In this occasional series, we’ll be shining the spotlight on some of our projects and offer a behind-the-scenes glimpse at our process. First up: our copper white marlin on weathered wood.
How It All Began
We were headed to the White Marlin Open Fishing Tournament in Ocean City, Maryland. It was our second time attending the event, and we wanted to bring a statement piece, something that would really show the world (or at least the tournament) who R Mended Metals is and what we do best. This event was also important to us for a more personal reason. As the world’s largest billfish tournament, the White Marlin Open is a family owned and operated business that thrives because of their hard work and dedication, just like R Mended Metals. We were determined to make them proud.
Weathered to Perfection
This particular White Marlin is made from two distinct materials—wood and copper. The wood is heart pine, which we reclaimed from a 100 year-old barn. We know how old the barn was because we tore it down ourselves! The whole process took four trips to Raleigh, where the barn was located, to the get the job done. At one point, we were camping in an RV and working multiple days. It was January, in the upper 30s, but we didn’t care—we knew the wood would be perfect for a number of projects, and that made the hard work a whole lot easier! The wood we used in this particular project came from the barn’s outermost layer, which was the most weathered and thus the most interesting.
Contrast is Key
We chose to make the white marlin from copper, knowing that the warmth and finish of the copper paired with the rugged and distressed barn wood would create a beautiful contrast. In this particular case, the copper’s unique finish—a result of heat-treating, polishing, and stone grinding—offers the perfect balance to the old barn wood. It’s also an incredibly unique piece, since 100-year-old heart pine is a rare find.
Endless Possibilities
Every project comes with surprises and lessons that make us better artists and creators. This piece was a great reminder that working with copper is all about precision—one scratch or ding at any point during the process, and you’ll have to start over from the beginning. Therefore, to maintain the level of craftsmanship for which we’re known we had once chance to get this right. Luckily, it all worked out—the finished product was perfect, and we were proud to bring it to the White Marlin Open.
To see more of our projects, visit our work page. To browse pieces currently for sale, check our shop. And to see what we can do for you, view our services and start daydreaming. We love working with new clients and turning their visions into reality.