Introduction: Bike Tire Necklace Sculpture

By Orly
About: My name is Orly and I am a fine art graduate studying to complete my second MFA at San Francisco Art Institute. Love making things out of all kinds of metal.

Have you ever wondered what to do with a punctured like tire, some dried out acrylic paint and left over aluminum ??....make a statement recycled necklace sculpture !!

Step 1: Materials Needed

1. A punctured bike tire

2. Two part epoxy resin ( I used clear epoxy from Douglas & Sturgess)

3. Any color acrylic paint tube ( I choose yellow)

4. Self - adhesive wall repair Aluminum patch sheet

5. Digital scale

6. Plastic container

7. Wooden Stir Sticks

8. Funnel

9. Cardboard box

8. Wax paper

9. Needle nose pliers or regular pliers

10. Blue Disposable Nitrile Gloves

Step 2: Cutting Off the Valve

First Step:

Wipe off tire with a damp cloth to remove any dust or dirt. Locate and cut off the tire valve on both sides of it.

Step 3: Tying the Tire on One End

Create a tight knot on one end of the tire. This knot will need to be very tight so the risen we will pore into tire will not leak out. You can tighten knot with a pair of players. Be carful not to rip the tire.

Step 4: Mixing the Two Part Epoxy

The two part epoxy I used needs to be mixed in a 2:1 ratio (two part epoxy to one part hardener). Also this epoxy dries completely to hard state in 24 hours. You can choose fast drying epoxy, one that dried in 30 min or several hours. Anything that dries faster then 30 min will possibly pose a problem. After we poor the epoxy into the tire we need some time to manipulate the tire to the desired shape.

In the images bellow I weighed the epoxy to 160 grams and then added 80 grams of harder to it. Mix well.

Step 5: Pouring the Epoxy Into the Tire

We tied one end of the bike tire we place that end on the floor or better in a cardboard box. This process is a little messy and if you don't want epoxy on random things you should keep working in the cardboard box. I attached the funnel to the other end of the bike tire and held it up. Then very gently and slowly poor the mixed epoxy into tire in intervals to make sure the epoxy slides inside the tire all the way down to the knot. Do not over fill - which means keep at least 2-3 inches of bike tire at the top that does not have any epoxy in it. This is for the porpos of tying the other end of the bike tire. Then tie the other end of the bike tire make sure its a tight knot. This will get messy you will have some epoxy on your hands and some drops in the box you are working in. That is why wearing the gloves is a must.

**If there is any epoxy left over - save it you will need it at a later step.

Step 6: Shaping the Tire

The tire is now tied at both ends and is full of epoxy that is still in a liquid state. Keep in mind that you will need about 20 inches of untied tire to go around your neck. I tied it randomly in different areas, its a spontaneous process.

You can follow the exact ties I made if you with to have the exact outcome.

Step 7: Completing Shape

Once you decided that you are happy with shape, I usually very carefully untie that end that will make the last knot. And tie it to the rest of the structure, again assuring the knot is tight.

Step 8: Letting the Tire Necklace Epoxy Completely Harden

Lay some wax paper on the cardboard box we have been working on and gently arrange and place the necklace on it. Make sure you consider the neck line. And let it sit there untouched until epoxy completely hardens. I also like to use any leftover epoxy from the mix to brush on the whole necklace especially the knots.

Step 9: After the Resin Has Hardened, Adding the Adhesive Wall Repair Aluminum Patch Sheet

The resin is hard and necklace is completely riggid. Next step is to cut into strips the adhesive wall repair Aluminum patch sheet, and wrap around different sections of bike tire. Here you have the freedom to choose where you like to wrap the strip, and since the strip of aluminum has adhesive on it will stay in place.

Step 10: Apply Yellow Acrylic Paint

Place the necklace back in the box, and mix a little water with the acrylic paint - then drip the paint onto the necklace. Leave it to completely dry.

Step 11: Completed Necklace Wall Sculpture

Competed, now you can hang it on the wall.