If you have an eye for creativity and are looking for an interesting medium, then choosing scrap metal should be high on the list. It is abundant and offers up the ability to create highly customizable pieces as long as you know how to work with it. It is very forgiving and can be made into art from the crude to the sublime.
The versatility is amazon. You can make sculptures of all shapes and sizes and even furniture and home goods and accessories. And the skills that you acquire when you learn how to weld can be applied in many different areas of your life.
In this article, I will go over the basics when it comes to using scrap metal as a form of art.
Learn to weld
Creating the pieces can’t be done if you don’t know how to weld. Look for the best multi process welder that you can afford so you can use it for different applications. You don’t have to go to a trade school to learn how to do it, but you do need to train on it. There are a lot of adult education centers that offer courses in welding so you can learn that way.
If you have a friend who knows how to do it then it can be done on the weekend with them teaching you, too. It isn’t easy to get right, but practice and patience can help you master it in time. You really just need a few months under your belt to be able to make the kind of art that you envision with the skills that you acquire. Of course, welding is a discipline that can have you learning for years on end.
If you are the type that is a constant learner, then this is the perfect way for you to explore your creativity.
It can be dangerous to weld, so make sure that you learn from people who practice the proper safety procedures.
It’s eco friendly
One of the best parts about using scrap metal is that it is being reused. You aren’t using a material that has to be processed or use fossil fuels to make just to end up in a piece of art. The metal was made with resource heavy processes, obviously, but not for the express purpose for you to use it. It was made for something like machinery that has outlived its purpose and is now useless on its own. It will be recycled to be made into something else, but the recycling process also uses a lot of energy and resources to make.
You’re taking that piece of metal out of the environment and making it into something beautiful and appreciated in another way. Once it is made into artwork or as an ornament for somebody’s house, it will last more than several lifetimes in that role. It is durable like not many other materials that can be used to make art.
They can still have a purpose
Decorations can be just about anything and are a great way to exercise your creativity. For example, you can make some abstract artwork that is simply to be used as something to look at. Or, you can use scrap metal as a decorative accessory. From door handles, to drawer pulls to light fixtures. There is a practical application for the piece that is also beautiful and interesting to look at and use.
There really is no limit to what you can create up to and including furniture. If it is a hobby, then you can fill your entire house with unique pieces. If you want to take it further, there is enough possibility that you could even make a living selling your pieces.
It is easy to find
There are some artists who have chosen a medium to work within that they have trouble sourcing the material. They can’t create as much as they’d like because they have to wait to get the material and that can cause delays.
When you use scrap metal, there is no shortage of places where you can get it that are right within reach. Wherever you live, there is a scrap yard nearby that will let you pick through what they have. Some may give it to you for free, but others may charge you a little bit to take it away.
And when you see people that are looking to do a garage or basement cleanout, you can get even more interesting bits to use for nothing.