By Frank Ross
Talking with Margo is an interesting experience for two reasons. First, she lives in Texas but when she speaks a distinctive British accent is apparent. The next thing one notices is that Margo is very enthusiastic about the projects she creates using copper. She credits her father, a woodworker who liked to make his own furniture, as the source of her creative spirit.
A previous copper project was an inspiration that required the help of a local welder. I found a metal tree that I loved, but it needed some additional branches for what I had in mind, so my local welder added some more curved branches. Then I painted the tree and cut out 100 copper leaves with a tabbed extension that I used to secure them to the metal branches by wrapping them around the metal and gluing them on. The adhesive I used has held firmly so far, she explained.
Her latest effort, a lazy Susan table she created for her backyard patio area is quite stunning. Putting this project together required a bit of planning. “I’ve always found that it works best for me to draw a project out on paper first, so I make a scale drawing just to make sure I get it right. I use a limited number of tools so my projects are planned around a jig saw, a 10″ miter saw, a small tile wet saw and a few other hand tools,” she said.
Margo maintains that this table is quite simple to build. She began with plywood cut into a 40″ circle and sealed it well because the table stays outdoors all the time. Next, she cut another circle of Hardy board to secure the copper to and raise its surface even with the completed tile work. To adhere the copper, she used Loctite PL Premium Polyurethane construction adhesive. “The trick to getting the boards cut properly is to take a yardstick and drill a hole in the end, and another where you want the outer circle to be. Use a small wood screw to secure the ruler in the middle of the circle, put your pencil in the outer hole and carefully draw your circle. If you’re careful it will come out perfectly,” she said.
Margo’s second tip is for getting the tiles evenly spaced on the board. For this task she relied on her handy wooden yardstick again. By drilling a hole close to the side, and securing it in the middle once again, the edge can be used to mark off the exact line to be used for laying tiles in even rows. By measuring and drawing the lines around the entire circle in this manner, you will know exactly how the tile will lay out before you commit the adhesive to the surface.
The edges are distinguished with a copper tubing commonly found at a local builders supply. For the tile work, she selected Premium Listellos golden white/metal border 7/8″ tiles. Once the tiles were secured, she completed that phase of the project by grouting with an oyster colored grout and wiping the surface clean with a damp cloth. To give the table the characteristic spin of a lazy Susan, Margo found a bearing made by VXB Bearing company on Amazon.com website. The center of the table is made of 0.20 gauge sheeting copper, purchased from QuickShipMetals.com.
Not one to rest on her laurels, Margo is now designing another table to wrap around a large oak tree, and working up a list for the copper and other materials she’ll need. “I’m the happiest when I’m in my workshop working on a project and not in the kitchen. I’d rather grab a quick sandwich and keep on working. That’s what I really enjoy doing most, creating a project in my mind and then bringing it to life,” she said.
