40 Rebar Welding Projects to DIY Today (With Pictures and Videos)
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Rebar is one of those pieces of “scrap” metal that actually has a lot of use. Maybe you just finished laying some new concrete slab, but you have a lot of rebar leftover. Don’t throw it out just yet! There’s a lot you can do with it, both on the practical end of creating tools and on the not-so-practical end. Here are 40 projects you can do with that scrap on your garage floor.
The 40 Rebar Welding Projects
1. Drink Carrier
| Materials: | Rebar, round bar |
| Tools: | Grinder with cutting wheel, welder |
| Difficulty Level: | Easy |
Impress your friends at your next backyard or patio party by bringing out the beer in this nifty rebar drink carrier! All it requires is a little cutting and bending of rebar to tack weld together the frame. Then make the slots for your drinks by tacking together some round bar.
2. Bottle Opener
| Materials: | Short segment of rebar |
| Tools: | Grinder with hard disk and wire wheel, metal file, beer bottle |
| Difficulty Level: | Easy |
How cool would it be to pop open a beer with your own rebar bottle opener? This project is pretty straightforward. The only measuring tool you need is the beer bottle itself to mark where the bottle cap would enter on the rebar. Grind out the designated area with a hard disk, buff off the sharp edges with your metal file, and clean the whole thing with a wire wheel.
3. Industrial Door Handle
| Materials: | Rebar, flat bar |
| Tools: | MIG welder, drill, center punch, wire wheel |
| Difficulty Level: | Moderate |
This would look incredible on your barn or shed door. Cutting four equal pieces of rebar, you place the ends in predrilled holes on two opposing pieces of flat bar. Place one end in the workbench vise and grab the other end with a piece of tube steel or something else with a good grip. Turn it to twist the pieces of rebar. Then weld the pieces of rebar in place on both sides. Trim off the excess flat bar and weld both ends to another piece of flat bar with predrilled holes.
4. Wall Coat Hooks with Large Nails
| Materials: | Flat bar (two sizes), large nails |
| Tools: | MIG welder, drill, files, grinder |
| Difficulty Level: | Moderate |
Cut off the sharp ends of the nails and tack weld them into predrilled holes on a piece of flat bar. Tack a few pieces of rebar hooks on the outside of the nails for a real industrial style. This coat rack would be great in your shop and would even be something you could hang your welding leathers on!
5. Garden Hand Cultivator
| Materials: | Rebar, Allthread, large-diameter wooden dowel |
| Tools: | MIG welder, drill, files, grinder, pipe for bending |
| Difficulty Level: | Difficult |
Since they don’t “make ‘em like they used to,” you can make a garden cultivator. First, you can cut the rebar into equal lengths and sharpen the tips for the tines. Then, tack weld them together at one end while spreading them apart at the other. Next, bend the pieces in a vice and weld a piece of Allthread with a nut on the handle end. Drill this into your wooden dowel. Now it’s time for some yard work.
6. Fireplace Grate
| Materials: | Rebar, round bar |
| Tools: | Welder, grinder, or portable bandsaw |
| Difficulty Level: | Easy |
It seems like things fall through the cracks so easily when you’re burning firewood. Check out this easy-to-assemble rebar fireplace grate. It’s made using right angles. Just make a simple frame and add the bars on the inside for the grate. Then add a few legs, and you’re set!
7. Heavy Duty Hammer
| Materials: | Rebar |
| Tools: | Welder, grinder, clamps, spacers |
| Difficulty Level: | Difficult |
The head of this hammer is made entirely of rebar. Stacking it to get a cylindrical appearance is the trickiest part. You’ll see that spacers are helpful in staggering the pieces of rebar correctly. Tack them all together and grind them down flush. The handle is another piece of thicker rebar, but the grip is a piece of round bar wrapped in rebar. This is no hammer; this is a beater, as the ironworkers say.
8. Hatchet
| Materials: | Rebar |
| Tools: | TIG Welder, grinder, cutting torch |
| Difficulty Level: | Difficult |
It might not be challenging to construct a hatchet that merely works but making one this pretty is going to take a little bit of tender love and care coupled, of course, with fine craftsmanship. The rebar handle is a frame and is not solid. The hatchet blade is made by grinding down the edge of the rebar.
9. Kindling Cracker
| Materials: | Rebar, flat bar |
| Tools: | Grinder, welder |
| Difficulty Level: | Moderate |
The frame of this kindling cracker is made entirely of rebar. Two upright legs have support on either side with smaller pieces of rebar. Cutting a rounded edge with a cutting wheel on a piece of flat bar forms the main blade of the splitter. This piece of flat bar is then welded to a piece of rebar which is the same length as the inside distance between the two upright pieces of the frame to which it’s welded. Split away!
10. Sofa Table
| Materials: | Rebar, wooden tabletop, small flat bar tabs or brackets |
| Tools: | Welder, grinder |
| Difficulty Level: | Easy |
To make this sofa table, you miter the edges of the rebar, which will become the frame of your tabletop. Tack together the pieces of rebar and weld. Next, tack the legs on the bottom of the frame and be sure to brace the legs so that they don’t bend. You can do this by bending smaller-sized rebar and welding it to each leg, as seen above. Lastly, don’t forget to add brackets or tabs to the top of the frame, or your tabletop will fall right through!
11. Welder’s “Third Hand”
| Materials: | Rebar, hexagonal nut |
| Tools: | Welder, grinder, bandsaw |
| Difficulty Level: | Easy |
Every welder knows that a third hand is sometimes necessary to hold a part in place for fit-up. We often resort to unconventional techniques. This design has a base that rests on the table while the tool rests on the workpiece. The shaft of the tool is crooked, and It’s spliced together at a hexagonal nut for extra weight so that it doesn’t slip off the workpiece.
12. Hairpin Legs for Table
| Materials: | Plate and pipe for jig, rebar |
| Tools: | Welder, grinder, torch for heating, clamps |
| Difficulty Level: | Easy |
Hairpin legs are a nice touch for a table and offer additional support on each corner. By making a simple jig from a piece of pipe welded to a plate, you can clamp it down into place and insert your rebar to bend it to the hairpin shape. Use a hand torch or an oxyfuel torch to heat the area which will be bent.
13. Wall Hanger
| Materials: | Rebar, flatbar, 2×6 piece of lumber |
| Tools: | Pipe for bending, drill, welder, torch, sander |
| Difficulty Level: | Moderate |
Using a simple piece of pipe to bend the rebar in a vise, you can fashion hooks which are then welded to pieces of flat bar with predrilled holes. These are then mounted to a wood piece of your choice with screws to create this DIY wall hanger. It has an industrial style but enough flair and charm from the wood to hang in your mudroom or entryway.
14. Trellis
| Materials: | Rebar |
| Tools: | Grinder, welder, hammer (for installing) |
| Difficulty Level: | Easy |
This simple frame will certainly last longer than those wood trellises you can buy at the hardware store. Make your own today! It’s a straightforward project that you can slap together in an afternoon.
15. Steel Fire Pit
| Materials: | Rebar |
| Tools: | Grinder, welder |
| Difficulty Level: | Moderate |
This firepit is comprised of a few hexagonal frames welded together. Probably the most challenging thing about this project is making sure that you have all of your angles cut correctly. There is quite a bit of welding, so carve out some time. This is perfect for your backyard, but it’s also highly portable. You can take it to the beach!
16. Chipping “Slag” Hammer
| Materials: | Rebar, hammer grip, |
| Tools: | Grinder, welder |
| Difficulty Level: | Easy |
Every welder needs a good slag hammer in their arsenal. Often, the slag hammers you buy at the hardware store simply don’t last. You can build your own with two welded pieces of rebar. Grind one end to a point and the other end to an edge. Slide an old hammer grip over the rebar, and you’re good to go!
17. Dutch Oven Trivet
| Materials: | Rebar |
| Tools: | Grinder, welder |
| Difficulty Level: | Easy |
Before making this trivet, you want to clean off all the rust and mill scale from the rebar, especially since the trivet will be near your cookware. This triangular frame should be tailored to the size of your Dutch oven so that it sits securely. It’s perfect for taking camping.
18. Dutch Oven Lid-Lifter
| Materials: | Rebar |
| Tools: | Grinder, welder |
| Difficulty Level: | Easy |
If you’re making a winter stew in your Dutch oven at home, you can pull off the lid with an oven mitt. If you’re cooking over a fire outside, you’ll want this lid-lifter. It’s secure and gives you plenty of space away from the heat.
19. Rebar Bender
| Materials: | Rebar |
| Tools: | Grinder, welder |
| Difficulty Level: | Easy |
If you’re working with rebar, you’ll likely need to bend it at some point. This is a simple rebar handle with two 1-inch segments of rebar welded to the end with small gap. The size of the gap will depend on what size of rebar you want to bend. This project is simple to make and don’t require much welding.
20. Whiskey Stand
| Materials: | Flat bar, rebar, round bar, metal bushings |
| Tools: | Rebar bender, welder, grinder, drill press |
| Difficulty Level: | Moderate |
In this whiskey stand project, the cage is TIG welded to a centerpiece at the top, but it fits over the bottle into bushings on all four corners of the base plate so you can remove it. This stand is designed explicitly for a Jack Daniel’s bottle, but you can tailor it to whichever bottle you choose.
- Related read: 10 DIY Welding Cart Plans You Can Build Today
21. Stool
| Materials: | Rebar, flat bar, lumber for seat |
| Tools: | Welder, grinder, clamps, wood sander |
| Difficulty Level: | Moderate |
You can make this simple stool from rebar and lumber. Weld together three legs at a triangular brace/footrest and create an additional frame at the top. Tack your flat bar with predrilled holes to mount the wooden seat. This stool is ideal for your kitchen or workshop.
22. Beer Cozy/Cup Holder
| Materials: | Rebar, flat bar |
| Tools: | Grinder, welder |
| Difficulty Level: | Easy |
For this cup holder, equal lengths of rebar are welded together to form a cylinder while a round piece of flat bar is welded to the bottom. It’s designed to hold a glass or beer can, depending on what size you make it.
23. Tomato Cages
| Materials: | Rebar |
| Tools: | Welder, grinder, bender |
| Difficulty Level: | Moderate |
The tomato cages sold at the hardware/garden store simply don’t last or even support your tomatoes. There’s nothing like seeing a plump and juicy tomato dragging on the ground because it doesn’t have enough support. With these frames, your tomatoes can ripen fully without hitting the ground.
24. Rebar Hook
| Materials: | Rebar |
| Tools: | Welder, grinder, hand torch, vise, bender |
| Difficulty Level: | Easy |
Sometimes you need extra help dragging things around the shop, like a pallet. Or maybe you got your wallet stuck behind the workbench. Either way, this rebar hook is simple to make and use. A nice sturdy handle will allow you to take control of the hook and grab whatever you need.
25. Shelf Bracket
| Materials: | Flat bar, rebar |
| Tools: | Welder, grinder, round bar for bending around, vise, bender |
| Difficulty Level: | Difficult |
Have you ever seen a shelf with heavy equipment collapse? It’s startling, but you can avoid that scenario if you have industrial-style shelf brackets. These brackets are reinforced with rebar to provide adequate support. Even though it’s primarily for looks, the steel knot in the rebar gives you extra confidence in the piece’s integrity!
26. Dog Kennel
| Materials: | Rebar, lumber |
| Tools: | Drill, saw, clamps |
| Difficulty Level: | Difficult |
This kennel project requires woodworking experience, but it’s a great use for rebar. Put your pup in this luxury dog kennel, and you’ll know it will be safe and secure. The frame of this will take the most time to complete.
27. Steel Knot Metal Handle
| Materials: | Flat bar, rebar, large bolts |
| Tools: | Welder, grinder, vise, bender, hammer, drill |
| Difficulty Level: | Difficult |
If you’re up to taking on the challenge of making the proper bends to tie the knot in this project, you’ll be left with not only a functional handle but a great conversation piece. Be sure to grind down the extra reinforcement of the weld on the back side so that it butts up flush with the door when you’re screwing it in.
28. Rebar Ax
| Materials: | Rebar, rope |
| Tools: | Grinder, welder, pipe for bending, vise |
| Difficulty Level: | Moderate |
In this ax design, a single piece of rebar is bent to make the handle, and then two separate pieces of rebar are bent and mitered, welded together to make the head of the ax. The blade includes another piece which is then ground to a sharp edge. Even though it’s meant to be pretty, it can still split kindling!
29. Japanese Throwing Dart
| Materials: | 3/8” Rebar |
| Tools: | Grinding belt, file, grinder or hacksaw |
| Difficulty Level: | Moderate |
This dart is made from straight pieces of rebar, which are manually filed to four flats on one end of the rebar. Gradually you will end up with a sharp tip like a pencil. You will grind the piece smoother, then take the rebar to the grinding belt or belt sander to smooth it out even more. You are left with a throwing dart that you can practice with safely!
30. Tomahawk Axe
| Materials: | Rebar |
| Tools: | Hand torch, grinder |
| Difficulty Level: | Easy |
To make this ax, you begin by heating a thick piece of rebar and then bending it by hitting it at an angle over your workbench with a sledgehammer. Once you have the bend, heat the blade’s tip and flatten it out with your hammer. You can do many things to make this ax more attractive, but it works well for splitting and chopping wood.
31. Door Handle
| Materials: | Flat bar or tube steel, rebar |
| Tools: | Welder, grinder, vise |
| Difficulty Level: | Moderate |
This door handle is made of four pieces of rebar secured on either side by flat bar. The video shows scored flat bar, which is then bent; however, you can also use a piece of tube steel of an equivalent perimeter. The advantage of this one over the industrial door handle listed above is that you don’t have to worry about twisting the rebar, and we think it’s just as handsome.
32. Homemade Holdfast
| Materials: | Rebar |
| Tools: | Grinder, hand torch |
| Difficulty Level: | Moderate |
Everyone experienced in woodworking knows that you need to hold workpieces securely. Sometimes you can’t get a clamp on them, so you need a holdfast to go into your table. With a couple of bends and flattening out one end, you can build this holdfast.
33. Slidebar Clamp
| Materials: | Rebar, cone washers, Allthread |
| Tools: | Welder, grinder, vise, bender |
| Difficulty Level: | Moderate |
Two pieces of rebar comprise the bar of this clamp, and another piece bent around the bar functions as the sliding arm. These clamps come in handy, and welders on the job always seem to be running out. A lot of them break as well, so if you can make one, you can repair one too!
34. Coatrack
| Materials: | Rebar, plastic covers for hooks |
| Tools: | Welder, grinder, bender |
| Difficulty Level: | Moderate |
Three bent pieces of rebar fit into a jig that spaces them evenly apart for this coatrack. They are welded together at the top and comprise the base and the main structure of the coatrack. The hooks are additional pieces of bent rebar that are welded onto the side. You can put plastic or rubber caps on the ends to keep them from snagging your clothes. This is a great project that will spruce up any home.
35. Rebar Cutting Tool
| Materials: | Flat bar |
| Tools: | Welder, grinder |
| Difficulty Level: | Easy |
Okay, so this one isn’t made of rebar at all, but if you complete these easy steps, you’ll have your own rebar cutting tool. It works great on smaller sizes; all you have to do is place the rebar through the guillotine and cut away!
36. Rebar Pyramids
| Materials: | Rebar |
| Tools: | Welder, grinder |
| Difficulty Level: | Easy |
These rebar pyramids are great practice for fit-ups and welding smaller materials. When you are finished, don’t scrap them. They make incredible yard decorations and can be repurposed for other fixtures as well.
See also: 10 Scrap Metal Welding Projects to DIY Today (With Videos)
37. Rebar Rings
| Materials: | Rebar |
| Tools: | Welder, grinder, bender, post (desired diameter of ring) |
| Difficulty Level: | Easy |
Making these rebar rings is a breeze with the correct diameter post. Once you wrap them, you can tack them as braces between longer pieces of rebar, serving as multipurpose posts for your garden or shop.
38. Chain Links
| Materials: | Rebar |
| Tools: | Bender, grinder |
| Difficulty Level: | Easy |
There’s no easier way to make chain links than wrapping a piece of rebar around a post and cutting vertically with a cutting wheel. You only have to bend the pieces to finish the project, and you’ve got replacement links!
39. Tripod
| Materials: | Rebar |
| Tools: | Welder, grinder |
| Difficulty Level: | Easy |
This tripod is made of a ring of rebar with a couple of braces. It makes a great step stool or even a place to keep a little 110 welding machine if you’re careful!
40. Table Legs
| Materials: | Rebar |
| Tools: | Welder, grinder |
| Difficulty Level: | Easy |
If you’re not into bending to make hairpin legs, these table legs are just as sturdy and only require fit-up in right angles. You can even use rebar as dowels for the tabletop and then weld it to the legs.
Final Thoughts
As you can see, rebar has several uses. Since it’s sturdier than most materials used for commercial tools and outdoor decorations, you can depend on it to last for several years. We hope you enjoyed our rebar projects, and we’re confident the tools and equipment designed by the creative DIYers will make your life much easier.
See also:
- 8 DIY Welding Fume Extractor Plans to Assemble Yourself
- 60 Art Welding Projects to Try Today (With Videos)
Featured Image Credit: AfriramPOE, Shutterstock
