Building an Artist Caddy for an Artist from Walnut Padauk and Copper

This project was commissioned by a fellow artist M.D. Campbell. He had a design worked out to store his art supplies on his desk and asked if I would build it for him. He gave me a fair amount of leeway in what type of patina to do on the copper and wood selection.  Here is the final result for the Artist Caddy.

The Copper is patinated with an acid and peroxide technique to create unique patterns and colors on the copper tubes. The tubes were then inset into figured walnut, which was applied on an accent wood of padauk, creating a beautiful contrast in color.

The handle is a custom-fabricated D-ring set into a padauk clip and capped with walnut. The whole thing spins on a lazy Susan that is inlaid into the bottom of the piece.

If you are interested in seeing how it was built

Affiliate links to some of the products I used in this build.

1 1/2″ plumbing pipe: https://amzn.to/2IZ99JB

K&S Metals Rod for D-ring: https://amzn.to/3lZBoXa

Lazy Susan: https://amzn.to/2IXhFcc

Building the Plywood Rings

The caddy features rings with numerous holes drilled for holding art supplies. To prevent the wood from becoming weak and breaking, I used plywood instead of solid wood. This also allowed me to create a decorative accent layer.

I started by milling padauk for the accent layer, then resawed it along with walnut for the top and bottom pieces on the bandsaw. After milling and sanding all pieces with edge joints, I assembled them using veneer tape to keep everything aligned.

For the top face of the caddy, I used a beautifully figured piece of walnut that had been waiting for the right project. I assembled one sandwich at a time, allowing each to dry before adding the next layer. This approach ensured tight seams without gaps in the finished edges.

After gluing all panels, I removed the veneer tape by running them through a drum sander, then squared everything up at the table saw to prepare for CNC work.

Machining the Holes

Before cutting all the holes on the CNC, I did test cuts to ensure the copper tubes would fit snugly without being too tight or too loose. I machined a small collar into each hole that would hide the cut edge of the pipe once installed.

To prevent the board from cupping during machining, I secured the plywood to a melamine board using double-stick tape. This provided stability as tension was relieved from cutting out all the circles.

Since my CNC couldn’t cut the entire base circle in one pass, I used a router trammel to cut out the base, then used a pattern bit to route out the remaining circles using the CNC-marked centers as guides.

Solving the Lazy Susan Challenge

The original lazy susan had a flange for attachment but made terrible sounds when wiggled. I replaced it with a silent model, but this one lacked the attachment flange. My solution was to glue a piece of resawed wenge (about 1/8″ thick) onto the base, then route it to create a shadow line. This allowed the entire piece to spin as one unit while maintaining the appearance of two separate pieces, and provided enough thickness for screwing in the lazy susan.

After cutting around the circle on the bandsaw and using a pattern bit for a perfect flush fit, I secured everything with double-stick tape and trimmed the edges.

Creating the Shadow Detail

Using an 1/8″ roundover bit, I rounded over all the edges of each piece. For the section with the darker wenge accent, I rounded it over, then raised the bit by the thickness of the wood and rounded again, creating a shadow line that adds visual interest.

When gluing the lazy susan recess, I applied glue sparingly to avoid squeeze-out in the hard-to-clean recessed area, using my veneer press at reduced pressure to avoid crushing the shadow detail edge.

Preparing and Patinating the Copper Tubes

I used standard 1.5″ diameter plumbing copper pipe for holding the art supplies. First, I cleaned off all factory stampings with a wire brush.

To ensure consistent lengths, I cut all tubes at the table saw using a stop block rather than measuring each piece individually. This eliminated measurement errors and ensured perfect consistency.

For the patina process, I used muriatic acid, hydrogen peroxide, fire, and a quenching bucket:

1. Etched the copper with muriatic acid
2. Wiped off most of it, leaving a slight residue
3. Sprayed with hydrogen peroxide and let it sit to tarnish the metal
4. Used a torch to heat and accentuate the colors
5. Dunked in water to quench and freeze the color

For added texture, I applied muriatic acid with a rag in a stippling motion, then resprayed with hydrogen peroxide. After rinsing with water and allowing everything to dry, I sealed the tubes with conversion varnish using a spray gun.

Making the D-Ring Handle

I used my small CNC to machine slots in the decorative clips that would hold the D-ring to the top of the caddy. Using a metal bender (which works better when bolted down), I bent the copper just past halfway to form the D-ring shape, then marked and bent the tabs to fit into the machined slots.

I applied the same patina technique to the D-ring to match the tubes.

Creating the Center Post

I turned a mildly decorative post on the lathe and cut it to fit. This post sits behind all the tubes and helps attach the top and bottom together.

Final Assembly

This was the trickiest part. With 30 tubes that needed to seat into 30 bottom slots and 30 dadoed slots on top, everything had to align perfectly and go on simultaneously. I created a raised base so I could slide clamps underneath to help hold pieces in place.

Before gluing, I sanded back to bare wood where the center post would attach to ensure good contact. Using both screws and glue, I secured it permanently.

For assembly, I used slow-set epoxy, placing a small dab in each hole to lock the tubes in place. With some persuasion and careful tapping, all tubes seated properly.

Finishing Touches

I cut off the tabs from the CNC clip and sanded them smooth, then used the CNC to poke alignment holes for perfect centering. Using a roundover bit with a flush trim bearing, I carefully trimmed and rounded the edges in shallow passes to avoid disaster after coming so far.

After a final application of varnish in the finishing room, the rotating artist caddy was complete—a beautiful, functional piece that keeps all art supplies organized and accessible with just a spin.

Tips for Success

• Do test cuts before final machining to ensure proper fit
• Use double-stick tape to prevent warping during CNC work
• Apply glue sparingly in hard-to-reach areas
• Take shallow passes when routing delicate final details
• Allow proper drying time between assembly stages

The combination of figured walnut, padauk accents, and patinated copper creates a stunning piece that’s as beautiful as it is functional.