Switching Gears - Steampunk Art

And it all began because of a Sickle Sharpener.

When I heard we had been given a Sickle Sharpener, lets say I was less than thrilled. As soon as we took possession of said Sickle Sharpener, my husband found inspiration in the gears, which looked something like this...

Rusty and covered in bright orange paint.

Then, told me that he was going to be turning them in pieces of Steampunk Art. Can you guess the look I gave him, a cross between 'are you crazy' and 'do you actually expect me to put those things in my our house'.

When my husband came home with the most recent Restoration Hardware catalog and there {in this catalog from a home decor store I admire}...gears ranging in price from $80 to almost $200.

Restoration Hardware Gear - As seen it their store.

He won the battle, Steampunk art began and a tutorial was born.

First find yourself some gears. You can find them on Ebay, or in pieces of machinery {an old sewing machine, coffee grinder, old tools}. You should be able to buy gears starting roughly around $5.

Most gears will be dirty, grimy and even rusty. Give them a good cleaning with steel wool or a wire brush. If covered with paint, use some paint thinner. After you've cleaned up your gears, give them a coat of General Finish Oil & Wax. This will give your gears a polished shine.

Using a masonry/concrete bit {which should be a standard bit in any set}, carefully drill a hole into your gear.

Now that the hard part is over, grab some JB Weld {it's to metal what wood glue is to wood}.

Mix an equal part of JB Weld. Dip a post into the JB Weld mixture {we used a nail cutting off the top and point}. Insert the post into the drilled hole. *Allow 24 hours for the JB Weld to securely affix the post to the gear.

Select and prep a base for your gear. We opted for a thin strip of wood that we sanded and stained. Drill a hole into the center of your base.

Using your JB Weld mixture insert the post of your gear into the base {you may need to trim the nail down even further}. To give your gear extra support during the drying process, tape the gear to the base. Again, allow a full 24 hours for the JB Weld to affix and dry.

And there you have it.

Thank you Restoration Hardware!

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