Kaiser Wilhelm Nutcracker Repair

Kaiser Wilhelm Nutcracker Repair

Sep 01

This early 1900’s (1910 – 1915) figural nutcracker was originally carved in Switzerland. The customer mentioned that it is a carving of a young Kaiser Wilhelm.

The piece came in with damage to the mouth and mustache. This type of damage is common because people mistakenly try to crack nuts in the mouth rather than in the back between the levers.

I also stained the piece a darker color to bring out the fantastic details. It came out great and the customer was thrilled with the work I did on this piece.

 

1800’s Nutcracker Repair

1800’s Nutcracker Repair

Aug 22

A customer had just scheduled a piece he recently bought to come in for repairs when one of his wife’s favorite pieces fell over and sustained some damage.  So it got to make the trip for some repairs too.

This is a fantastic piece from the late 1800’s. He mentioned it was most likely carved in Switzerland. Luckily he was able to locate the pieces that broke off which helped tremendously in making this a seamless repair.

I can easily see why this is one of his wife’s favorite pieces. The detail on this piece is incredible. Whomever originally did it had some serious talent. Pictures don’t do this piece justice, this is an incredible example of what carvers were capable back then.

The repair came out great. Everything matched up and the colors blended perfectly to make this a seamless solid repair.

Nutcracker Restored

Nutcracker Restored

Aug 05

Here’s a recent restoration I did for a collector. This is a great piece. It needed the bottom jaw repaired, the nose fixed, and the pin replaced. The pin had been previously “fixed” with a large nail which had the lever all loose and acting like it was broke. A new wooden pin tightened the piece back up so it works as it should now.  I also carved the ends of the pin so it blends seamlessly into the piece. I’m very happy with how this came out.

 

 

 

The New Seahorse is Done

The New Seahorse is Done

Jun 03

The Modern Masters Metal Effects paint line is nothing short of incredible. It’s simple. You lay down one coat, let it dry, lay on another coat, spritz it with the patina solution while it’s still wet, grab a beer, and let the patina do its thing. I let my pieces sit overnight to make sure the patina is done doing its thing and the piece is fully dry. That’s it. No top coat needed unless you are using the rust effect. The rust one needs sealed to stop the rust and keep it from discoloring surrounding parts-n-pieces.

The copper with green patina effect was perfect for this test piece. I have a ton of ideas now for the Modern Masters paints. Keep coming back to see what I come up with next.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Working on a new seahorse

Working on a new seahorse

May 30

I carved this seahorse to test out the Modern Masters Metal paint line. This is their copper paint with the green patina solution applied. This paint actually contains copper that is aged by the patina solution within minutes. Their metal line also includes bronze that can be blue or green aged and steel that can be rusted. It takes a lot for me to get excited about paint. Modern Masters is just plain hands down awesome and opens up a lot of possibilities.

The seahorse is going to be a decorative piece with a carved shell base that will be painted and aged to match. Tons of detail on this one. Keep posted to see this one done soon.

The Finished Groden Restoration

The Finished Groden Restoration

Mar 23

 

The Gröden has been completed for a while but I’ve been busy and just haven’t gotten out here to post pictures of the restoration.  It turned out great and its owner was very pleased. Chipped paint is typical for Grödens from this time period. To keep the piece looking authentic, the aged and chipped finish was matched. Paint was also added to some areas that were overly worn and bare. It matched perfectly and looked like it had always been there.

 

Here is a before picture….

 

 

Here are the after pictures…

 

 

 

 

 

The Gröden is now complete.  It was a challenging project but it turned out looking like an authentic well aged unbroken Gröden which is rare and hard to come by. It’s going to look great in the customer’s collection.

 

 

 

New Restoration Piece

New Restoration Piece

Jan 09

 

 

 

I am currently restoring a Gröden nutcracker for a collector.  Here are a few pictures of the piece in it’s original condition.

As you can see this fellow has a few areas that need to be addressed.  The base needs to be reconstructed along with the boots.  The area under the mouth also needs repaired.  The hat looks as if it needs repaired but after closer inspection it appears to be correct the way it is.

I sculpted a model of the base and boots in clay to get the owner’s approval of the design.

 

Now that the clay model has been approved it is time to get carving.  When the carving is complete I will match the newly carved areas to it’s aged finish and patina.

Check back shortly to see the completed restoration.

 

Skull Nutcracker Listed On Etsy

Skull Nutcracker Listed On Etsy

Nov 19

I just listed a Skull Nutcracker on Etsy.  It is the second of Brandon’s new Skull design and it is numbered and signed by Brandon.    The Skull Nutcracker turned out beautifully.  Here are a couple pictures of it…

If you want to see a few more pictures check out the Etsy listing.

We are building our Etsy Store and will be listing our original items on Etsy as much as possible.  The fees are much lower on Etsy (3.9%)  than Ebay (9%).   Ebay’s fees are almost laughable anymore.  My least favorite is the “Final Value Fee on Shipping”.  I haven’t yet figured out why they are putting a fee on my shipping costs when they are not providing me with any real shipping services.  I have read  they began adding this fee because buyers love the Free Shipping option and this way more sellers would offer free shipping.  However, free shipping isn’t really a feasible option when shipping overseas and you charge actual shipping to the winning bidder.  Shipping is already a big enough expense and I just think it is greedy and wrong for Ebay to be adding to the millions they make by adding this ridiculous fee.

If you are not familiar with the Etsy check it out.