Mobile - Floating Stars Inside a Galaxy

This MOBILE artwork was inspired by the thought of floating stars inside a galaxy .

With spiraling arms - spherical components - colossal halo and an off center nucleus.

The light mixed colors let you in deeper to the artwork.

The mobile magically floats and slowly spins taking you away.

Using and manipulating material that can represent the different aspects of a galaxy

Bending PVC wood

Different size beads

Fishing line

Supplies used to make Mobile

1. PVC screen door trim - 8 feet by 1/4 inch by 3/4 inch
2. Fishing line PE Braided line 8 plys 10 lb 100 meters long - yellow color
3. Paint pen - orange
4. Swivel small 5/8 long 2X
5. Beads
6. 1/8 inch diameter 32 pieces various colors
7. 1/4 inch diameter 13 pieces various colors
8. 1/2 inch diameter 2 pieces various colors
9. 5/8 inch diameter 1 pieces (from keychain - had hoop already installed)
10. CA glue gel
11. Stainless steel wire 0.51 inch diameter
12. wooden tooth picks
13. cotton swabs plastic sticks = various colors
14. craft string cotton 6 feet (do not use CA glue on cotton)

Tools and Equipment

1. Table saw used - hand saw will work
2. Japanese back saw and miter box
3. Heat gun
4. Yard stick
5. Caliper 6 inch
6. small ruler
7. small spring clips - 6 or more
8. Medium wood clamp
9. Ratchet clamps
10. Leather or heat resistant gloves
11. Hose clamp
12. Metal pipes (for mandrel to bend pvc) approximately 4 feet long each
13. 3/4 inch diameter
14. 2 1/2 inch diameter
15. Small ring mandrel
16. Leather mallet
17. small toothless pliers 2X
18. scissors various types
19. craft razor knife
20. craft grinder with 1/16 inch drill bit
21. razor cutter
22. standard screw driver
23. wire cutter

Spiraling arms

Cutting PVC screen door trim - 8 feet by 1/4 inch by 3/4 inch

Cut to 4 foot length produces two pieces

Saw or rip down the 4 foot length

1. Table saw used - hand saw will work
2. Japanese back saw and miter box

Produces 4 foot long 1/4 inch by 5/16 inch pvc

Create spirals

Clamp one end of the 4 foot long 1/4 inch by 5/16 inch pvc.

with cloves and heat gun (on Low) apply heat and wrap PVC around pipes

Let cool to shape

Cut to desired shape

with razor cutters, cut PVC so that the spirals seem to fit to your eye

Cut cotton swabs for tubes

1. Using razor cutters
2. cut of cotton tips to leave the plastic hollow tubes

Create Hanger Ring this is the ring used to actually hang the mobile from the ceiling

1. Pull some stainless steel wire out
2. start the loop
3. Cut the loop with wire cutters
4. put on ring mandrel
5. using the leather mallet hit the wire to form a ring

Make Ceiling Hanger String

1. add swivel to stainless steel ring
2. Add fishing line

Make the Nebulas

1. using a key ring with ball on the end
2. using paint pen - coat the ball
3. let dry and remove chain and save the swivel
4. run fishing line thru the swivel
5. add stars (beads) and shooting star tails (tubes)

String the spirals with stars

Think of these as two separate spirals - I made mine with tension like a bow

1. Drill location of holes for string in both spirals
2. 
   
3. Add beads to prevent the string pulling thru the holes
4. 1/4 beads then 1/8 beads in that order add glue
5. 1/2 beads were put in the center of each string so that I could run tension string thru (double string)
6. spring clamps can help hold the spirals to let the glue dry
7. Add beads in the between the two ends and add glue

You can add swab tubes to embellish - I look at them like shooting stars

Please note: I used a temporary string (craft string) to hold the tension ( like a bow). when the glue dries you can remove the temporary string

Find the hanging points of spirals

1. using spring clamps hang from ceiling at different points to see
2. balance points
3. how it will look the best

Combine the spirals together

1. Drill location of holes for string in both spirals
2. 
   
3. Add beads to prevent the string pulling thru the holes
4. spring clamps can help hold the spirals to let the glue dry
5. add swivel between the spirals

Find hanging points of combined spirals

1. Using the ceiling hanger
2. using the spring clips
3. Find some good point to hang the combine spirals
4. drill a hole
5. add the Hanging string

Add the nebulas

1. Drill and connect the hanging nebulas from the long spiral
2. remember to use the beads and glue to prevent from pulling thru the holes
3. I used beads and swab tubes to embellish of starts and star tails
4. 
   
5. the nebulas is not glued to the fishing line
6. slide nebulas to fine tune your spirals for swing and looks

Trim the Excess Fishing Line

1. Clean up the extra fishing line

Thank you for viewing my instructable

This turned out to my liking

swings slowly and pleasantly