Welcome to the Anthropocene

7 years ago

Fordite, also known as Detroit agate, is old automobile paint which has hardened sufficiently to be cut and polished. It was formed from the built up of layers of enamel paint slag on tracks and skids on which cars were hand spray-painted (a now automated process), which have been baked numerous times.

Previously, previously.

Tags: art, mad science, sprawl, the future

10 Responses:

1. Ali Pressgrove says:

   7 years ago at 5:23 pm

   *the more you know*

2. spoonyfork says:

   7 years ago at 3:59 am

   People used to collect fordite and make jewelry out of it. You would see it for sale in some jewelry stores around Metro Detroit and Michigan. It looks like people are still making jewelry, makes a unique holiday gift idea.

   • spoonyfork says:

     7 years ago at 4:03 am

     How about a link this time.

3. Jef Poskanzer says:

   7 years ago at 7:27 am

   Seems like it wouldn't be too hard to build a machine that makes more of this stuff. With more interesting colors.

   • Pavel Lishin says:

     7 years ago at 1:04 pm

     Hm, I wonder how long it takes for this stuff to get hard enough.

     • Elusis says:

       7 years ago at 1:49 pm

       ... said the actress to the bishop.

4. Caroline Bokman says:

   7 years ago at 8:31 am

   Neat!

5. shades says:

   7 years ago at 10:16 pm

   See also; "Rainbow Calsilica" http://treasuretrunkdesigns.blogspot.com/2011/06/calsilica-mysterious-wonder-stone-or.html

6. thielges says:

   7 years ago at 7:07 pm

   There's a painter in LA who creates abstracts from pieces of plywood painted with dozens of coats of automobile paint. Then he selectively sands off patches leaving agate patterns like this. I think his day job was in an auto body shop. Wish I had a link.

7. Kareem says:

   7 years ago at 4:34 pm

   Thanks for sharing my post dear, i'd like to share some others on your site :)

   http://miningeology.blogspot.com.eg/2015/07/twin-galaxy-stones.html