| Location: | The Nevergreen part of The Evergreen State. |
| Pronouns | He/Him |
Three good things for today: 6/12/2026
1. It's cherry 🍒 season! Picked up 3 1/2 lbs (1.6 kg) of locally grown Rainer cherries. 😋
2. Finished my octagonal waste paper basket woodworking project.
3. The branch that fell of the 70-yr old sycamore tree last night didn't cause any damage when it fell.
Today's exercise: A half hour of cutting up a downed brach.
Completed the American Arts-and-Crafts-style octagonal waste paper basket project. The wood is quarter-sawn white oak. The bands and upholstery tacks are copper.
It's based on a similar antique original. I didn't have any plans, just photos.
About 15 1/2 in (39.4 cm) high, 12 in (30.5 cm) across, and 12 3/4 in (32.4 cm) diameter.
Learned a few things on this project. This was my first time working with and aging copper. I'm happy how it came out.
How my day started. Literally. Went to bed just before midnight. Heard a weird crashing sound just after midnight.
Checked the house. Turned on the porch light and opened the back door. Branch down from the 70+ year old sycamore tree.
<sigh>
No obvious damage to the house so I went back to bed.
Cut it up and put it into the green yard waste bin earlier this afternoon. Took about 1/2 an hour.
Just epoxied the last 2 copper upholstery tacks on to the lower copper band of the octagonal waste paper basket.
Getting the holes pre-drilled went smoothly. Getting all the tacks into holes and epoxied in didn't. Details in alt text. But I have a better strategy for doing the upper copper band.
Will need to make a quick supply run tomorrow as I don't have enough 5-minute epoxy to do the upper band.
And now for some assembly of the American Arts-and-Crafts style octagonal waste paper basket #Woodworking project.
Did 4 of the sides earlier. The last 4 are now in the clamps.
Also mixed up the Liver of Sulfur potion to age the copper bands. Forgot to take any photos. One of the aged copper bands had been set in place to get an idea of what things will look like.
Applied the 2nd clear satin urethane topcoat to my American Arts-and-Crafts style octagonal waste paper basket #Woodworking project.
Also included is a pix of the aged copper test coupon. Will be trying to get the copper bands that color.
Hi ho! Hi ho! Applying finish we will go on the American Arts-and-Crafts-style octagonal waste paper basket #Woodworking project.
Scuff sanded the previous seal coat with 320 girt and applied the dark gel stain.
Was debating the darker Java vs the lighter but still dark Antique Walnut. Went with the Java so I did't have to open a previously unopened can. 😜
Two topcoats to go. Then some assembly and dealing with the copper bands.
Finish application continues on the The American Arts-and-Crafts style octagonal waste paper basket #Woodworking project.
Lightly sanded the dye-stained pieces with 320 grit, then with maroon Scotchbrite. Masked the glues surfaces. For course, you can't see the masked dados on the back of the sides. Then wiped on the sealer coat.
Need to decide on the color of gel stain to used. Decisions, decisions...
And now for something completely different on the waste paper basket #Woodworking project.
Boil, boil, cauldron bubble!
Eye of newt.
Tongue of frog.
Liver of Sulfur!
I want to age the copper bands that will be on this project. This is the test setup since I've never done this before.
Left to right:
Liver of Sulfur mixture to age the copper.
Baking soda in water to neutralize the Liver of Sulfur.
Clean water to rinse.
Some 'aged' test copper coupons are at lower left.
2/3
Jason844 🙃