Handmade Sissy Bar

Ever since I could remember, my dad and I have been working on cars, motorcycles, and various projects in our garage. I have been wanting to make something he could put on his motorcycle since I have been in college, so I built him a sissy bar. A sissy bar goes on the back of a motorcycle and is used to hold bags and also used for aesthetics. This was my first time working with metal in a forge so I learned a lot in the process. I had a blast making it because I knew it was a special project I can give to my dad so he can use it. I had two pieces of 4ft. 1/2" steel that I put in the forge to heat up to a cherry red color. Then I banged the two tops out so they were flat and flush with each other. I then grinded down to expose a cleaner metal to weld both pieces together. After the two flat ends of the steel was welded. I put the bar back in the forge to give it the ionic bends of a sissy bar. The last step was to sand down the entire bar to make it shine and get rid of the dirt that came with the forge and welding. I did run it some issues with the welding because I could not get the amperage right for the 1/2" steel. I had to put the welder on the highest amperage it can go and keep welding and grinding to get a clean look to the bar. Overall, I was very happy with how it turned out being it was my first time using a forge and making something with metal. I now have the skills to make it look better so I will be trying this again with my dad to hopefully put on my motorcycle.