Create a Stainless Steel Dragon Light Sconce or Mask

sconce (N): wall fixture holding and/or covering a light

This project was a deep collaboration with my wife, who, as an interior designer, was tasked with designing a bar/lounge called Dragon just before COVID hit.

While she designed the furniture and layout, I was inspired to create dragon-face sconces. Before the construction could begin, however, the pandemic struck, and the developers quickly cancelled the project so they wouldn't lose their shirts.

Good choice.

So, unfortunately, I didn't get around to building these sconces back then, but I recently found the old drawings and decided to reignite the spark.

The original idea was to use these sconces to cover electric lights, but they look even more rustic and super-cool over candles.

You can also use the same technique to make a dragon mask, though you'd want to add a lining and also round the sharp corners so you don't poke yourself badly.

While you need some specific tools for this project, it's pretty basic and a good place for beginners to start on their metalworking journeys.

Plus, dragons are badass.

Materials

stainless steel sheet (mine was 0.25mm thick)

paper

glue

screws (or other mounting hardware)

Tools and Equipment

steel snips

angle grinder with steel cutoff disc

mini angle grinder with cutoff disc and grinding wheels (alternatively, a hammer and chisel)

drill and steel drill bit

scissors

cutter (aka xacto knife / box cutter / stanley knife)

pencil + eraser

markers

PPE

gloves (to protect your precious paws)

shop glasses / face shield (to shield those purty eyes)

The main contribution my wife made to this project was telling me my dragons looked too much like crocodiles or warthogs, or... well, not dragons, anyway.

And while it irked me a bit, she was right.

I looked at a lot of dragon faces online (I recommend using "dragon mask" as a search term) and tried my best to create a face that would look cool as a sconce.

I folded a paper in half lengthwise to get the symmetry right, but you can see from my old drawings that they weren't great. Unfolded, they definitely looked croc-ish.

So, in the end, my wife used her superior drawing skills to make a much better face, and it turned out really cool.

I recommend:

-drawing on one half of a folded paper, then tracing the face to the other side

-making the features, especially the eyes, wider apart than might look good flat - if you fold the final product, they'll come closer together and look just right

-adding lots of features to cut out so light will get through your sconce

SUPER-IMPORTANT!!!: Think about how your sconce will attach to the wall. If you have an existing light fixture, measure its depth and plan "tabs" to help your sconce stick out from the wall the proper distance. (I wasn't sure so I added 160mm / 6 inches to be sure).

First, you'll need to cut your dragon face out using scissors and/or your cutter.

Next, glue it to your steel sheet. I used a glue stick, which was a good choice as it was easy to clean off later.

Then, use a marker to trace all the edges of the dragon face. You want your lines to be highly visible, especially as the paper might burn away if you use angle grinders. You can usually get rid of any leftover marker lines with rubbing alcohol or acetone (in nail polish remover) later.

You're now ready for the fun part.

Wear your PPE for this step. Steel can get hot and sharp, and sparks will fly when using angle grinders.

To cut out my dragon face, I used the following tools and techniques:

1. Using my mini angle grinder with thin little cutoff discs(of which I broke or burned through a dozen), I made all the internal cuts (eyes, nostrils, and decorative lines). This took the most time as my tool was not of the best quality.

2. With my full-sized (4") angle grinder with cutoff disc, I made large external cuts, getting as close as I could to the face, which is mostly spiky horns and teeth.

3. Using snips, I made quick, clean cuts to finish the exterior.

4. With my drill and a steel drill bit, I put one screw hole in each of the side tabs.

(((If you don't have angle grinders, you could also use a hammer and chisel to cut out your internal pieces, working over a block of wood that you can punch into. This might even get you better and cleaner cuts than mine, and could even be faster!)))

This all took a while, but it was very satisfying!

With the face fully cut out, it was time to strip off the paper and reveal the shining steel below.

I was able to get most of the paper off just by pulling and fingernail scratching, then used a damp rag to wipe off any and all leftover glue. Easy!

If you have any marker left on the steel, try alcohol or acetone to rub it off.

I liked the smooth finish, but wanted to see if I could add a scale-like effect, so I used my mini angle grinder with a sanding/grinding wheel and tried it out on the back, making rows of little semi-circles.

I liked it, so I ground out the borders of the scaled area, then filled up the face.

Lookin' good, little dragon!

To add dimension to the face, I planned from the start to fold it at least in the middle. When my wife added lots of cool horns, webbed ears, and teeth to the drawing, this gave it more parts to fold.

My steel sheet was thin enough to easily bend by hand, but I used a straight edge (a piece of scrap tile trim) to press down and make the bends nice and straight.

I also folded the side tabs over 180 degrees, then back 90 degrees (roughly perpendicular to the plane of the face), and then 90 degrees in at the ends so they'd be flat against the wall. See the pic attached so this makes sense.

I use simple screws to screw this sconce right into the wall. You may need wall anchors or another mounting method.

I think it looks pretty cool in the daylight with the shining face and scales, but even better at night with a candle behind it.

OTHER IDEAS??

1. You could heat treat the steel to get permanent colour effects that would probably look great.
2. You could add a candle holder to the design for an all-in-one sconce. I already had one, so...
3. You could make the side tabs longer and make this into a mask that fits around your brow. If you do, be sure to smooth down the sharp points and add some sort of backing (felt?) so that it's comfortable and you don't hurt yourself or others.
4. Of course, you could make any shape. Yours doesn't have to be a dragon face, or even a face at all, for that matter. But dragons are cool, you know.

Whatever you choose to make, I hope you enjoy yourself, and that you have a partner who can help you make it look awesome!!