I don't use cages - I use trellises for tomatoes. I think it works a lot better & is cheaper. I got the idea from "The Vegetable Gardener's Bible" by Ed Smith. Materials: You need 2x2's (That's 2 inches by 2 inches, which is of course not quite those dimensions), which I get from the big box hardware store for about $1.50 each, nails, some cheap twine, and some basic tools. Ingredients to make a nontoxic wood preservative for the part that goes into the ground makes them last longer. End posts: We cut them to 6-7' (used to do 6', decided to make them 7' this year, because when they're pounded in I can reach the top if I stretch). Then hack the bottom end off to make it somewhat pointy. Top: Take another one, cut to appropriate size for where you need it in the garden. We've made ones about 6' long that haven't sagged. Any longer and I think you might want to put another post in the middle. Add nails to sides & top as described below, nail the top to the sides, and hammer into your garden with a mallet. (Consider how tall you are when making the side posts!) Twine: In the top piece, put nails at appropriate intervals for the twine for the tomatoes - whatever you've decided is the right spacing. (These can be left in for next year.) Tie twine to the nails. To brace it at the bottom, we put nails in the side posts and tie a line - the twine for the tomatoes is tied to this. For best results, use sticks or leftover wood to make stakes for the bottom as well. One a week or so, simply flip the main tomato vine around the twine. I find this easy, and it works great. If you want more support, you can add more twines down and flip side branches around those as they grow. We use the wood preservative recipe in the book, which is a combo of linseed oil and I can't remember what else...sorry. We already had all the ingredients laying around, since we do some wood projects, so that was cheap, too.

We had one 48" hot water radiator in our kitchen. We took it out 4 years ago when we put our addition on and were able to live without heat in there since. Unfortunately, you can't! I'm sure you will see a huge improvement when you make those upgrades though. The thought of losing cabinet space to the radiator made me crazy! We did put in a toe kick heater 'just in case', though it's not hooked up yet. I advise going that route. They are unobtrusive and I see a number of them here on the site! Your other option would be a heated floor. Aahhh...

Actually, if you take the back of for the panels, you could do the back in a painted finish and introduce a color there. Copper would darken over time and eventually could patina if it is not treated to prevent it. Copper and brass are often coated with a lacquer when the finish is intended to be preserved. You could probably just spray the panels with a clear polyurethane in the finish you want (gloss, satin or matte) if you want to preserve the as they are. You see tin ceiling tiles painted -- you could also do that in a color -- distress them if that look works with your room. Hybrid idea -- take the panels glaze them to age them (metal showing with some paint or stain coloring where the paint distressed would be mostly paint showing with a bit of exposed metal) , then coat them to preserve.

I like using the T-post driver, but the method used in the video is unnecessarily risky. For the taller poles, elevating the post first, then slipping the driver over it, runs the risk of serious injury... either because of the shoulder & back strain used to raise the driver over the end, or because you can lose control at that height and have the heavy driver break your skull!!! It astonishes me to see this method used repeatedly on the Web. A far safer & less stressful method: dig a small locator hole where the pole will be located (this is also a good way to be sure multiple poles will be in alignment) place the driver over the upper end of the pole while it is still on the ground move the pole & driver to the location, place the lower end in the locator hole, and elevate both pole & driver pound the pole to proper depth ***be careful not to hit your head with the driver handles, or to allow your hand to slip onto the pole (where it can be caught between the driver & the nubs on the pole)*** when done, pull the diver off of the pole with one smooth upward motion There is still a risk of head injury (or other body parts which might be impacted) if the driver is dropped during removal; however, the driver will be much lower after the pole has been driven, and easier to control. Because the greatest danger is losing control of the driver while elevated, I recommend using gloves with a non-slip surface.