Replicating an art installation in my back yard
July 5, 2017 11:08 AM Subscribe
I am in love with these liquid metal-dipped boulders, currently displayed in the Walker Museum's Minneapolis Sculpture Garden. Can I replicate or approximate them in our back yard?
I am not looking to replicate the scale - I would probably stick to just one piece, less than half the size of the original. The main requirements are for it to look modern-organic and to be suitable to be outside year-round (including sun, rain, snow and the occasional hail), for the total price of $1k-$2k. I would install a small LED up-light to illuminate the whole thing.
Of course, I would love to re-create that exact molten steel effect, however, it is probably not realistic price-wise? Are there more pedestrian alternatives that you could apply to rock to achieve some kind of a cool effect?
Ideally, I would find a company that would find the boulder, "bedazzle" it, and deliver it to my back yard, so if anyone has a referral for a Twin Cities-based company that I could talk to, I would really appreciate it.
Otherwise, DYI ideas (from sourcing of the boulders to bedazzling ) are much appreciated. (I like the purple boulder best).
I am not looking to replicate the scale - I would probably stick to just one piece, less than half the size of the original. The main requirements are for it to look modern-organic and to be suitable to be outside year-round (including sun, rain, snow and the occasional hail), for the total price of $1k-$2k. I would install a small LED up-light to illuminate the whole thing.
Of course, I would love to re-create that exact molten steel effect, however, it is probably not realistic price-wise? Are there more pedestrian alternatives that you could apply to rock to achieve some kind of a cool effect?
Ideally, I would find a company that would find the boulder, "bedazzle" it, and deliver it to my back yard, so if anyone has a referral for a Twin Cities-based company that I could talk to, I would really appreciate it.
Otherwise, DYI ideas (from sourcing of the boulders to bedazzling ) are much appreciated. (I like the purple boulder best).
As I think about it, another possibility on an uneven surface like a boulder would be fiberglass covered in layers of chrome paint and clear epoxy.
still pretty expensive and laborious.
posted by bobdow at 11:26 AM on July 5, 2017 [1 favorite]
still pretty expensive and laborious.
posted by bobdow at 11:26 AM on July 5, 2017 [1 favorite]
Reading through the linked article, these rocks are not dipped in metal, but they have an attached piece of metal that was molded from the rock's former surface, which was removed so it could accept the cast metal, after which they polished the snot out of it.
Even on a small scale, dipping a rock (which is potentially porous or containing trapped air and water) into liquid metal could cause catastrophic spalling, fracturing, or explosion of the rock.
So, you either need to replace the surface of the rock, as they did, or decorate the surface with something you can polish without altering the character of the rock. To that end, I'd probably go with the epoxy suggested above, and get an orbital sander for the job or else you'll wear your arms down to nubs with all the polishing needed. The good news is that you can probably skip the traditional acid-wash required for concrete floors, since this surface will be plenty rough and grippy for the epoxy compared to a smooth floor.
posted by Sunburnt at 11:33 AM on July 5, 2017 [6 favorites]
Even on a small scale, dipping a rock (which is potentially porous or containing trapped air and water) into liquid metal could cause catastrophic spalling, fracturing, or explosion of the rock.
So, you either need to replace the surface of the rock, as they did, or decorate the surface with something you can polish without altering the character of the rock. To that end, I'd probably go with the epoxy suggested above, and get an orbital sander for the job or else you'll wear your arms down to nubs with all the polishing needed. The good news is that you can probably skip the traditional acid-wash required for concrete floors, since this surface will be plenty rough and grippy for the epoxy compared to a smooth floor.
posted by Sunburnt at 11:33 AM on July 5, 2017 [6 favorites]
I'd call a place that does custom chrome plating and see what they say. Here's a random place (that may have just moved outside the immediate Tein Cities area.)
posted by Room 641-A at 11:39 AM on July 5, 2017 [2 favorites]
posted by Room 641-A at 11:39 AM on July 5, 2017 [2 favorites]
Possible DIY - use metal foil, a boulder/rock that lacks really tiny nooks and crannies, and hammer it to shape yourself. Unfortunately, not purple.
If you aren't too picky, you might consider metallic spray paint followed by several coats of high gloss finish. Note: based on my experience, don't use the brush-on versions of these paints. They aren't nearly as good as the spray paint.
posted by she's not there at 12:07 PM on July 5, 2017 [5 favorites]
If you aren't too picky, you might consider metallic spray paint followed by several coats of high gloss finish. Note: based on my experience, don't use the brush-on versions of these paints. They aren't nearly as good as the spray paint.
posted by she's not there at 12:07 PM on July 5, 2017 [5 favorites]
You could test it on smaller stones, but there is pourable clear epixy resin. I agree the best analog might be metallic spray paint with a pourable epoxy resin top coat.
On the same note, it might be easier to coat a number of smaller stones and group them together, rather than creating the effect on one super large stone that's harder to work with.
posted by jbenben at 12:39 PM on July 5, 2017 [1 favorite]
On the same note, it might be easier to coat a number of smaller stones and group them together, rather than creating the effect on one super large stone that's harder to work with.
posted by jbenben at 12:39 PM on July 5, 2017 [1 favorite]
I'd see if a car wrap place might be able to do something with the idea. I've seen cars that look like they're chrome or gold plated, and it turns out they were wrapped.
The problem with coatings is that you'll never get that mirror-like reflection that polished metal has. If I had all the time in the world, I'd try using a grinder to smooth/round off the texture a bit for the part I wanted metallized, then I'd cut some 1' x 1' squares of heavy-duty aluminum foil, being careful not to wrinkle it. I'd paint some clear epoxy on a section of the stone and apply the foil, shiny-side out, taking care to burnish it to create as smooth a surface as possible. Repeat to cover the desired area. (There are model makers who use aluminum foil to cover parts of airplane models that are supposed to be unpainted steel or chrome because paint just doesn't cut it, and they get amazing results although the surfaces they're working on tend to be more geometrically regular than a rock).
Once it was all cured, I'd put another coat of clear epoxy over it and let it cure. Then I'd do a tinted clearcoat with whatever color I wanted. Tinting a clearcoat is a time-honored method of approximating a colored metallic look.
I'd try it on a small sample first, but my guess is it would fall short of my hopes and I would probably decide not to continue on a larger scale. Getting a mirror-like metallic look without using actual highly-polished metal or metal plating is nearly impossible. I think the car wrap idea might have some promise though.
posted by under_petticoat_rule at 12:55 PM on July 5, 2017 [3 favorites]
The problem with coatings is that you'll never get that mirror-like reflection that polished metal has. If I had all the time in the world, I'd try using a grinder to smooth/round off the texture a bit for the part I wanted metallized, then I'd cut some 1' x 1' squares of heavy-duty aluminum foil, being careful not to wrinkle it. I'd paint some clear epoxy on a section of the stone and apply the foil, shiny-side out, taking care to burnish it to create as smooth a surface as possible. Repeat to cover the desired area. (There are model makers who use aluminum foil to cover parts of airplane models that are supposed to be unpainted steel or chrome because paint just doesn't cut it, and they get amazing results although the surfaces they're working on tend to be more geometrically regular than a rock).
Once it was all cured, I'd put another coat of clear epoxy over it and let it cure. Then I'd do a tinted clearcoat with whatever color I wanted. Tinting a clearcoat is a time-honored method of approximating a colored metallic look.
I'd try it on a small sample first, but my guess is it would fall short of my hopes and I would probably decide not to continue on a larger scale. Getting a mirror-like metallic look without using actual highly-polished metal or metal plating is nearly impossible. I think the car wrap idea might have some promise though.
posted by under_petticoat_rule at 12:55 PM on July 5, 2017 [3 favorites]
Are there more pedestrian alternatives that you could apply to rock to achieve some kind of a cool effect?
Paint some rocks and seal them with a waterproof, shiny finish. You can probably find lots of them near the spray paint in any hardware or craft store. I think a stained glass effect would be cool, with blocks of color separated by bold, black lines. There is also decorative foil that you can buy and glue to the rocks, but it will get pretty expensive if you are doing large rocks.
Test your methods on smaller rocks and leave them out for a year or so before making a big investment.
posted by soelo at 1:11 PM on July 5, 2017 [3 favorites]
Paint some rocks and seal them with a waterproof, shiny finish. You can probably find lots of them near the spray paint in any hardware or craft store. I think a stained glass effect would be cool, with blocks of color separated by bold, black lines. There is also decorative foil that you can buy and glue to the rocks, but it will get pretty expensive if you are doing large rocks.
Test your methods on smaller rocks and leave them out for a year or so before making a big investment.
posted by soelo at 1:11 PM on July 5, 2017 [3 favorites]
Hypertufa is blend of perlite, portland cement, and peat moss used to make gardening troughs and fake rocks. There are a lot of recipes out there for tinting etc.
Between that and epoxy you could surely come up with something, maybe even at a scale you want. If I were you I would look especially at auto-parts stores and at bathroom quickie remodel kits, like the kind you use to 'refinish' porcelain.
There is also this acid-washing floor thing people do to impressive effect--you might try Googling that and looking at it. I think it is typically done on cement but perhaps you could do it on rock, so you would buy the boulders and then try the acid thing.
Also: build prototypes!
posted by A Terrible Llama at 1:20 PM on July 5, 2017 [5 favorites]
Between that and epoxy you could surely come up with something, maybe even at a scale you want. If I were you I would look especially at auto-parts stores and at bathroom quickie remodel kits, like the kind you use to 'refinish' porcelain.
There is also this acid-washing floor thing people do to impressive effect--you might try Googling that and looking at it. I think it is typically done on cement but perhaps you could do it on rock, so you would buy the boulders and then try the acid thing.
Also: build prototypes!
posted by A Terrible Llama at 1:20 PM on July 5, 2017 [5 favorites]
Acid stain. It's called acid staining. Not 'acid wash'.
posted by A Terrible Llama at 1:26 PM on July 5, 2017 [5 favorites]
posted by A Terrible Llama at 1:26 PM on July 5, 2017 [5 favorites]
Chrome plating places can apply chrome to almost anything. Talk to some and find someone who thinks the project is cool. They have lifting equipment and stuff, so it's perfectly possible that you could find someone willing to attempt to chrome plate half of a good sized rock for you.
If not, you can take your rock, make a fiberglass cast of the part you want chromed, and have the exterior of that cast chromed. Then you can epoxy the fiberglass and chrome cap back onto the rock.
posted by cmoj at 2:02 PM on July 5, 2017 [3 favorites]
If not, you can take your rock, make a fiberglass cast of the part you want chromed, and have the exterior of that cast chromed. Then you can epoxy the fiberglass and chrome cap back onto the rock.
posted by cmoj at 2:02 PM on July 5, 2017 [3 favorites]
The issue with directly applying foil or metallic paint is that every little wrinkle and bump will show and what is appealing about the sculpture is the molten effect. I would coat the rock with something gloppy (technical term) to smooth it out, spraypaint it and then apply protective coats.
posted by TWinbrook8 at 5:09 PM on July 5, 2017 [2 favorites]
posted by TWinbrook8 at 5:09 PM on July 5, 2017 [2 favorites]
"Concrete metal spray" is a search term that may give you a good basis to work from.
But cost-wise, a rock half the size of the art-boulders is still going to be expensive to move and place. Unless you have access to heavy equipment, cost might force you to look at smaller options.
posted by Dip Flash at 6:25 PM on July 5, 2017 [1 favorite]
But cost-wise, a rock half the size of the art-boulders is still going to be expensive to move and place. Unless you have access to heavy equipment, cost might force you to look at smaller options.
posted by Dip Flash at 6:25 PM on July 5, 2017 [1 favorite]
I would install a small LED up-light to illuminate the whole thing... (I like the purple boulder best)
Maybe colored LED lights, illuminating a metallic surface, could help achieve the look you're after.
posted by Iris Gambol at 8:47 PM on July 5, 2017 [1 favorite]
Maybe colored LED lights, illuminating a metallic surface, could help achieve the look you're after.
posted by Iris Gambol at 8:47 PM on July 5, 2017 [1 favorite]
Rustoleum makes a mirror-effect spray. I saw this video (YT, 5m25s) on imgur, demonstrating the stuff, and it works on glass, making a creditable mirror out of the surface. But how will it do on rocks? I have no idea, but it'll run you about $9/can at your local hardware chain store. Go try it on some small stones and see how it does. If it's good, scale up and try again; it seems like a cheap experiment.
posted by Sunburnt at 11:31 PM on July 5, 2017 [5 favorites]
posted by Sunburnt at 11:31 PM on July 5, 2017 [5 favorites]
every little wrinkle and bump will show
I was thinking of river rock for the smaller pieces for just that reason.
posted by soelo at 7:58 AM on July 6, 2017
I was thinking of river rock for the smaller pieces for just that reason.
posted by soelo at 7:58 AM on July 6, 2017
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You could get something close with layers of epoxy resin they use for "special effect flooring"
some examples here.
posted by bobdow at 11:17 AM on July 5, 2017 [1 favorite]