“Wheeled” Porch Railing Catches Eyes

“Wheeled” Porch Railing Catches Eyes BUILDINGS Houses After Robert McMahon got the idea for his half-wheel porch railing he started collecting antique steel wheels for the project but soon grew frustrated “They were all different sizes and needed work ” says McMahon “I decided to make my own from scratch Most of our driveway was once a wagon trail route so the wagon wheel motif seemed appropriate ” McMahon based his wagon wheels on some from a 5 1/2-ft logging arch He used 3 1/2-in wide 3/8-in thick steel flat bar for the rims and bent them to shape on a modified Harbor Freight tubing roller Vol 43 No 3 “I made the 30 1/2-in spokes from 5/8-in round steel bar ” says McMahon “The hubs are pieces of 4-in pipe 4-in rings and 4-in metal balls ” McMahon dressed up the railing by filling open spaces with scrollwork He used Italian made 1/2-in hammered square steel scroll sections that he bought from Triple S steel supply “They were cut apart and cold-worked to shape and welded in place ” says McMahon “They are like dust zephyrs coming off the wheels to give them motion ” The top rail sits 42 in above the porch deck McMahon used 5-in wide steel for it “It is wide enough that we have used it for a table surface when entertaining ” he says McMahon built the railing in six 8-ft sections and two 13-ft sections 72 ft in all Each section is secured to wood posts with sixteen 6-in lag screws “Powder coating the sections was about 30 percent of the $28 per ft cost ” he says “My blacksmith buddies get $200 to $300 per ft for custom railings ” Contact:  FARM SHOW Followup Robert McMahon P O Box 7008 Knoxville Tenn 37921 ph 865 690-7783; robbo2871@gmail com

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