I drove out to this place called Rustic Relics over in Millerton, thinking I was getting these amazing old planks for a wall piece... guy swore it was from a 1900s dairy barn. Got it home, started sanding, and the 'patina' flaked off to show bright blue industrial paint and a stamp that said 'CHEP 2018'. So I basically paid for someone's free shipping pallets. Anyone know a real spot for old wood around here that won't rip me off?
I found this amazing, twisted piece of driftwood at Cannon Beach in Oregon last month, cleaned it up, and mounted it on a slate base, but my friend called it 'just trash' and said I should have left it, so I'm curious where you all draw the line between a found object and litter.
I was making a wall piece with about 50 caps I found along the riverbank in St. Louis, but I didn't want to ruin them. I tried a few glues that failed, but a small dot of E6000 adhesive on the back of each cap, pressed on for 30 seconds, did the trick. It's been up for a month now with no issues. What's your go-to method for attaching metal pieces you find?
After my epoxy ruined three pieces of smoothed blue glass from Brighton Beach by seeping out and clouding them, I switched to a low-temp glue gun for a tiny assemblage last Tuesday and it held perfectly without any mess.
I had a box of old watch parts and broken electronics in my garage for like 5 years... my wife called it trash. I spent a weekend putting a few pieces together on a magnet board, and now she says it's 'industrial decor'. The shift happened the second I gave it a frame and a purpose. Anyone else had a 'trash to treasure' moment that changed how someone else saw your stuff?
I thought it would protect the wood, but it left this weird, shiny plastic-like coating that you can't sand off, so has anyone found a better way to preserve found wood without changing how it looks and feels?
They said the art felt 'sterile' because I was sanding every surface smooth. Now I leave the bark and lichen on one side for texture, like on a piece I found at Baker Beach last month. Do you ever get pushback on how much to 'clean up' a found object?
For months I was trying to attach smooth glass bits with regular craft glue, and everything kept falling apart after a day. Last week I switched to a two-part clear epoxy made for non-porous surfaces, and the difference is night and day. My little seahorse sculpture made from Lake Michigan finds has been solid on the shelf for over a week now. What other adhesives work well for you all when dealing with slick surfaces like glass or ceramic?
I keep a jar on my workbench for bits I find along the shore in Newport, and hitting that number made me see how much material I've gathered without really trying. It's enough to start a proper mosaic instead of just small projects. Has anyone else been surprised by how much of one thing they've collected over time?
I mean, I cleaned it up and put it on a piece of driftwood, and it just sat on my shelf. Idk, maybe it's just me, but seeing it next to a shiny new 3D printed part my friend gave me last week really shows the difference. The old stuff has a story you can feel, you know? Has anyone else found that new materials just don't have the same vibe for this kind of art?
I saw a piece last year that used old, rusty hinges and it looked forced, but this year's winner used the same kind of hinges and it looked perfect. The difference was they spent 6 months letting the metal weather naturally in their yard instead of forcing a patina. Does anyone have tips for letting found metal age without it just looking like trash?
I used to use regular white glue for my beach glass mosaics and it would always run, making the pieces slide around for hours. Last month at the craft store in Salem, the cashier said to try a clear gel adhesive and it changed everything because it holds right away. What do you all use to keep small, slick found objects in place?
I guess the salt or something in the wood reacted with the bleach, but now it looks kinda cool. Has anyone else had a piece change color in a way that actually worked out?
After the big rain last Thursday, the water level dropped and left a huge, twisted root washed up near the old bridge. I spent the whole weekend sanding it smooth, and now it's the base for a new lamp. What's the best way you've found to clean really old, gritty wood without losing the shape?
I used to just try and drill them dry, but after breaking like five from a local creek, I watched a video that said to keep the bit and glass under water the whole time. Has anyone else found a better trick for cutting or drilling found glass safely?
The way the light hit the rust next to the smooth, gray wood made this weird, cool texture I never expected, so has anyone else had a junk piece turn out better than the 'good' stuff they saved?
I was so proud of this shelf I made from a big piece of driftwood I found on a beach in Oregon. I just drilled right into it and mounted it, thinking the salt and sun had made it super strong. It held my plant pots for about two months. Then one morning, I heard a crack and the whole thing came down. My friend, who does woodworking, came over and picked up a piece. He said, 'This is cedar, and it was already punky and rotten in the middle. You can't just treat all found wood the same.' I felt so dumb. I had been grabbing any cool-looking wood for years without checking if it was sound. Now I test every piece with a screwdriver to see if it's soft inside before I build anything. What's your method for checking if found wood is strong enough to use?
The hot glue gave out after 4 hours, so I had to wire it back together with some old fishing line from my truck. Anyone got a better way to attach smooth river stones to wood?
I used to only look for pretty things like beach glass, but after seeing a sculpture made from old keys at a Tacoma gallery, now I'm grabbing rusty bolts and broken plastic because my friend said, 'the uglier the better,' and honestly, what's your weirdest material find?
That strips away all the character and history, the weathered gray patina is the whole point! Has anyone else found a better way to clean found wood without ruining the look?
Found this perfect, crusty gear on a walk by the old rail yard. It sat on my shelf for months. Started a piece about industrial decay and had the choice: keep it as a cool object or commit it to the art. I glued it down last week. The piece looks good, but now that specific gear is gone forever, part of a bigger thing. I miss having it to just look at and hold. Anyone else get attached to a particular find and hesitate to actually use it up?