Mechanical Fixtures for Nautical Plaque

[R. A. Mitchell]

Here's a fun one. I'm doing a series of plaques on antique wood from a 19th century ship. The customer wants to affix a specially cast image of the ship on the plaque (approx 4 inch upright oval), but he isn't interested in using any adhesives or inlaying the casting. Instead, we're trying to come up with a way to mechanically affix the casting to the surface of the wood using brass or copper, the more nautical the look, the better. The planks I'm using are original wood from the ship and have a beautiful distressed look.

Any of you guys have ideas for the mechanical fixture? I'm thinking about driving wire into the wood and creatively bending it to hold the casting in place. Although I'll be lasering artwork into the wood, he wants to keep the original planks as natural looking as possible. He has given me wide latitude for artistic creativity, and these are bound to be heirlooms. Any ideas?

[Stephen Beckham]

Well, a photo would be nice, but here's a SWAG...

How about bending the copper pieces in a modified upside down W shape so that you get a cradle or with a bunch of them there a skeleton looking dry dock? They could be formed to the shape of the ship to let it sit comfortably and secure, but allow for picking up for conversation piece.

Not sure how many it would take and what the best manner of doing it would be. You could use felt tabs on the contact points to ensure no scratching...

[Dan Hintz]

Not sure how you would accomplish it, but how about making it looks like the porthole in the side of a ship? Don't they usually have a hinge on one side and some form of twist-to-loosen capture rod on the other?

[R. A. Mitchell]

I'm still leaning toward the bent wire. There's a kind of nautical ivory pattern that is incorporated on the ship, and bending the wire to look like that ivory would be an attractive mount.