Dog Nutcracker

Dog Nutcracker

Apr 06

 

 

The Holiday lull is over, it’s Spring and restoration work is starting to roll into the shop again.

 

Here’s a really nice dog nutcracker that came in with a chipped ear.

 

Seems to be a common break on these.

 

 

 

Here’s a picture of it in process with new wood joined and ready to be carved:

 

 

 

Here’s the dog all fixed up and ready to be shipped home:

 

 

 

This is a really nice piece and the customer was very happy with how well the repair came out.

 

 

Another New Addition

Another New Addition

Jan 05

 

Here’s another nice piece I bought recently and restored to add to our growing collection.

 

This one had a few minor chips, an old repair that needed blended, a nail for the pin, and the finish needed refreshed.

 

Here are a couple pictures before it was restored:

 

 

 

Here are some pictures after it was restored:

 

 

 

Disney Tombstone

Disney Tombstone

Dec 01

 

I bought this Disney Uncle Dave tombstone about a year ago with a big ol’ chip missing from the hat.

 

 

 

Fixing this took a lot of time and patience.

 

It took many layers of 2 part epoxy mixed with baking soda to build up the broken area and seamlessly match it to the rest of the piece.

 

 

Here are a couple pics of the piece all fixed and on display in my home:

 

 

 

 

 

Arab Figural Nutcracker

Arab Figural Nutcracker

Nov 09

 

 

Here’s a unique nutcracker that came to the shop missing a jaw.

 

 

 

The piece was disassembled, the broken area flat spotted, and new wood added.

 

 

 

 

Here’s the piece all done with the new wood blended to match up seamlessly with the original.

 

 

The finish on the piece was also refreshed to bring out the details and make the piece pop.

 

 

 

 

 

The customer suggested I carve the piece with a soul patch.

 

 

Honestly that was a great suggestion, it works, and really looks great on this piece!

 

Groden

Groden

Jul 22

 

 

Another great rare Groden came through the shop recently.

 

This one came in with a lot of woodworm damage which is a common issue with these pieces.

 

 

 

 

The customer wanted all the woodworm holes filled and the damage to the top and above the lever repaired, and wanted to retain the original patina.

 

This meant filling every hole individually and blending each one to match the surrounding color/ patina.

 

It’s a lot of work, but is well worth it on a piece this rare.

 

It came out great!

 

 

 

 

I was very happy with how this piece came out and, more importantly, the customer was thrilled with the restoration.

 

A not so Simple Groden!

A not so Simple Groden!

Feb 18

 

I was contacted by a customer who purchased a Groden that had been previously repaired.

 

The mouth was repaired in such a way that it threw the alignment off and set the chest too far back in. (*click on photos for a larger view)

 

 

 

 

On a less rare piece where authenticity isn’t an issue, moving the pin would be an option.

 

On a rare piece like a Groden, the less the original wood on the piece is disturbed, the better.

 

Getting the chest to line up, required a lot of material to be removed from the previously repaired mouth which then pushed the mouth too far back into the piece and out of alignment.

 

 

 

 

To fix this, new wood was added to the mouth to build it back out.

 

 

 

 

The new wood was then carved, blended, and stained to match the original finish and the aged patina on the piece.

 

 

 

 

 

This is a lot of work, but it’s worth it to not disturb the original wood and maintain this piece’s authenticity.

 

—–Brandon