Furniture makers are turning to indigenous materials to make a wide variety of useful items. It is not unusual to see modern furniture bedecked with coconut shells, reeds, or even sea shells. The latter for instance is a popular choice among furniture makers of Cebu, Philippines.
Sea shells are ingeniously crafted into different shapes before it is laid on the surface of furniture. The natural sheen that is present on the inner surface of shells like mother of pearl lends sophistication to any furniture. Sometimes, this interior is combined with the outer covering of sea shells that have different colors and markings to bring a new set of design.
Before sea shells can be transformed into colorful inlays, it undergoes several processing steps including sanding. A bench sander is often used to remove encrustations on the shells surface. This equipment is a stationary tool mounted on a bench and works with the help of a rotating drum.
The abrasive sandpaper, is attached on this rotary drum. The height and grit of a bench sander is often adjustable so that working on it will be comfortable for the operator. In polishing and shaping shell inlays, an electrically operated bench sander is a practical option.
There are different types of bench sanders depending on its purpose. Curved surfaces like sea shells are finished with the use of a flap bench sander. The shells are held firmly before it is brought in contact with the abrasive pad of the sander.
Usually, a medium grit setting is selected when smoothing a sea shell in a bench sander to bring out the effect you wanted. Varying grit can also be achieved with a disc bench sander since it has fine to rough grit settings. After the shell’s surface is thoroughly cleaned in a bench sander, it is further polished with a buffing pad.
Utilizing a bench sander to clean and smooth the surface of sea shells will reveal its iridescent colors. These colors are unique to sea shells and can vary from pink to blue hues. Because of the unique beauty that can only be provided by these shells, furniture produced from this type of material are highly prized around the world.
When using sea shells as a material for different types of furniture, the designs that can be created are limitless. It can be used as table tops, borders for picture frames, lamp shades, and a lot more. So if you want a touch of elegance to your furniture, using inlays of sea shells is one of the most distinctive ways to do it.