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Finishing Touches

Amy completes the mobile room divider by cleaning the copper and installing casters on the bottom.

From "Freeform Furniture"
episode DFFF-203

Host Amy Devers cleans the copper with a metal degreaser and applies a liver of sulphur patina. She goes over the surface with steel wool and then applies wax to the surface to seal the patina. She drills pilot holes and installs four ball casters on the bottom.

Lastly, Amy completes the project by dropping in a plant liner tray to protect the inside from any water damage.

Amy completes her unique and beautiful mobile room divider.

This unique room divider becomes an unobtrusive part of the decor that coincides with the modern interior theme of the apartment. Amy incorporates plywood, copper sheeting, steel ball castors and horse tail plants to create this woodworking project.

Materials:

3/4" shop grade plywood
ruler
clamp
oil-based gloss enamel
oil-based primer
paint roller
lacquer masking tape
220-grit sandpaper
screws
yellow wood glue
24-gauge copper sheeting
grease pencil
60-grit sandpaper
2-part epoxy with applicator
eye protection
metal degreaser
clean rag
liver of sulfur patina
steel wool
wax
ball transfers
planter boxes
horsetail plants

Tools:

clamp
circular saw
aluminum guide rail
table saw
cross cut sled
clamp
cordless drill
metal cutting sheers
orbital sander
J roller
router
flush trim bit
file
awl

Figure A

Figure B

Figure C

Figure D

Finishing Touches

Note: Patina is a sheen created by age or chemical treatment.

Before applying the patina, you need to clean the copper surface with a metal degreaser. This will remove any oils so that the patina will adhere.
Mix one cup of cold water with one tablespoon of the patina and let the mixture settle.
Apply the patina to the copper surface using a cloth (figure A) in nice, even strokes. To get a dark, aged look go over the copper surface with a few coats of patina. The more you add, the darker it gets.
Safety Tip: Always wear a respirator and work in a well ventilated area when you work with patina.
Do the same application process on the rest of the exposed copper.
Go over the surface with steel wool. The steel wool helps to blend the patina and control the oxidization process--that's the speed with which the oxygen released by the patina corrodes the copper (figure B).
Once the copper has dried, apply wax to the surface to seal the patina. The wax is essential to prevent any unwanted discoloration.
Install four low profile ball transfers on the bottom. To install them, mark the locations with an awl. Drill pilot holes and then screw the casters in place (figure C).
Drop the big plant liner tray in to protect the inside from any water damage (figure D) and also to make for easy clean up and maintenance. Then added the potted horsehair plants.