Building the Frame or Substrate

Tue, 06 Dec 2011 12:41:12 -0800

I start by finding large pieces of corrugated material - primarily double and triplewall. I'm looking for post consumer materials that are clean, sturdy and not too dented or battered. It doesn't have to be perfect as I can work around a damaged section.

There are the triplewall vegetable bins from the produce department.
I look for big boxes - television boxes are usually made of doublewall but refrigerator boxes are just singlewall. Singlewall is good for some things but is not sturdy enough for the structural base.
Big box warehouse stores receive and display goods by the pallet. Between the layers on the pallet, are sheets of heavy paper (sometimes textured) or singlewall/doublewall corrugated. I collect the doublewall corrugated to use for building the structural part my work, but I also collect singlewall and textured paper for many other uses.

Tools: I use a selection of simple tools

On my work table I have a large, self-healing cutting mat. This protects the table top surface from the wear and tear from my cutting blades and it helps keep my cutting blade sharper, longer.
For a cutting blade, I prefer a sturdy utility knife with a retractable blade.
A metal ruler is good for measuring and also serves as a guide for cutting straight lines.
I also use 45 degree and 30-60 triangles to measure and cut angles. Plus a t-square or l-square for cutting 90 degree corners.
Scissors, tweezers and a selection of glues are also needed. My primary glue is a plain, white craft glue.

To make a desk clock frame, I start with triplewall, cut pieces that are 3" wide and an inch or two longer than needed. I glue these pieces together to form the shape and size for the clock I am planning to build. Once the glue has dried, I cut off the excess material. I add triangular pieces inside the corners to reinforce the frame and provide support for the clock face.

To make a hexagon wall clock, I would use doublewall and draw out the shape - either to the desired size or to fit within the dimensions of the piece of corrugated I plan to use. Once the shape has been cut, I score and fold the walls of the clock so I can glue it together. I add rectangles of triplewall along the inside of each side as reinforcement and to support the clock face.

Construction Blog aka "How she do dat!" | Corrugated Mosaic Art | Luci Lytle

Building the Frame or Substrate