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I found a busted up bamboo table, a dumpster find, that I'd like to repurpose into something creative, like a table top. The idea would be to split it into strips and then glueing it down to the base wood, coating it with some sort of clear coat material. Bamboo would make an awesome floor, I mean if you had a dump truck full of chopsticks (I used to eat a lot of take-out, but not anymore, I'm low carb friendly now). And If you were a devoted obsessive with a whole lot of time on your hands. Anyway, I just love repurposing curbside goodies and dumpster finds.
I'd definitely agree with layering being the key, like waxing and painting, the more layers, the better it looks. Well, layering in moderation! Twenty layers would probably make anything look like $h!t! That's a really cool idea for tables. A lot invested in drying time between layers, sounds like? Cheers, RayHammer.
Not entirely. The more layers you have the more the base image/design looks like a polished bowling-ball, or perhaps a wizard's smokey crystal ball if that image "conjures" up in your mind better. The layering also blends the design together so that you don't notices distinct edges as much unless you're really looking for them. A third benefit is that you have a smooth surface (because the poly should flatten itself out to an even surface if you do it right), especially if you're using layers of design material or items of different thicknesses. Maybe if you get into the range of 40+ layers of polyurethane it would start to look bad, but try it out and see what works. Sometimes the worst thing to do with artsy stuff is to keep messing with it beyond the point where it already looks good.
Thought/Idea for future or others: I wonder what a project would look like with the base design followed by several layers of poly, followed by another layer of design in pockets. Would that create something like a "floating" design layer over top the base layer? Follow that up with another several layers of polyurethane.
The more layers you have the more the base image/design looks like a polished bowling-ball, or perhaps a wizard's smokey crystal ball if that image "conjures" up in your mind better.
Thought/Idea for future or others: I wonder what a project would look like with the base design followed by several layers of poly, followed by another layer of design in pockets. Would that create something like a "floating" design layer over top the base layer? Follow that up with another several layers of polyurethane.
Thanks for the comment. When you said, "image/design looks like a polished bowling-ball" that brought to mind The Bowler from Mystery Men and her father's bowling ball skull. That idea would make for a good thread. A thread on inlaying. If it doesn't already exist. What do you call this type of layering, it goes far behond inlay?
That polyurethane covering over the penny floor had that visual effect. Not exactly, floating, but if you stacked pennies in a second layer I'm sure it would create that floating effect. Multiplane overlaying techniques like the type used in animation would add depth. Your idea of layering objects in polyurethane is the same process, just a different medium. I love your idea! Cheers!
Has anyone had any experience using Shellac as a natural alternative to polyurethane? I was reading about furniture finishes and the article had a brief description, but didn't go into any details.
Has anyone had any experience using Shellac as a natural alternative to polyurethane? I was reading about furniture finishes and the article had a brief description, but didn't go into any details.
Shellac is easy to apply and dries fast . It is applied in several thin coats and can usually be recoated in about 4 hours. The problem with shellac it that it is easily damaged and dissolves in both water and alcohol. It can't be applied in very humid weather because humidity turns it white. Shellac finishes need to be waxed to protect the surface. With a particular process you can achieve what is known as a "French polish" which is a very glossy, highly polished surface that really accents the wood grain.
I disagree, paper recycling is taking waste paper and turning it into new paper products, by definition. As if by tearing it into smaller pieces and glueing it to a floor. It has been altered and repurposed into something else, a paper composite type flooring. Hence, recycled. the phase 'recycling brown paper bags,' is American English vernacular speech, and implies repurposing traditionally, as well, as is stated in the title of my thread. This isn't even a case of semantics. If you care to elaborate on your point, I'd be open to hearing it, and also, others can feel free to chime in.
Agreed, the videos are not using all environmentally friendly materials. Since this is posted in Green Living, the point was to come up with alternate methods, improvements on the project toward green living. Alternatively, I may decide not to do it at all.
Polyurethane takes something like 200 years to decompose. Plastics are everywhere and in everything. Like processed sugar, it's getting to be impossible to avoid. Feel free to start a thread on environmentally friendly processes. Maybe we can figure out a way to avoid using environmentally detrimental materials. My main goal was to get ideas on repurposing paper bags and cost efficiency. Cheers!
You can use paper as mulch, and it will decompose. I’ve done it many times, laying down layers of wet newspaper, and covering with loose mulch or a thin layer of dirt. I don’t see why brown paper would not also decompose.
You can use paper as mulch, and it will decompose. I’ve done it many times, laying down layers of wet newspaper, and covering with loose mulch or a thin layer of dirt. I don’t see why brown paper would not also decompose.
Pine contains resins that are natural antibiotic/anti-fungal (ever notice how nothing grows under pine trees?) Newsprint is from pine, so theoretically it is bad for the important soil microbes. (That's why they tell you to place a woman in labor in an emergency on newsprint. It's as near sterile as you can get at home.)
Pine contains resins that are natural antibiotic/anti-fungal (ever notice how nothing grows under pine trees?) Newsprint is from pine, so theoretically it is bad for the important soil microbes. (That's why they tell you to place a woman in labor in an emergency on newsprint. It's as near sterile as you can get at home.)
I’ve done it successfully. As I mentioned, one could easily use brown bags.
Just apply wet newsprint to damp soil. Cover. It works as a short term barrier to weeds, and ultimately decomposes.
"Holds up fairly well...lasts anywhere from a few to several years..." From Bob Vila. This doesn't sound like a ringing endorsement.
You can compost your paper bags, put them under mulch to keep weeds out, or re-use them to carry groceries.
If I needed new flooring, I'd save up and get the best materials I could.
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