We Cast Epoxy Into a Termite Nest and Made a Nightmarish Table

The Green Project is hosting its annual "Salvations" art show and auction and for the first time Chemical 14 is submitting a piece. I have been holding on to this giant termite nest that I excavated from the floor of our bathroom during reconstruction with the idea that I would eventually coat it with epoxy and make something out of it and this seemed like the perfect opportunity.
The rules of the show dictated the our submission must be a functional piece of furniture constructed of at least 90% reclaimed materials. We decided to build a breakfast table with the termite nest as a centerpiece beneath the glass top. All of the other materials we used came from our scrap pile, most of which are leftovers from the reconstruction of our building.
Chemical 14 swag:
teespring.com/...
I hope you enjoy the build!
Don't forget to SUBSCRIBE!
#epoxy

[@ecromancer]

"The termites turned my floor joist into their home and I turn their home into a table"

[@blackdeathghostye6654]

I came here for this comment

[@josephgauthier5018]

@@blackdeathghostye6654 i didnt, but i was glad to see it none the less

[@CC-fh6lk]

100th like :)

[@ecromancer]

@@CC-fh6lk thank you!

[@pearlnepgen5100]

104th like

[@ronstar8857]

Wow! That is the only thing I can say! You guys blew me away on this build. As a 60+ year old, who has always loved tools and working with his hands, this is incredible. I have built art stainless steel tables and love to weld, work with metal as well as wood. This project combines an extremely diverse set of skills. You nailed it! Congrats! I am now a subscriber..I look forwards to watching what else you have created!

[@Chemical14]

Thanks! I’m glad you enjoyed it!

[@bigcheese9096]

One day the algorithm will bring millions to this.

[@darknight-sd4nl]

Its beginning

[@rachele7398]

So far its at 116,078 views, so its getting there

[@summerfoulis6260]

It has begun

[@joycedavis9996]

and i’m watching...ewww

[@randomuserame]

This aged well.

[@xnavycub]

So, curious minds want to know... How was the table received, and how much did the table finally sell for at the auction??

[@AbnormalAxis]

I think it's as ugly as you do.......

[@Sahadi420]

you would have to pay me to own that ugly ass shit. LOL (The glass top is as out-of-place as a hooker in church)

[@incognitotorpedo42]

@@Sahadi420 It's not for everybody, but there are people would would be totally into it. I like the metalwork. I'm only so-so on the termite nest itself.

[@carollykins9475]

I too wondered how much the table raised for the auction. It's a cool looking table.

[@emilyfytros9312]

This is both super cool and something from my nightmares

[@swimnwfishes]

As someone who has a personal beef with mosquitos, ticks and now fire ants, I salute ANY recycling of the buggers (no pun intended) homes. Right now, any damage you can do to fire ants would be greatly appreciated in revenge for the some 30 bites on my feet. And, if the jury didn’t like that table, they had to be blind. It’s beautiful!

[@Chemical14]

I have suffered so much at the hands (do termites have hands?) of termites. I’ll definitely be dealing with various insect related anxieties for the rest of my life. Thanks for watching!

[@jakethejeweler3092]

Sandpaper folded over on Itself makes an excellent finishing tool

[@jryangiles]

Hope you guys won the competition because that is a very creative design and a really cool, unique piece.

[@realizedemoneyes]

Super cool. Would have liked a little more time spent on showing the final result with some close up shots. I wanted to see what the nest looked like completed.

[@Chemical14]

Yeah I wish I had taken more video at the end. I was caught up in the build trying to meet the deadline and things got really rushed.

[@easternwoods4378]

@@Chemical14 That's OK. Where is it now and how did it place in the competition ?

[@smallstudiodesign]

Nightmarish? It’s beautiful and so unique!

[@Chemical14]

Thanks! It’s kind of nightmarish to me because I’ve spent so much time fighting the impact of termites I’m our own home. We have an especially difficult relationship with termites in New Orleans.

[@marypatten9655]

Great idea. Can see a lttle Mario Brothers going on there with the pipes. Ot lloks great. An excelent concept. Thank you for sharing your creativity. God blrss

[@MaxineAnne77]

Wow! What a lot of work. LOVE the wings! Thanks for sharing.

[@Tazerboy_10]

I guess the termites just got *TERMINATED* ** Plays CSI: Miami meme **

[@davesmith1199]

Yes,they wont be back.

[@alinamccreery5955]

this deserves more views!

[@Chemical14]

Thanks a lot! I hope you’ll subscribe if you haven’t already!

[@lokiwartooth1138]

We live in lake Charles love seeing guys from the swamp doing cool stuff. Keep up up.

[@Chemical14]

Thank you so much! My next video I’m working on is about the brick and mortar shop we’re building in New Orleans.

[@rhuttrho88]

Awwwww come onnnn man! I thought you poured it into a active Termite colony! That would have been dope! Termites in the table...... Literally!!😁😃

[@sebastianstroud-klein5332]

You’re weird, man

[@wadly99]

My thought exactly. Like the aluminum ones.

[@LifeIsGay1]

Me too. I been looking at ants molding so I thought this was going to be something like that. Oh well.

[@vids2002]

@@sebastianstroud-klein5332 Not at all. Most thought that lol

[@TampaBMan]

Is there anything you can’t do?? Dream job 🤗

[@ConnieWojahn]

Some people have all of the fun, and you guys nailed it!

[@mattersofthehartbynat8815]

Unbelievable! What an incredible amount of thought, artistic flair and talent… I am blown away by just how much work and expertise went into this! It was a joy to watch! ♥️♥️🇦🇺

[@Chemical14]

Thank you! I appreciate it!

[@normajeanhoorn964]

That's pretty awesome man if I had the money I buy it

[@265chevy]

Man you come up with some stuff that table is way cool.Love how you think out the box later great job tell everyone i said hello look forward to your next build

[@bonedmordh5320]

hello

[@occamsrazor7939]

Very good job. Imaginative.

[@art1muz13]

idk why you're not at a million views yet?

[@Chemical14]

Thanks! I appreciate it

[@jimebbert8352]

Personally, I love it. I would have bought it in an instant. 🙂

[@Scoutdogs]

Impressive work! Deserves 1st place

[@updownstate]

I love you guys.

[@ellishansen8115]

Amazing! I love that shaped the table to resemble parts of a termite. The nest is beautiful!

[@Chemical14]

Thanks! I still need to decide what I’m going to do with the other half of the nest. Some sort of wall hanging sculpture I think.

[@ellishansen8115]

@@Chemical14 that would be cool, or what about putting a light in it? Highlighting all those channels would look crazy! Stay well!

[@jigokuNeko]

@@Chemical14 maybe add some lights to make it glow?

[@SnorrioK]

Does your air grinder still act up even with a thin lubricant in it? That's normally what is needed since the oil is the final process inside the tool to add to its tightness (I am Icelandic and technical terms are out of my vocabulary). On a side note, Gun Blue is a toxic chemical and it would be nice if it was used a bit more sparingly, you know, for the environment and all that.

[@Chemical14]

Thanks for the tip! I’ve tried oiling my air grinder. It tends to work ok at first but runs my air pressure down fast and loses power. It’s not a very big air compressor and it’s a cheap grinder. Your point about the Gun Blue is well taken.

[@paulmanson253]

@@Chemical14 Air tool lubrication. There is air tool oil. Tends to be pricy. We just used ATF. Thin,and a form of hydraulic fluid with anti foam agents. Type F preferred,but there have been enough changes in available fluids that I am no longer current. There are oilers for sale,but just dribbling ,oh a teaspoon or so first thing seems to work fine. Down the hose before you plug it together. Some guys once a day,some once a week. As long as the vanes inside the turbine get at least some oil film,they will not heat up. Bearings or bushings just need an oil film,near as I can tell. Cheers. Oh,and see to it condensation water is trapped well. If it gets into the moving parts,that will rust,gunk up,slow and seize any air tool. Take one apart and examine. That will tell you if there is water getting in.

[@mountaindewdude76]

thats a very unique piece! Really nice work!!!

[@bubblemum]

Never seen this before. Fascinating. I wonder what would happen with resin being poured into a fire ant hill? I've seen it done with molten aluminum many times on YT

[@DeTroiT187]

Bravo guys way to think out-of-the-box looking forward to your next documentation keep up the great work it looks beautiful

[@carrot6409]

Moral of the video: Don't mess with these guys or they'll turn your home into a breakfast table

[@73gmiller]

Wow! Great Job guys. I'd be proud to own that table.

[@johnconnell8436]

That's friggin COOL! Nicely done!!

[@jmack8767]

It's very beautiful. But if I had it in my house I would have nightmares about it coming alive and crawling upstairs into my bedroom every night.

[@Chemical14]

Haha, yeah I like the creepy aesthetic

[@begoodamerica9793]

Did you win Best of Show? It is amazing how you thought all of this out and then made it a beautiful glass table. Nice Job and you have aNew Subscriber

[@qhurbagha8474]

Beautiful

[@LucarnAnderson]

This is pretty unique and interesting

[@suzieriederer9235]

So cool!

[@bassmonsteradsit7160]

Seriously, this was fricken way cool to watch, and I am behind this kind of movement, using reclaimed or recycling/re-appropriating materials. AT one point I was in the green building industry which seems to have a lot of similarities. The company I worked for make counter-tops out of low VOC cement and recycled materials such as crushed glass from recycling plants and shredded paper from local various companies looking to get rid of their paper waste.

[@Chemical14]

Thanks! I actually used to work in the countertop industry also. I was fabricating with Corian though so, not green at all haha. I’m glad to be done with that.

[@rickalexander2801]

Curious as to if you won any awards at the art show and how much it went for at auction

[@Chemical14]

It won best craftsmanship award and it auctioned for a few hundred $ (pretty cheap for the work that went into it). I don’t remember how much exactly.

[@rickalexander2801]

@@Chemical14 If it's any consolation, I think yours was the most ingenious. Very impressive.

[@robasiansensation3118]

Art. Love this.

[@Chemical14]

Thanks! I appreciate it.

[@lgkfamily]

With a little more brass this could have been a steampunk piece.

[@stevehartz4615]

Very impressive .what kind of price would u put on that?

[@ericluscombe3272]

Curious why not cut in half like the small one pour epoxy in then glue it together with bit more epoxy

[@redstarwarrior85]

I would have used a stabilizing resin first because then there is no time limit. Then do the epoxy after baking. Just a thought. The finally product still looks awesome, though!

[@reedpiersons177]

Well done guys!

[@opdawg817]

Beautiful work

[@larrrevenga49]

Awesome table . Much labor & talent . You need to make one with anthill casting . Next Great job .🐜

[@easternwoods4378]

That's what I was thinking. Seen a bunch of youtubes of guys pouring couple hundred pounds of aluminum into the ground

[@larrrevenga49]

@@easternwoods4378 Yes an ant table for the base and glass top would look simple and amazing

[@SteveSmith-kf9on]

Fantastic, luv it 👍🇬🇧👌

[@Arkkalious99]

Not nightmarish , but it IS 100% steampunk

[@RajFallen]

Wish I got to see a better top view of the finished termite part, didn't really get to see and enjoy the pattern from the top view

[@ChubbsMcFattFlabbs]

I was just sitting here imagining those rotary file shavings filling that guys shoes.... and no socks.

[@kellysmith7851]

These guys are badass

[@alrestauro]

That is so cool!

[@sandracarter7231]

Wow! Amazingly cool

[@lmenascojr]

Always wondered what it would be like to do the same to a fire ant’s nest.

[@rottiegirl5052]

Unique!👍👍

[@c000159]

Impressive!

[@IMOO1896]

No closeup of the table top?

[@Chemical14]

I wish I had done a better job documenting things towards the end. I was in a time crunch to get everything ready for the auction and the filming/photography suffered.

[@realphoto]

I love it

[@M4rt1nX]

Did you win?

[@quinceyfoose4276]

Wow love it

[@ferdltantmusic5761]

exceptionally cool!

[@mesk1830]

So what did it sell for?

[@Chemical14]

Well it won a cash prize of $500. The money from the sale went to charity which I think was about another $500.

[@watahyahknow]

you putting a lot more force on the outer walls of the nest by vacuuming a bag around it compared to vacuuming it inside a chamber

[@annyeland5391]

The work is amazing and super creative...but I hate the table. I’m sure it will be perfect for someone. I enjoyed watching the creation.

[@JOECorsoNova]

Not sure how much money was generated from this piece, but I can tell you it wasn’t enough! Beautiful build, very well done as well as impressive!

[@Chemical14]

Thanks so much!

[@shitloveaduck]

Very talented. It was as interesting, and maybe even more so, to see the metal work as much as the nest casting!! This would look so good in a sunroom I have! Can you imagine Bistro styled chairs with the same theme? Use portions of the rest of the nest under a thermoformed piece of polished acrylic for the seats! New skills to test out!!! Haha.

[@robervar1097]

What's with that lamp in show room? 90% reclaimed my butt . Used lamp parts into reused lamp parts ? Wait what ? Your table Fun-tastic!

[@brenturquhart7090]

So, did you win?

[@jarrodderr]

Yeah. New sub. 👍

[@elisabetaeross1454]

Why not just use stabilizing resin?

[@Chemical14]

Because I was new to resin and was just trying things. Basically I didn’t know about that haha.

[@publicdomain3378]

So vacuum chamber and then pressure chamber.

[@LoppanH]

I thought there would be termits inbedded in the cast.

[@blackbirdxx928]

Try U.S. Comoposits for epoxy

[@vonparaz27]

Hell yeah...

[@damiennightmaresx7950]

this is just poetic justice but with insects instead of fellow humans

[@joannedallas9175]

cool

[@kimberlyshryack]

That was amzing. You guys are so creative and talented.

[@jinisteffani8035]

Did you win...something???? did it sell...

[@Chemical14]

It won best craftsmanship and it did sell in the auction. Thanks for watching!

[@jinisteffani8035]

@@Chemical14 ...AWESOME...glad to hear that....

[@richardstrick]

Very creative. I was okay until the sound at 11:08 had chills like a dentist drill sound give me.

[@colt45northtexas]

So who won?

[@Chemical14]

We won “best craftsmanship” which was basically second place. A guy built a fancy standing clock that won best in show

[@sdj9776]

Very nicely done.

[@media6969]

Video starts at 13:25

[@Amen.22]

My mother used to say, if you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all.

[@Darkfaderalert]

Look up silent hill this gives the vibe

[@LoPhatKao]

if you didn't win, should've at least got an honorable mention

[@jvon3885]

The sound of cutting at high speeds is brain damaging. May be turn down tool audio on time lapse parts....

[@dilynnvee374]

Infriggincredible!

[@ThePrufessa]

Famowood

[@toomaskotkas4467]

Meh... I was hoping to see the mummified termites inside the nest in resin.

[@ronaldroberts4058]

You guys should invest in some good gloves.

[@grumpyg9350]

What a waste of resources.....

[@Heywoodthepeckerwood]

Thumbs down because this wasn’t an active termite nest.

[@RickOshay...]

What a waist of effing time...

[@makaimaukahasopinions848]

Says a dude watching KZbin.....

[@SuperVince1010]

a lot of work for something thats a yawn

[@jeremyashford2145]

I have nothing good to say about this waste of time and effort so I will not comment.

[@edgewood99]

Ugh....yuck.

[@cbbgenki4315]

thats so bad a**