DIY Network

Metal Outdoor Art Use a grinding wheel and paint techniques to create powerful outdoor looks. From "B. Original" episode DBOR-158

Michele Beschen's graffiti-inspired paint techniques come outdoors to play in these projects: First, she pulls out the heavy machinery to texturize a sheet of stainless steel with a metal grinder before giving it the graffiti treatment. Then, the B. Original host takes stenciling to a whole new level using found objects to help paint up a plain mailbox.

Create cool outdoor art...

Or the ultimate graffiti mailbox.

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	Figure A
	Figure B
	Figure C

Stainless Steel Art

Materials:

scrap stainless steel sheet
grinding wheel
eye protection
gloves
spray paint or airbrush
spray polyurethane

• Go to a scrap metal dealer and purchase a sheet of stainless steel (figure A). You can do this project with any type of metal; different metals will give different results when you use the grinder to create patterns.

  Note: Make sure to have the metal dealer cut the piece to your desired size if you don't have the equipment to do so.

• While wearing eye protection and gloves, use a grinding wheel to create a pattern on top of the stainless steel (figure B). Keep at it until you're satisfied with the textured pattern.

  Safety Alert: Always wear gloves and eye protection when using power tools like the grinding wheel.

• Dust off the piece, then take the pattern to the next level with spray paint or an airbrush (figure C).

• Protect the final product with two or more coats of polyurethane and set it out for the world to see.

	Figure D
	Figure E
	Figure F

Super-Stenciled Mailbox

Materials:

plain metal mailbox
spray paints suitable for use on metals (several colors)
letter stencils
fishing net, chain, other stencil objects
spray polyurethane

• Dig around in your garage to find different objects that will make interesting stencil images.

• Clean off your mailbox and start stenciling; switch colors as you switch stencil objects. Michele Beschen found that covering the mailbox with fishing net before spraying created a cool snakeskin effect (figure D).

• Keep stenciling until you're happy with the result. Michele Beschen also used a length of chain, fishing equipment (figure E) and the plastic rings from a six-pack of soda (figure F).

• If you actually want to use your mailbox as a mailbox, it will need a name—especially since it doesn't look like any other box on your letter carrier's route. Stencil it on with letter stencils.

• Protect the painted surfaces with two or more coats of spray polyurethane, and you have a mailbox worth writing home about!