How to Make a Fake Burning Log
A fake burning log is a decorative log that gives the look of a real one. The fake logs are used inside of gas or electric fireplaces to give the appearance of a log burning. When the fire from the gas or electric fireplace reflects off of the fake log, it makes the fake log looks like that it is burning as well. A fake burning log can be designed with basic insulation foam and different colors to make the log look more realistic.
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Things You'll Need
- Plastic trash bags
- Spray insulation foam
- Old newspaper
- Carving knife or carving tools
- Safety glasses
- Brown spray paint
- Paper paints
- Black acrylic paint
- Red acrylic paint
- Small paint brush
Instructions
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Stretch a plastic trash bag over a table or another flat surface. Shake a can of insulation foam spray for a couple of minutes.
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Spray a 12- to 14-inch straight line of the the insulation foam across the trash bag. Wait a few minutes for the line to harden and spray another 12- to 14-inch line directly beside the first line. The insulation foam lines will expand a couple of inches when they expand.
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Wait for the second line to harden and expand. Spray another line on top of each of the bottom two lines. Wait for the top two lines to harden and expand. Spray one more line in the center of the top two lines and wait for it to harden and expand.
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Turn the hardened insulation over and spray another line in the center of the bottom two lines. Wait for the bottom center line to harden. This process will give the fake log the round look. Remove the hardened foam from the trash bag and place it on newspaper.
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Carve the hardened foam with a carving knife or carving tools until the foam looks like a round log. Carve the hardened foam in a manner so that the log and the ends of the log are rounded off. Also use the carving tool to make lines in the log to look like bark lines. Once the hardened foam has been carved out to look like a log, move the hardened foam outside and place it in the grass.
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Spray paint the entire fake log with the brown spray paint. Wait for the paint to dry and add another coat if necessary to make the hardened foam look like a brown log. Once the paint dries, paint the log with the black acrylic paint to make broken lines across the surface of the log to give the log more of a bark look.
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Paint the round ends of the fake log with a small amount of the red acrylic paint to. Add just enough of the red paint to give the ends of the fake log the look of being on fire. Add a small amount of the red paint across the bottom of the log if necessary to give the bottom of the log the appearance of being on fire.
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Tips & Warnings
Carve the hardened foam as needed to reach the desired look of a log.
Spray insulation foam can be found at most hardware stores.
Cover any items around the area where the fake log will be painted to prevent the spray paint from getting onto the items.
Wear safety glasses when painting.
References
- " The Woodworking Book for the Serious Beginner; Tips and Tricks;" Pamela Jones; 1995
