garden arches tailor made mild steel?

srcandas

Hi all. I need to span with some kind of metal arch the gap between two walls about 2 meters in the air. The walls are both robust. The span is 3 of 3.5 meters and 1 of 4.9 meters (the latter crossing the span at 45 degrees thus longer.

I had thought of three mild steel rods joined with triangles every 60 cms. The rods maybe 2cms in diameter. The arches being slightly curved if that doesn't add too much to the cost - which I imagine it might.

The only example I can think of is the metal arch over Wembley stadium - but very much smaller and simpler

Each span would need plates at either end to fix securely to the walls.

This would be installed in a very windy area so needs to be stronger than garden centre stuff. Had a few twisted metal/plastic events :eek:

However cost for even such simple structures is stretching my budget.

1. Can anyone offer if mild steel is the only option?
2. Is going on a welding course and doing it myself (I can get extra unskilled hands to help) an option? I can see an advantage that it would be constructed onsite and there are welding kits for hire or buy :cool:. OK I'd probably drop the curves idea and go straight.
3. What sort of very approximate budget (ignoring delivery and installation) should I set? (SE England).
4. What's the best way to find suppliers of such a service?

Many thanks for any help :beer:

WobblyDog

Mild steel is easy to cut/weld, but even with good DIY painting is likely to need repainting around every 5 years. Galvanizing would help, but that would add to the cost. Aluminium or stainless steel are options, but less DIY-able.

The DIY welding option is fun, but probably not the cheapest option. I went on a welding course for similar reasons, it cost about £400. I then spent £600 on welding equipment, but I bought a much fancier welder than I needed.

You can price the raw materials in DIY volumes at sites such as http://www.austenknapman.co.uk/, although large volume buyers will pay less.

As it's a one-off job, and given the likely need for galvanizing, the DIY route might not be cost-effective. It would probably be best to contact some local engineering companies for approximate prices.
The forums at http://www.mig-welding.co.uk are helpful.

alanobrien

Wrought iron may also be an option if you have someone local that can produce what you need. I have used this in a few garden projects its been relatively cheap to source, looks good and lasts.