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?
The plastic stuff just looked like a sad pile of trash, but the gears had real weight and history that made the whole piece feel solid. After that, I only pick up metal or wood objects with a clear past life. What's the most interesting material you've ever built something from?
My main sculpture for the local art walk last Friday collapsed. It was a big driftwood and old bottle cap piece, about four feet tall. I used a specific outdoor epoxy that said it was for 'all materials'. The humidity from the crowd must have gotten to it because the central joint gave way after three hours. I had to scramble to prop it up with some bricks I found outside. Honestly, I think we rely too much on modern adhesives for found object work. Has anyone else had better luck with just traditional wire and tension for big outdoor pieces?
I was using wood glue on a piece of scrap metal and my friend just said, 'You know that's not going to hold, right?'. What's your biggest 'oh, that's why' moment with materials?
I was showing my friend Carla this twisted piece of driftwood I found at Lake Michigan, and she said it looked exactly like a fossilized rib. I'd just glued some old watch gears to it as 'scales', but her comment made me see the whole shape differently. Now I'm thinking of hunting for more curved wood to make a whole skeleton. Has anyone else had someone point out a shape in your found stuff that changed your project?
He left it on the curb for trash day, so I grabbed it, painted it silver, and glued on some rusty gears from a broken clock. Now it stares at me from the garden. What's the strangest thing you've turned into a face?
I went there last Tuesday to look for old metal bits. The whole place is covered in these little plastic pellets, like the kind they use to make new stuff. They're in the dirt, stuck to old wood, everything. I tried to pick up a cool gear but it was half buried in them. It made me think twice about taking anything home. Do you guys clean stuff like that off first, or just avoid those spots now?