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No termites
Spring 1999
Craftspeople are always experimenting with new materials. During the late '90s tables and chairs of steel, and even handbags made of stainless steel mesh began to show up at the craft fairs. So when a client, at that time, asked me to restore a wooden tabletop I suggested replacing it with one of steel. The new top mounted on the existing Italian designer base.
When plate steel is manufactured a thick oxide surface called millscale results. The plates are dark and smooth, like those used to cover holes in city streets under repair. The millscale can be removed by noisy grinding, leaving a shiny silver surface.
I made a plywood pattern with an irregular edge and turned it over to my local welding shop then cut that shape out of steel plate.
I intended the top to look like a sand dollar, hence the slots. After a day of annoying the neighborhood with continuous grinding, I had a pattern on the steel. Over most of the surface I made a 'thoughtfully' random pattern. That is framed by a border of radiating straight lines. A couple coats of poly provided the finish.
Posted by ronpaci at June 26, 2005 1:46 PM