ot blacksmith look

i was given a project, my wife found a 7 foot log about 18 inches in diameter and real old on the farm, she wants it made into the top of a outdoor entry way arch into a little park we have down on our piece of the river, it has a knothole about 8 inches around that is open clear thru, she wants to set it up on top of railroad ties so the knot hole is where one can see thru it as they walk under the thing, 2 ties each side, but she wants it to look like a old blacksmith did the job decades ago, not modern hardware to attach the log and ties together, that's not exactly my trade, but what i thought id do was get some 1 inch by 1/4 strap, and heat it and beat it on my anvil into a square sided u to go around 3 sides of the 2 ties on each side probably need 2 per side, that would give the strap that hand worked look ive seen on old items made by a real blacksmith....i think.. for attachment im thinking punch a hole, then using a piece of rebar thru both sides, then heat the end of the rebar and beat it into a rivet head on the surface of the strap, same principal for securing the log to the top of the 4 ties, ill have to make that one up as i go, any ideas? or a better way to get the look she is wanting

A lot of people dabble with black smithing as a hobby, maybe you could find someone in your area that would love to help with that for a reasonable fee.

I think you're on the right path. That look is not hard to get with what you described. If you have a forge or torch to go along with your anvil, have at 'er. A couple of thoughts. Rebar is rough and knurled to grab concrete and might be a pain to drive/ nail into your wood stock. Rebar tends to get brittle if over heated hence the fact rebar is always tied. Even though the assembly you describe doesn't sound like it will bear much weight that nail head on rebar might break while driving causing a start over. Try a mild 3/8" rod or even a large land scape nail. Look at some different sizes or thicknesses of strap. A thicker strap might let you distress the shoulders more or even draw out the end that will be punched. Since you are married you'll know already, always check the specs!

How about simple. Use some #8 rebar about 2' long, drill holes in the top of the posts, and matching holes in the log. The entire system is invisible. Jim

When you get your ties maybe you could get some of the plates that go between the track and the ties and fasten them with railroad spikes. Just a thought.

Set the log on top of the ties, then the strap is holding it on, not up.
Beat on the strap with a ballpeen hammer to roughen it up, paint it dull black.
Use square headed lag bolts to secure the strap.

before you commit - do a craigslist search for a cheap old rake or some other pile-of-rust implement that might be loaded with well worn iron.

It's a lot easier to find the real thing than to try to duplicate it. You may even be lucky enough to find some unique fittings that you can use creatively to give it a real professional look.