First let me say that I live about 1.5mi from a public beach so I was able to make several trips each day. You really want to take your time and just look at the thousands of pieces available.

Things to consider: How long would it take to clean, How can it be used, Is there a flat surface, Is it too big -too small, most importantly- Are you going to keep it or sell it? I'll be honest, MOST of the pieces I kept for myself were not the best pieces but I did find some very cool chunks and shapes. I wish I could show you all the crazy shapes and sizes I collected but I really didn't want to keep stopping to take photos of every piece...time is money...lol.

So, you spent some time at the beach and found that perfect piece you want to create something with. I was asked by my neighbor if I could make a small "welcome" sign that could be placed outside her home. So that was my starting point. I found this piece and played around with how it would be "sitting."

Once I saw it sit in the position I felt it would work, I began to clean it with brushes. I didn't have to clean off any tar or other stains. If you can clean it without washing it, that would be best.

Once you have you piece, (in most cases) you'll have to remove the base. My cabinet that houses my M1 allows for ample room under my machine. I merely built up the base to the level I needed. In this case I ran auto-measure and it read out at 23mm (on the lowest spot), so I went with that. The face was not flat so I placed my level on the lowest part and tried to level the "face" of the wood.

This step is very simple. I imported a predesigned "Welcome" graphic that I purchased through https://wickedandwhimsie.com/

Take special note on the surface of your piece. Keep an eye on your edges. I was fooled by the edge of where the 2nd "e" in Welcome would fall. It could have been better.

So, obviously I don't have "Air Assist" and upon first look, it looks like this piece got totally charred. Yes, but you can brush that off. Don't freak out if there is A LOT of charring. You can use a small paint brush or small sweep to brush off that soot. I then used a damp towel to gently wipe off the wood face.

So here we are, it's finished. You can add a mild sealer but the client (my neighbor) specifically said she wanted to see and feel the texture of the original wood. Bonus, she enjoyed it and took a big sniff and told me she could still smell the beach in it....lol I'm just glad she didn't smell the smoke from the laser burning...lol.

NOTE: if you do use cleaners or just flat out wash it, you can add a scent to it by placing air fresheners inside a ziploc type bag with your piece for a day. Try to avoid getting the freshener oil in direct contact with your wood because it may cause staining.

Sincerest thanks for taking the time to read about this project. If you have any comments or suggestions, please feel free to comment below.

Enjoy Earth Day - Sat, Apr 22, 2023

Robert

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