Welding a scrap steel cowbell

Before I finished folding the cowbell closed, I took a hand file to the edge of the back that will be welded to the bottom. I wanted it to lie nice and flat. I also put a slight bevel on the corners so that they wouldn't bind during final bending.

I haven't found a way to effectively clamp the bend while closing the cowbell, so I laid the top of the cowbell flat on my jointer table and tried to push the bend over further with a length of angle. I persuaded the joint into position with clamps, then locked it down with a big welder's C clamp. (G cramp, UK. Wotcher!)

My welding is improving. The major mistakes I made this time were in positioning the work and retouching the weld. I laid the cowbell on its side with the weld up, and the heat caused the sheet steel to sag noticeably. It would probably be better to position the cowbell on its mouth so that the side is supported while welding. The excessive retouching didn't help because of the heat buildup.

However, I did get a complete, solid, gap-free weld all the way around on the first try this time, which pleased me. Strong first, pretty later, I guess.

The next step is to drill out the mounting bracket. I put a 3/8 twist drill in the drill press and laid the cowbell on its top face (which is coplanar with the top of the mounting bracket, unlike the bottom). I eyeballed centre, put a bead of cutting oil in place, and slowly went straight through the bottom and then the top of the bracket, ensuring perfect hole alignment. Then I swung the table out of the way, stood the cowbell on its mouth on some blocks, and drilled a similar hole in the back for the thumbscrew.

I used 5/16 18 TPI rod and nuts for this cowbell, but as long as your hardware is sturdy and all fits together it doesn't much matter. To receive the screw, I welded a flanged nut onto the inside of the back of the bracket. A short bolt and second nut keeps the flanged nut in place.

I managed to grab the camera in time to catch the glow. It fades fast in the Canadian winter!

Finally, I wire-brushed the cowbell on all sides to remove the enamel and welding grunge. I like the brushed finish.

My local hardware store doesn't have thumb screws, so I used threaded rod and a wing nut. I have noticed that the world looks different now that I think of metal as something I can modify like wood.

I welded the wing nut on to the end of the rod, trimmed the rod to length with a cutoff wheel, and beveled the end on the grinder.

As a bonus, it looks way cooler than bright plated hardware store stuff.

This cowbell lacks the two distinct notes of the first one, which was 6 inches long and made of 23 gauge steel. At 5 inches and 20 gauge, it has a single ringing note that is higher than the last one, but still pitched lower than my storebought cowbell. Here's audio: