Found Metal and Reclaimed Wood Circular Wall Art #2

Dimensions: Diameter 21.75 inches, Thickness 1 inch, Weight 13.5 pounds. This truly one-of-a-kind art piece can add some rustic charm to your house or office. Two D-rings are attached to the back, so all you need is a hammer and a couple of nails to hang it on your wall. Any takers? Was $175, now $150. Click here to purchase.

The Story

I found the circular piece of steel on the sidewalk of Wisconsin Avenue, a few blocks from my house. I cleaned it with water, a metal scraper, and a wire brush. I had some kind of art project in mind, with this ring as the frame, but didn’t have anything for the middle. Literally the next day, however, I found an old hose hanger set out for free by the sidewalk in front of a house just a block or two from mine. Bingo! The upcycling gods were with me. I used some chemical stripper then a wire brush to remove the old paint and get down to the natural metal color, which nicely complements the outer ring’s gray tone. For the background/base, I turned to my collection of pallet wood. I sanded a few pieces and cut them to form the chevron pattern that angles up and out from the bottom, to go with the design of the metal piece. I chose and arranged the pieces of wood so the red highlights become more prominent from bottom to top, lending more design interest where there’s less metal. Because many of the pieces were warped slightly, I used a router to cut grooves on the bottom, which made it much easier to glue them down flat to a piece of underlayment as the backing. I trimmed the wood to the same diameter as the circular frame. I left the wood its natural color but enhanced and protected it with two coats of Minwax water-based clear satin Polycrylic; this smooth finish also contrasts nicely with the rougher metal pieces. Finally, I screwed/bolted the two metal pieces into place. I’m really happy with the completed piece; I hope you like it, too.

Related Items: Found Metal and Reclaimed Wood Circular Wall Art #1, Found Metal and Reclaimed Wood Circular Wall Art #3.