Today was the day to put the final prefabrication details on the board room table and get it outside to gather the final rust patina it will wear in the boardroom. Each workstation at the table needed an electrical and ethernet connection so I broke out the welder and got busy welding on the threaded pipes which will act as fasteners for the flexible conduit we will use to bring the power and network connections to the underside of the table. Once everything was ground nice and smooth it was time to add some detail.
Sculpting epoxy was used to fashion hundreds of barnacles and some starfish to create a nautical flavor. One the epoxy had set up it was time to apply our iron paint to the fittings and barnacles, then as a last step some mid acid was sprayed and sponged over the entire piece. The rust patina formed before my eyes!
It's still very dark and somewhat blotchy but it will even out as it dries and more rust forms in the next day or so. It's impossible to tell the heavy steel from the routed Precision Board after the paint and patina are done.The starfish will get their proper coat of paint and a glaze of course to tone things down. The table top is at the cabinet makers to get the melamine put on it next week.
As I started the acid wash I felt it needed one more detail to take the table over the top. I put away the acid and quickly cut two more small holes in the large pipe with my plasma cutter, then broke out the welder one last time and welded in two more small threaded pipes. These were for the electrical wires for the rows of LED lights which will now run under the table on each side. It's a detail that just has to be included! They will show the barnacles, starfish and the myriad of electrical connections to their maximum effect and also add a soft glow to the MultiCam logo we will burn into the center plexiglass with a CNC laser. I can hardly wait to see it all together!
-dan
