Eco-Intel Mod by Planet Express Klan

Tellus (Earth)

Wood dominates the theme in Tellus and in order to obtain the desired finished look we applied a technique that appears if the wood is cracked to give it a more rustic and aged look. The natural aesthetic and philosophy are key to this mod with its window being made of paper onion and several plants, like a hanging Bonsai, have been included to emphasise the earth theme.

The entire basic build is made from pine and MDF, having combined pine pieces with 1cm thick MDF in an octagon shape. On three of the sides, we cut out square angled windows to emphasise the main structure further.

After it was sanded down, a 0.6mm veneer was applied to the visible surfaces. Further pieces that would eventually be the legs were cut and sanded to a 45 degree angle on a piece of pine measuring 10x10x300cm. Further covering was applied to match the other surfaces.


Next, a brown paint was made up to match the colour of the wood and veneer. This would act as a primary coat that typically takes an an hour to dry, but before this a clear, fast drying glaze (10 minute) was applied over the top and left for 30 minutes. With the aid of a hair dryer, the difference between the two drying times causes a cracked surface! To accentuate the aged look, we used a fine tipped brush and a dark stain was applied in the cracks to highlight them and add further depth.


After mounting these extra parts to the main mod, more brown wood paint was applied to the surface before the hollowed areas were filled with flowerpots. The interior was painted black to mask the few imperfections and a custom sized reservoir was fitted into the window, with green coloured coolant used to complement the "earth" style.