'Who's Carving Now!'

A slow start to the year, trying to get back into the swing of things while taking into account the weather, and whether I can paint or use fillers, in the sometimes, very cool temperatures, that are normal for this time of year. Constantly checking the forecasts to seek the window of opportunity to prime/undercoat, that can take place without seeing the steam from my breath or indeed the mist spookily rolling in from outside. A warm string of days together and I can attack the waggon with primer. In the cooler days, I'm trying to clean up the carvings, methodically. Making sure they are fixed tight to the waggon, free from as much paint as possible and filling in any missing pieces or chippings. For some, they will require an amount of re-carving and shaping. As I've said... a labour of love.

The above carving was featured in a previous blog (Carvings are Forever). It came off the waggon in pieces and was quite rotten in the bottom corner losing some of it leaf design. The carving was glued back together and held with clamps until set. Now it's been stripped of paint and any rotten wood removed. Treated with a wood hardener and wood filler applied slowly, to build up the layers, to re-carve its design back in. Wood filler was also added to parts of the carving that had chipped away. All repaired and sanded, it has now been primed and waits to be re-fitted, so just need to finish repairing the corner where it will sit.

Carve Wars: A New Hope

Perhaps it just feels like a war with them at the moment, as I check, assess, repair/fill and prime. There are 2 rear, fretted porch brackets (carved both sides), 2 front, fretted porch brackets (carved both sides), 32 large corner carvings (8 each side of the waggon) and more inter rib carvings than you can shake a stick at..... oh and the 2 extremely large and intricate crown boards carvings which take pride of place on the front and rear of the waggon. Hopefully they all turn out as successfully as the carving shown above - my fingers are firmly crossed!