Basics of wrought iron design
The basics of wrought iron design are quite simple, they apply to almost all gates and railings. You strategically replace plain bars for decorative bars to create a design, using the bar designs as a reference. How many you replace is up to you, it depends how busy you want your design, or if you want subtle and go for minimal detail. Obviously the more plain bars you replace the more cost increases. But of course if you know the individual cost of each decorative bar. You have full control over the cost.
In a perfect world, it is nice to have a centre bar to work from. This makes it easier to produce an attractive pattern. But this is not always possible, it will depend on the size of the gate or railing. If you are using the cheaper fixed space 100mm method, getting a centre bar is not always possible. This has been divided into two sections, one showing creating a design with a centre bar and one showing without a centre bar.
This is a list of connected pages in the “design your own” series.
In order to get the best experience from this section it is best to read in the following order.
you are currently here.
With a centre bar.
As a first example i am going to use a railing designed to fit a 1700mm gap. With the ladder having 400mm space between the horizontal bars. When a centre is present, most designs are based on a mirror image of the left and the right, with the centre bar being where the mirror line is. or point of symmetry. It is usually very easy to work out from the centre.
Plain railing with no top decoration, based on the 100mm gap between bars system. With an upright bar count of 15. being an odd number of bars we know there is a centre to work from. Everything usually works outwards from the centre bar. These examples are being kept simple by only using a limited number of parts to create the design.
The most obvious start would to be to place something on the middle bar. A single basket might be enough for your design needs. After all it could be highlighted in gold to make it stand out from the black railing. It is subtle and cheap to do, adding some detail to an otherwise plain railing. A single centre piece isn’t going to drive the cost massively. Depending on what you choose it could as little as an additional £3 to the overall price.
Not enough detail for your taste. you can then count out from the centre and place a second detail. As this panel has 15 bars, Place the basket on the fourth bar to the right of centre and the to left of centre. All very symmetrical but that’s what usually makes it look pleasing. You now have something that is more attractive than a plain railings. Again depending on what bar you have chosen, it could add as little as £10 to the overall price.
Still only 3 parts used here but the “outer” baskets have been moved towards the end of the railing. But it does change the look of the railing.
So placement is important, as it changes the look of any design.
Note: if you have multiple railings separated by brick piers, doing the above would likely make the spacings of the cages look equally spaced. with the distance between each cage being very similar even when separated by the brick pier.
As you add more parts, The ability to position them becomes more limited. This the only option that works if you want them evenly spaced. Every third bar, on a railing this size you don’t have the option to try every fourth bar as the last basket would be “off” the railing.
Of course you could have 7 parts, by making it every other bar, or even 15 decorative bars with detail in every bar
Assuming you have the height, you can “play” with the vertical position of the parts welded into the bar. This adds an extra dimension to the possibilities of design. The position of the decorative bars is the same as the drawing above. Although this design is not mirror imaged from the centre bar. It still has a nice look to it. You can be as subtle or bold as you like when you “play” with the vertical position. it really is your choice.
Up to this point, only Baskets have been used. Alternating parts, here baskets and rings changes the design. This is where you can create a lot of design variations, using different parts.
Nothing new here, with the exception that instead of the basket being the centre bar. The circle is now the centre. An alternative universe version of the same railing
There is perhaps no reason why if you had two railings, the same size next to each other. That you can not have them as alternate. One with circle as centre bar and one with cage as centre bar. if it finished with a circle and the next started with a basket, its probably not a crime.
Assuming three panels in a row, again you could “mix n match” choosing one as the centre panel, and use the alternative universe versions as the left and right of centre version. It really is personal choice.
Despite the scrolls being in exactly the same position as the cages. The spacings are perhaps wrong. It works for the cage but not so well for the scrolls. A scroll spans three bars. meaning if positioned the same as the basket you on have one plain bar not three. The better position for the outer scrolls might be to move them out one bar from the centre than their current position.
But its also useful to point out as drawn, scrolls can be “flipped” up or down. The correct way up for them is the one you prefer.
Just to point out even though you are using the centre as your “mirror” point, it does not mean you have to have a bar with detail in the centre. A plain bar is fine.
Without a centre bar.
The following examples are 1800mm long, with 16 upright bars. With no centre bar things are a little different. you can no longer work from a centre bar outwards. you can adopt a slightly different style and count in from each end for bar placement
The plain railing with no detail or designs
You are still in effect working from the middle outwards, but you have a centre gap rather than a centre bar. So keep things looking symmetrical it is ideal to work from that point.
Because the bar count works nicely, it is possible here to have detail, then 4 plain bars followed by detail. but this would always depend on the number of bar in railing.
This pattern again works because of the bar numbers. on a smaller railing say 1600mm this wouldn’t really work, as the end two bars would be missing. Adjusting the baskets 1 space closer to the scrolls would allow the whole pattern to fit.
A simple pattern like this is not so dependant on bar count.
Of course when you use gap fillers like a circle, you have a centre gap, this works well when there is no centre bar but a centre gap.
Centre fillers and scrolls
Using Infill
This is squares but it could easy be circles. At the top it becomes possible to use parts to fill a gap between bars. The restriction being is that you can’t go to the end. it has to be as drawn. Attempting to cut part of a circle or detail in, will foul with the wall fixings.
It is possible to use the top decoration of squares as infill and create a pattern in the vertical uprights. Bear in mind that top detail takes 100mm out of your available space. Of course now to make your cages look centred within the bar they are now welded in off centre.
There is no reason why the top detail is not contained within an extra horizontal bar. This was the tradition way of doing it. The previous version was a cost saving way of getting a similar result, without the need to use extra material and weld in an extra bar.
Perhaps pointing out the obvious here. There is no reason why you can not use an alternating pattern, as an infill between gaps. Or that infill could be at the bottom rather than the top, or even through the centre of the rail.
Conclusion
I only used a minimal number of parts to create these examples. With so many parts and possible decorative bar designs, it becomes apparent that there are thousands of possible designs, if not millions of possible designs. With all the different types of railing head designs that adds even more possibilities.
The principal applies to gates and railings, but without knowing the number of uprights. It will be difficult to form a design.