Simple Hardware Menorah. OY VEY! (Image Heavy)

[kmfishburn]

I get my husband a new Menorah every year for Chanukkah and I knew that we didn't have the money for that this year. (They tend to get expensive...)  So, I decided that this challenge could be a good way to provide him with a new menorah.

OK. Here are the supplies that I bought at Ace Hardware.  I didn't end up using the washers (they were too wide in diameter), but I did use the following: 9 small hex nuts, 8 short lag shields, 1 long lag shield, 1 full thread bolt and 8 larger hex nuts (to fit the bolt).



I also used JB Weld (which my husband had laying around), a paper plate (to mix the JB Weld), and a cheap paint brush (to mix and apply the JB Weld using the non-brush end).



First I decided about where I wanted to place the large hex nuts.  I just eyeballed it, but if I had it to do over again, I would have (1) found a longer bolt and (2) measured and marked where I wanted to place the hex nuts.  Then I put some of the JB Weld on the thread of the bolt and screwed the bolt to where I wanted it, making sure that the flat surfaces of the nut and the top of the bolt were on the same plane.



Here is the base after I had welded it together.



I then put more JB Weld on the Lag shields.  I placed the longer lag shield in the center as the Shammash and the shorter ones on the other nuts.





(You can still sort of see the washer that I had originally put at the top of the Shammash, but I couldn't place them on all of the lag shields, so I took it off before it dried.  This is the reason that I wish I had a longer bolt.  I was going to use the washers as a wax catcher....)



Here is the finished Menorah.  Now I'm just waiting for the JB Weld to dry (8 hours) before I can move it and then a total of 24 hours before it can be used.



That's it.  My husband now unfortunately has seen it though, so the surprise is gone, but he says he really likes it.  I welcome any questions or comments.... 

[girlwonder]

I love it!

[Bigmouth]

Neat idea, and such a "manly" Menorah.  Is it as small as it looks?  'Cause if it is, you could use those really skinny candles they put on birthday cakes for people who have, um, lots of candles on their cakes.  They're pretty long, but you could cut them shorter.

[kmfishburn]

Yeah, it's pretty small.  I don't have a ruler on me at the moment, but I'd say it's probably about 8 1/2 inches long and only about 2 1/2 inches high.  And I was thinking about the birthday candles being used for the candles too, but I think I have a set of really small Chanukkah candles that might work... I dunno.

Hehehe... but yeah, I love the "manly" feel of this menorah!  All of the previous menorahs have been kinda artsy, and thus a bit more flowery.  So it'll be nice having a more masculine menorah in the collection!

By the way, I have been just amazed by everyone else's projects so far!  What a creative community we have here! Gawd, I LOVE Craftster! 

[irid3sc3nt]

I like it!  It's funny, I was going to make a menorah for my bf out of those little copper plumbing pieces but I couldn't figure out how to make sure they stay together.  Where did your bf get that JB adhesive?

[SuzukiBeane33]

Haha I remember making really basic versions of this in pre-school, but those were mostly just bolts glued onto a 2x4.  I love your fancier version!

[ciracira]

I love this project! How imaginative!

[meowari]

You could totally sell those at a gift shop! People do pay a lot of money for menorahs, and yours is by far the coolest handmade one I've seen. They would also make great Hanukkah gifts! Hmmmm...

[kmfishburn]

Irid3sc3nt: Just in case you didn't see my message before the server crash, my hubby got the JB Weld from Ace hardware.  He said that it runs about $10 or so.... So lucky for me that we already had it, right? 

Anyway, thanks for the comments! I'm thinking of "improving" on it by adding maybe a larger nut on the top of what is already there so that the Chanukkah candles can fit in them.  The candles are just BARELY too wide, so maybe this way I'll be able to get a regular Chanukkah candle in it.... we'll have to see.... 

[fluffyhelen]

Shave the candles!   
This is great.  Putting some bigger bolts on to with-stand the candle weights might be a good idea.  Or fashion some kind of candle holder from some other materials?

Either way, a very original idea.