Sometimes parts from toy library puzzles get lost. On this occassion it was teh cow that had gone walkabout. The job required creating a piece…
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Smashed Andrew Livingstone ceramic sculpture
A 30-year-old Andrew Livingstone sculpture was accidentally damaged during pest control. Although not a ceramics expert, I agreed to repair it, following tutorials. After cleaning and dry assembling the pieces, I used epoxy resin and fillers to restore the sculpture. The repairs were seamless, resulting in a satisfied client.
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Shattered commemorative plaque
This plaque was made for my client when they left Italy for New Zealand. Unfortunately, the wall the plaque was hung on was not up…
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Vintage Barometer – family treasure
A barometer, a retirement gift from the 1960s, was damaged but its mechanism remained intact. To restore it, a new brass frame and custom glass with reference pointer fittings were obtained. The glass came from Christchurch and the frame from Timesavers in Scottsdale, successfully reviving the piece’s appearance.
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Toy Library Xylophone
After the cords of a toy instrument were damaged, the toy was disassembled, and the cords were replaced. New strikers were crafted using old foam paint brush handles and wooden balls. The toy was then returned to the Whakatane Toy Library for continued use. Materials used included 3.2mm shock cord, hot melt glue, and a screw press.
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Coffee maker used grounds tray
The stainless steel coffee grounds tray broke into two parts due to failed spot welds. To repair it, tig welding was necessary, involving tools like a tig welder, abrasives for cleaning, acetone, and a thermal sink plate to manage the thin stainless sheet.
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Copper Gin Still
This gin still, handmade in Portugal, was repaired after being dropped and dishwasher-damaged. Restoration included reshaping bent copper parts, recalibrating the thermometer, and extending the spout by 10cm. The process involved crafting two dollies, checking for age hardening, and using precise force to restore the parts, before reassembly and spout modification.
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Three-legged mahogany table
Apparently this table broke the fall of the owner but unfortunately it sacrificed a leg in the process.
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Stereogram
A retro-looking but relatively modern music centre with turntable, cassette, CD, FM radio, Bluetooth and Aux ports. The on/off switch was playing up which resulted…
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Pine blanket box
This blanket box had done great service for a number of years but was beginning to look worn and was damaged. The task was to…
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