salt and wood

SHOP

Of course many items are already sold and some have been gifted but due to popular demand a PAYPAL system is under way and will soon form part of this blog. On that note all ITEMS will be marked as either sold or available. In the mean time if you are curious drop a line in the comments area.

ABOUT

Salt and Wood is a collection of ideas and small projects that look at the re purposing of found materials and objects as a matter of creative interest and environmental benefit. Below is a little blurb about the ‘BOATS’ the ‘ITEMS’ and the materials used.

 SALT

 BOATS

Roughly half the timber consolidated into the items on this blog are recovered from the sea. Collected around the beaches, bays and waterways of Sydney. In the process of seeking out this material there is sometimes the opportunity of an engineering exercise. This is in the form of spontaneous design and construction of a directionally sailable craft from whatever materials are immediately at hand. Luckily our beaches and waterways runneth over with a plethora of detritus ‘an amateur Maritime Architects wonderland’. The only tool employed is a fold out pocket knife. Have a look at the category ‘BOATS’ on this blog.

MATERIALS

Some of the best timber bits and pieces collected for the Items on this blog come from the sea, washed or smashed of boats in storms and so on. The mystery is that these bits could have washed here over a long periods from places all over the world. And the timber when revealed is often surprising and off unrecognisable species from some mysterious forest who know where in the world.

There are other layers of character imbued in beach found dimensioned timber such as the evidence of the original purpose in its cut detailing or joinery. And the evidence of its physical history of use such as where a rope has smoothed a channel or something has been repeatedly worked or prepared across a surface. Then there is the sea itself that smooths edges and erodes soft-grained furrows and bleaches and preserves in salt. The salt in the sea oxidises around nails and metal components sending areas handsomely black. While the small creatures of the sea chew and burrow scribbles and little holes and other interesting features into the material.

WOOD

ITEMS AND MATERIALS

Apart from the sea, the street of the inner suburbs supply timber components for the collection of small projects on this blog. These projects involve the re purposing of found timber and generally attempting to incorporate some of the interesting or quirky details of the original components into the re composed item. For example if an old draw had interesting dove tail jointing or carved or 1930s deco handles it could be displayed in the new item. Where possible the various components are only selectively sanded. Hopefully this ads layers of interest to the re composed piece. Generally an attempt is made to retain evidence of past surface finishes and other clues to the history of materials.

HQ

HQ or Head Quarters is but one of many names given to the range of ‘come home key cabinets’ that have been designed and created here on this blog. These units provide the perfect landing and central control point for all your daily knick knacks. Wallet, keys, smart phone, spare change pen and note pad, sunnies that important piece of paper etc. They are designed as free standing or wall mountable units to go in the place of your choice that you can off load when you get home and re load when you go out. Have a look at the new category ‘HQ.’ Also the dedicated HQ page on this blog. If you are interested in commissioning one for yourself drop me a line in the comments area.