy them for $800 each. My cost including welding supplies, glass, oxidizer, and powder coating, $100. Cost doesn't include tools of course. Good luck if you try it. This is my first post here.