Metal Garden Trellis - Made at the Tech Shop in San Jose

Made this trellis a couple weeks ago as a Christmas gift for my mom. I'm learning to MIG weld and felt like this was a really good beginner project because everything is tack welded. Made it at the Tech Shop in San Jose http://www.techshop.ws/ts_sanjose.html. Enjoy!

Step 1: Purchase and Clean Metal

this trellis is approximately 5' x 3.5' and I used around 30 feet of 3/8" inch steel rod. Make sure to clean the metal before you do any welding. I used acetone for this project.

Step 2: Cut Pieces and Grind Edges

Plan design and cut pieces to approximate length. I use a hot saw for the cutting and a grinder to clean up the edges. You may want to lay out your vertical pieces before cutting any of the horizontal pieces.

Step 3: Layout Trellis on Welding Table

The tech shop in San Jose, California has really nice welding tables that made this project simple. I was able to put a slight bend in the vertical parts which gave a really nice look. After laying the vertical pieces out place the horizontal pieces on top of them.