Compiling based on variable remote machine

Question

I am having great trouble getting a script to compile based on a repeat loop from a record. The script compiles fine if the finder actions are something simple like a beep but when I put in my required actions it fails to compile.
I think the problem is related to how I refer to the "of machine ....." but can't work out why it is related to my finder actions...
Any help much appreciated.
set catlist to {{catname:"Ollie", catip:"eppc://192.168.1.12", ssdDrive:":Volumes:Cat109 Content A:"}, {catname:"Richard", catip:"eppc://192.168.1.13", ssdDrive:":Volumes:Cat109 Content A:"}}
repeat with cat_ref in catlist
set theMachine to catip of cat_ref
with timeout of 10 seconds
tell application "Finder" of machine theMachine
activate
set sourceFile1 to document file "001_Sahr.mov" of folder "096-Act 1 - Club shots" of folder "Cast Rotation" of folder "SSD" of disk "Cat109 Content A"
set destinationFile1 to folder "096-Act 1 - Club shots" of folder "Active" of disk "Cat109 Content A"
duplicate sourceFile1 to destinationFile1 with replacing
set foldercontents1 to result
end tell
end timeout
end repeat

Answer 1

There are many issues to deal with when using remote Apple Events, especially with regard to user permissions/access. In general you can't easily target an application on a remote machine that's running as a different user (e.g. you're logged in as 'joe', but the 'bob' is logged in the remote machine - 'joe' can't tell 'bob's Finder what to do.
Once you address that issue, please never, ever, ever do this:
tell application "Finder" of machine theMachine
  activate
Imagine you're bob running on the remote machine, in the middle of writing a document, editing an image, browsing the web - it doesn't really matter - when all of a sudden, without any notice or warning, the Finder pops to the front for no apparent reason. Aaagghhhh! How annoying would that be?
There is rarely, if ever, any need to activate the Finder. If it's running, even in the background, you can send it commands and it will do what you ask. It does not have to be frontmost to do so.
That said, I'd take a slightly different approach to your task and eschew the Finder altogether. A shell command is probably an easier way to achieve what you're trying here:
tell application "System Events" of machine theMachine
  do shell script "cp -r '/Cat109 Content A/SSD/Cast Rotation/096-Act 1 - Club shots/001_Sahr.mov' '/Cat109 Content A/Active/096-Act 1 - Club shots/'"
end tell