Restoration Piece Is Finally Home!

Restoration Piece Is Finally Home!

Nov 13

 

 

The restoration piece finally made it back to Bob Mills.  It had quite a trip getting back home.  England was in the midst of a postal strike and then customs also became a problem.  However, the nutcracker is at it’s home and Bob emailed us to let us know he received it…..

“Well, he’s finally arrived, what a GREAT job! He looks fabulous, how on earth did you manage to get the patina to match so well ? presumably the ‘new’ boxwood was a much lighter colour originally ?

The fact that he stands without support is definitely a bonus, he looks very happy in my cabinet amongst some other treasures.”

 

 

 

Now that we know Bob is happy with the restoration I can show our payment for the work done.   Brandon originally contacted Bob in July regarding purchasing a couple nutcrackers for our anniversary.  Bob and Brandon bartered for the restoration work to be done.  In return for the restoration Bob would give three nutcrackers for our new collection.  These are the three…..

We are absolutely thrilled with the three pieces we received.   Brandon made some awesome stands for them so they can be displayed on our mantle.

Thanks to Bob for the wonderful opportunity of working on such a great old nutcracker.  It was an exciting project and it turned out to be a very special piece.  Also, thank you for helping our new collection grow!

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Restoration Is Officially Completed!

Restoration Is Officially Completed!

Oct 28

The restoration is complete!  What an interesting project this has been!  The final pictures show just how well the added wood blends into the original wood.   The finish color is spot on and it looks like the nutcracker has always been this way.  It is on it’s final journey to Bob Mill’s home and we can’t wait to have him see it in person.  I think he is going to be very happy with the completed piece.

Skull Nutcracker Looking For A Home!

Skull Nutcracker Looking For A Home!

Oct 23

Brandon has been busy and completed another Skull Nutcracker for the Halloween Holiday.  It is now listed on Ebay.  This nutcracker is the forth skull he has done.  This is one of our favorite pieces and it gets a lot of attention.

The restoration is moving right along.  The carving is just about complete and next will be matching the finish.  I will post pictures later this weekend of it’s progress.

The Restoration Goes On

The Restoration Goes On

Oct 17

The design for the nutcracker has been agreed upon and Brandon is now on to the carving phase of the restoration.    The first step was to add the wood to the original piece being very cautious due to the age of the piece.  Then it was on to the carving.  Brandon is quite meticulous when working.  When I go out to the shop I find him wearing his jeweler’s visor (a.k.a. cheaters) and using another magnifying glass getting things just right.

The restoration is coming along nicely.  Now it is about getting the transition to the new wood and the overall “look” of the piece just right.

This past week Brandon had some company in the old shop.  Someone decided to abandon their kitten around our house.  Probably because there is a farm close by.  Instead of it going to the farm it adopted us.  Clinging onto the screen doors crying to come in.  We hoped to find him a nice home or we thought we would have to take him to the APL.  The weather turned for the worse and Brandon allowed him to stay in the shop out of the rain. We all decided he is a sweet kitten.  Needless to say we now have an addition to our family…….

We have all kind of resolved ourselves that we are meant for each other.  It would be nice if our two other cats would feel the same way……

Final Design of the Restoration

Final Design of the Restoration

Sep 24

Brandon has been doing some clay sculpting to visualize different designs for the restoration piece.  After a few different versions, this is the design that has been approved.

The next step will be to add the wood to the broken areas and then carve the design.  True European boxwood turned out to be pretty difficult to find.   We discovered that there are several different types of boxwood sold but this variety is rather rare now.  We were lucky to find a supplier of the European variety and it arrived today.

Surprise!!

Surprise!!

Sep 14

Brandon has been working on the restoration piece. He took out the really old nails to get the metal off.  He discovered that the nutcracker had legs and, as Bob put it, had worn “breeches”.

Now the design of the front handle will be going in a different direction than expected.  Before this discovery the handle was a mystery and was going to be designed based on photos of French nutcrackers from this era.  Now it will be in keeping with it’s original design and have legs.  Brandon is going to do a few designs and see which Bob thinks would be most appropriate and then he will be on to the next stage of the restoration.

A Nutcracker Restoration and a Custom Knife

A Nutcracker Restoration and a Custom Knife

Sep 11

Last month Brandon started looking into buying a couple nutcrackers for our anniversary.  He discovered a few on Bob Mills’ site that he was interested in.  He contacted Bob regarding the nutcrackers and it ended up that Bob needed  restoration work done on a rare 18th century nutcracker.  This week we received a package from across the pond.  The nutcracker is here and it is going be Brandon’s next project.  Here are pictures of the nutcracker in it’s current condition…..

This nutcracker is petite and very special.  The front handle had broke and someone did a fix with nails and some metal.    There are none like it in existence to compare to so Brandon will be working on designing an appropriate handle for it.  Stay tuned for progress pictures.

Brandon has also been working on making a few custom knives.  Here is a folding knife he has just recently finished and delivered to it’s owner…..

He has a few more that he is working on that I will post at a later date.

New Skull Nutcracker and Etsy Store!

New Skull Nutcracker and Etsy Store!

Aug 23

Brandon has completed a Skull Nutcracker and I will be listing it on Ebay today.  It is numbered 003 and has some differences from the first two he created.  This one has a wood pin and he added a recess to hold a nut.

Also new for Ardoria Studios, we have created an Etsy Store.  Currently you will find an Ardoria Studios Bear Figural Nutcracker and some other items.   Stop by and check out our listings.  We really like that Etsy is all about handmade and also that it’s not just about selling import items.  There are really creative items on this site and you can spend a lot of time looking at it all.