Sanding and Oiling

Today i’ve taken about 3mm off of the top and bottom surfaces of the bin so that they are now exactly equal to the thickness of two of the layers. I’ve also given it the first few coats of Danish oil. I started oiling with a mixture of 60% oil and 40% white spirit (so that the wood absorbs it better) then worked up to pure oil.
Half way through the first coat.
Second coat finished.

Overall I’m happy with the way it looks – the oil really brings out the natural colour of the woods and increases the contrast between them.

Final Decisions

Since my last update I’ve made a firm decision that it is important to the project for the bin to be sealed and for people not to be able to empty/re-use it. I’ve also decided that it will definitely exist as some sort of a critical design piece – not necessarily an everyday practical object. 
I’would also like to somehow communicate this through the way it looks – so that a person looking at it for the first time would be able to understand immediately.

My mark 1 prototype presentation went reasonably well and I’ve decided to continue with the traditional woodworking techniques as I think these quickly and concisely communicate the amount of effort and craftsmanship involved in the process. The only negative feedback I received was due to the mark 1 not having a lid/top and this sending some mixed messages about the project. Also, being able to see inside  was again confusing as it still looks somewhat unfinished and rough. One suggestion on where to go next was to think about the lid – take it to extremes and come up with some completely unworkable designs then try to narrow that back down to something more pragmatic.

The size of the piece is the next big factor – right now I’m thinking roughly 3 times the size of my mark 1 prototype as I want it to be a tabletop/worktop sized object yet still stand out – so that it’s not easily hidden away.