Coming up is the restoration of a broken rocking horse by a master artisan. Let's dive into the delicate, intricate process of wooden restoration project.
The carpentry and restoration of the horse body and stand is impeccable. However, it would have been a good idea to contract out the actual painting of the coat and features of the horse. As it is, it looks like it was painted by a 10 year old.
I have to agree, I’m not understanding what he was going for with the paint job but maybe there was a reason behind it, idk but got restoration none the less
Um, don't know how to tell you this, but this is exactly how that horse looked originally. Google it, there's an image of an almost identical horse floating around.
The painting is an exact replica of how the horse looked originally, so on a restoration standpoint it is perfectly executed. Sometimes old toys were simply quite ugly.
This is not how it looked originally, we had one in the 60’s and it was rather beautiful looking much more realistic and not like this ugly shocker, totally overdone.🏴
@@Kelpiejane3252 There were several types of horses, some were better made/painted than others, this one in particular did look like that, google it, you'll find pictures of similar horses with that exact paint and look.
@@magickelfgirlfaux, false … lorsque tu enlèves les lanières de cuir, la couleur originelle apparaît. Or c’est du blanc beige et pas cette horreur que tu as fait😢😢😢😢😢😢
This is supposed to be a video showing a master's work by a craftsman? This complete restoration is terrible! I have never seen such treatment from a restorer. If a grandfather does this as a hobby for his granddaughter, I think the work is fine. But this cannot possibly be viewed as professional craftsmanship. The result is just horrible.
The leatherwork was rotten and what was left of the original gesso could not be safely saved. I removed all of the nails and retained a few of the better original ones which I cleaned and reused back on the horse later. I have restored well over 100 horses in the past twenty years and believe you me there is no subtle way of removing old pins. There was no saddle and the old bits of leather were just breaking up. The old saddle cloth trim was not salvageable and so there was no point in wasting time by delicately stripping it away. The glue holding the legs to the body was breaking up and the legs were all removed and the joints cleaned before resetting them. I attached the swing rails to the legs to ensure they were correctly positioned before again removing them after the glue had set. This horse is now being used by the next generation of riders who are enjoying it. Because the horse was going to be played on, I have a duty of care to make sure that it is safe for that purpose. Of course I have to accept peoples views as those who post these delicate assignations against my character seem to take great joy in being far from delicate and damn right offensive. This horse took 9 days from start to finish with a two week gap to allow for the new gesso to cure and dry. Not sure what experience you have in restoring rocking horses? Regards, Paul
Yeah I had a chuckle about that. Although I kinda understood that those old leather pieces probably weren't in good condition anymore. I mean they looked kinda crumbly even in the video if you look closely. Also, if leather snaps that easily, it's most likely because it's pretty much disintegrating in your hands. I haven't done much restoration, but I've handled old, crusty leather.
Utterly brutal! We had one of these horses when growing up and it was beautifully and delicately painted I can’t believe the freak show here. It’s easy enough to check what it originally looked like, makes me so sad.
Agree...But very few people can begin to do a decent restoration on old rocking horses. The original paintwork was very fluently done by people who were doing painting all the time in the paint shops of the horse workshops, so had a fast and fluent hand.
This horse was being handed down to the next generation of young riders and in its old state was not safe or fit for purpose. What little gesso was remaining was flaking off, none of the original paintwork was left and the remaining leatherwork was crumbling and falling apart. Don't tell me I screwed it up, I did a thorough job to ensure it was safe to ride again and including removing all of the remaining gesso. All four leg joints were becoming loose and these I removed and reset. The original glass eyes were very badly scratched and one had a hairline crack so I decided to replace them with new glass eyes. Having restored well over 100 rocking horses over the past twenty years, some which were virtually a pile of firewood, I can pride myself on 100% satisfaction from my customers. I have also restored many dolls houses and countless other items which were destined for the scrap heap but now have a new lease of life. I realise that it is very easy for the keyboard warriors to try and discredit me on this media platform and make all sorts of crass remarks when they don't know the full story behind these jobs. Whatever I do or say there will be others who enjoy ripping apart my efforts to retain these items for future use. Kind regards, Paul
@@paulcommander379I just want you to know, amid the absolute flood of spiteful, rude comments there are still people who are absolutely in love with this restoration. I’m not old enough to have ever seen an original of this coat and build in a good state in person but I *have* seen Polaroids and old photos of my mother as a small child with a horse near identical to this. Watching you paint this horse made me emotional in a way I cannot explain and I loved it. Thank you for your incredible work 🥰
Thank you for your very thoughtful and kind comments on this restoration job. Unfortunately when you publish these videos, you throw yourself wide open to the sad morons who all think they know what they are talking about. I have been restoring all sorts of toys now for nearly 40 years and I have restored well over 100 rocking horses in that time. The company who asked me to help them make the video were very pleased with the outcome and the owner of the horse was delighted with the work that I did and his son is now playing with it, the third generation of riders. Why people have to be so rude is beyond me and they don't care who they offend, they should crawl back into their shells and keep their thoughts to themselves. This is the down side of the social media where they are the faceless morons, I would love to meet them face to face and see then what they have to say. So thank you again for your support. Best wishes, Paul Commander@@tarobug2560
As an Antique Toy, its resale value was completely destroyed by its 'modernization'. One important keyword is missing in the job: Restoration. WHAT NOT TO DO should've been the title.
This horse had very little resale value and in fact it was going to the next generation as a toy to be played with and ride on which after all is what it was intended to be used for, not as an exhibit in a museum.
@@paulcommander379 It wasn't even well done as a restoration. This kind of butchery should be illegal. Those poor kids that have to play with this monstrosity
This was more a renew (revamp) than a restore as the horse had all new components and a new look, a restore very rarely involves a hammer and chisel and everything is repaired and returned so as the item in question is as back to its former self as possible ....or am I wrong 😮
The leatherwork was rotten and what was left of the original gesso could not be safely saved. I removed all of the nails and retained a few of the better original ones which I cleaned and reused back on the horse later. I have restored well over 100 horses in the past twenty years and believe you me there is no subtle way of removing old pins. There was no saddle and the old bits of leather were just breaking up. The old saddle cloth trim was not salvageable and so there was no point in wasting time by delicately stripping it away. The glue holding the legs to the body was breaking up and the legs were all removed and the joints cleaned before resetting them. I attached the swing rails to the legs to ensure they were correctly positioned before again removing them after the glue had set. This horse is now being used by the next generation of riders who are enjoying it. Because the horse was going to be played on, I have a duty of care to make sure that it is safe for that purpose. Of course I have to accept peoples views as those who post these delicate assignations against my character seem to take great joy in being far from delicate and damn right offensive. This horse took 9 days from start to finish with a two week gap to allow for the new gesso to cure and dry. Not sure what experience you have in restoring rocking horses? Regards, Paul
@@paulcommander379Paul, you pasted this same answer for the second time. If you leave the comment section open, you will face criticism as well as praise. If you can't take it, maybe just disable the comment? Just a suggestion...
@@paulcommander379I think it looks wonderful. I could never do anything like this and found it fascinating to watch. Is the horse a dapple? I'm really not up on my horse breeds. Lol I think people also miss the fact that any child would find this great. ❤
There was no finish to chip away, it had long since gone. The screw was corroded and was just turning but not coming out, What would you have done in this situation?
The leatherwork was rotten and what was left of the original gesso could not be safely saved. I removed all of the nails and retained a few of the better original ones which I cleaned and reused back on the horse later. I have restored well over 100 horses in the past twenty years and believe you me there is no subtle way of removing old pins. There was no saddle and the old bits of leather were just breaking up. The old saddle cloth trim was not salvageable and so there was no point in wasting time by delicately stripping it away. The glue holding the legs to the body was breaking up and the legs were all removed and the joints cleaned before resetting them. I attached the swing rails to the legs to ensure they were correctly positioned before again removing them after the glue had set. This horse is now being used by the next generation of riders who are enjoying it. Because the horse was going to be played on, I have a duty of care to make sure that it is safe for that purpose. Of course I have to accept peoples views as those who post these delicate assignations against my character seem to take great joy in being far from delicate and damn right offensive. This horse took 9 days from start to finish with a two week gap to allow for the new gesso to cure and dry. Not sure what experience you have in restoring rocking horses? Regards, Paul
I don't know what a toy of this era would have looked like. This could be a beautiful rendition for all I know. The old boy can sure swing a hammer though :-)
A child of the age that would have gotten this Christmas gift in the time period this was made this would have been the most beautiful thing she had ever seen. Use your head before you comment...and do your research.
When I was a little girl my mother, brother and I went to live in London. We stayed for a time in a redbrick tenement in Battersea. In one of the rooms was a full sized rocking horse. He sat alone in this unfurnished room. I would go and ride him and imagine all sorts of adventures. I named him Starchaser and I loved every moment with that horse. I often wonder what became of him. I was seven and I'm going back to 1970. I wonder if anyone else remembers him?
what a wonderful memory! I too remember old rocking horses from a London childhood. There were several factories in London making rocking horses- the most commonly seen rocking horses were Lines and Collisions {Liverpool} and some plain carved Ayres. {From my own childhood} Occasionally there would be a large bow rocker about - but most were swing stands. One thing...as children we remember them being huge.. I revisited a family member's house as a 16 yr old, and wanted to see the rocking horse...but he was tiny! I remembered him as a large horse that was a struggle to climb onto .
I rode my rocking horse until I was to big to ride him any more. He was my Trigger and imagined the forests we could ride through. Thank you for repairing this steed.
I am a true novice except to say that anything I ever "restored" was worth less after I touched it. Fun work and that can be admired, but nothing speaks to a history better than the scratches dings and even dirt and broken wheels of the real thing> to all the best
Hi two years ago I got a rocking horse and had him done up he cost me $750 at the time I got him I later found out he is a later version of F.H Ayres I called him Cavendish he has lost his original color and his odds and ends so I got to make him what I wonted as we here in nz don't have someone who can really get them in the way they should be, I also got a Collinson & son rocking horse he come to me in a bad way but he now looks beautiful with his black and white saddle his body looked like a child had painted it but this is the way he was when he was first made both my horses and a lot of people have said it they look like a real horse now so I just love them to bits so does friends and family who come around. They both have real glass eye's like other old rocking horses do even me collinson and son rocking horse has glass eye's and not the pins they used way back as they were not there when I got him and as I said it's hard to get things in nz and I'm still trying to get the original things for them both of them it well take some time. Understand this, the painting of this horse is how they are and how they were done back in the day, this old rocking horse should have been done and taken back to the original way they first come out this is why rocking horses of old have a lot of value in them they cost the earth to get them in their original form and they don't use PVA glue it's a Hide glue in the joints and wooden pegs which is important. Just to get my horses done cost me over $2000, BUT a Restoration should be how they would have done it in the past when the horse was made AND NOT using screws nor using nails to hold the legs on. The restorer that done mine went over seas to learn how to get these old horses done right.
Everything about this "restoration" was a disaster, from the delicate removal of the leather strapping to the final paint job. I'm going to have nightmares about those eyes. Sorry to say that this channel has gone down in my estimation lately. The artisans are nowhere near as skilled as many of the restorers on RU-vid and the commentary makes things worse by overblowing the so called amazing work carried out. I'm afraid I'll have to consider unsubscribing if things do not improve which is a shame really. Can we have some real Masters of Crafts please.
I had nothing to do with the commentary that was edited in when they compacted 9 days of filming down to a 30 mins video. The leatherwork was rotten and what was left of the original gesso could not be safely saved. I removed all of the nails and retained a few of the better original ones which I cleaned and reused back on the horse later. I have restored well over 100 horses in the past twenty years and believe you me there is no subtle way of removing old pins. There was no saddle and the old bits of leather were just breaking up. The old saddle cloth trim was not salvageable and so there was no point in wasting time by delicately stripping it away. The glue holding the legs to the body was breaking up and the legs were all removed and the joints cleaned before resetting them. I attached the swing rails to the legs to ensure they were correctly positioned before again removing them after the glue had set. This horse is now being used by the next generation of riders who are enjoying it. Because the horse was going to be played on, I have a duty of care to make sure that it is safe for that purpose. Of course I have to accept peoples views as those who post these delicate assignations against my character seem to take great joy in being far from delicate and damn right offensive. This horse took 9 days from start to finish with a two week gap to allow for the new gesso to cure and dry. Not sure what experience you have in restoring rocking horses? Regards, Paul
While I appreciate everything you say in your reply to my criticism of the video, I can only go by what I saw, that is, the edited version including any commentary. Like many of the other comments what we saw did not in any way showcase your knowledge and skill in the work you do. It's as if the film makers set out to discredit you in some way. I accept that your feelings are hurt as a result of my comments together with all the other similar ones and you deserve to put things in perspective. At no time did I set out to take "great joy" in my criticism and my remarks are not intended to be offensive. Perhaps if you made your own recording of such a restoration with an appropriate commentary we can truly see a master at work. Best regards Ed@@paulcommander379
I was asked by the RU-vid channel to restore a rocking horse which they brought in their own film crew so I don't have any of my own video of this horse. Maybe the phrase restoration was not correct for this project as I was doing this horse for one of my customers so that his child could use it as the next generation to play on it. Believe you me there was nothing other than the bare bones of the horse which could be saved as all of the existing leatherwork was crumbling and not strong enough to reuse. The old gesso was just falling off in most places and it was therefore better to completely re-gesso to ensure that it was safe to play on. This is after all a toy to be played with and not something that would be exhibited in a museum. So whilst I can understand some of the viewers are purists and don't like to see things over restored, my job was to make it usable for the next and following generations of riders. Kind regards, Paul@@teacheme
The initial nuts and bolts were not cleaned before you put them back on. I definitely would’ve done that. It’s a pretty horse; but, I would’ve picked happier, more cheerful pastel colors. The forelock and the main definitely need to be trimmed. The tail looked OK.
My mother in law’s friend restores carousel horses, I can only imagine how much training you have to do before you can fully trust yourself to do the job right.
I don't want to upset anyone but those eye lashes just shouldn't have been there. They spoilt the face of the horse and maybe the guy, although very good at restoring, just hasn't been close to a horse enough to see that they don't have eyelashes like that. That was a big mistake and the only mistake. Plus they don't have pink round the edges and I paint horses myself and lots of other things.
When I seen him taking the old gesso off, I started to worry what he's inhaling, especially since whitening agents from around the time the rocking horse was made contained lead
Foi uma destruição e não restauração. Os métodos utilizados são brutais. A oficina não possui recursos adequados para executar os trabalhos, por exemplo, não há um pulverizador de pintura. O ambiente é muito sujo e as restauradoras não têm muita paciência. E restaurar não é fazer um novo, mas preservar o máximo que puder.
A restoration yet he replaced all the parts with new pieces, even the glass eyes were new! Don't even get me started on the paint job on the face, especially those eyelashes. 😮It's obvious he's not one for painting detail work as the brushes he used have obviously been stored with the bristles downwards. Trying to paint any detail with those brushes was never going to be neat.
The leatherwork was rotten and what was left of the original gesso could not be safely saved. I removed all of the nails and retained a few of the better original ones which I cleaned and reused back on the horse later. I have restored well over 100 horses in the past twenty years and believe you me there is no subtle way of removing old pins. There was no saddle and the old bits of leather were just breaking up. The old saddle cloth trim was not salvageable and so there was no point in wasting time by delicately stripping it away. The glue holding the legs to the body was breaking up and the legs were all removed and the joints cleaned before resetting them. I attached the swing rails to the legs to ensure they were correctly positioned before again removing them after the glue had set. This horse is now being used by the next generation of riders who are enjoying it. Because the horse was going to be played on, I have a duty of care to make sure that it is safe for that purpose. Of course I have to accept peoples views as those who post these delicate assignations against my character seem to take great joy in being far from delicate and damn right offensive. This horse took 9 days from start to finish with a two week gap to allow for the new gesso to cure and dry. Not sure what experience you have in restoring rocking horses? Regards, Paul
I’m not trying to be rude but maybe a easier coat color would have been better maybe like a bay or chestnut or even a paint horse, but to me it looks like they tryed doing dapples but dapples aren’t for a beginner with horse painting. Sorry trying not to be rude but it is cool watching it go from trash to unique.
It looks as if they were trying to make a Collinson style rocking horse. They had the bold dapples and big eyelashes. It feel short. Jane Hooker Rocking Horses: she does restorations and you can see the difference.
I'm no expert, but I'd guess it had to do with the thickness of the milled lumber. They were able to get _almost_ the whole leg out of it, but needed the extra little block to fill out the muscle.
If you study how a rocking horse is constructed you will see that the muscle blocks are added and never cut from a single piece. The sides of the neck are also built up in the same way. If you had watched video carefully you would have noticed that I removed two old muscle blocks as they were coming loose and replaced them with new timber.@@star2705
A very strange "restoration" to an original Lines Brothers "Sportiboy" size 1, circa 1925/30. The approach was rather agricultural, and I was surprised that it was found necessary to remove the original muscle blocks on the leg joints, as they looked perfectly sound, as seemingly, his glass eyes. Sportiboy types have their leg joints covered with a two to three inch band of muslin, to lower the risk of cracks along the joint line, but to use a muslin weave all over the body and head to support the gesso application is totally unnecessary, and will be a nightmare for any future restorer. Whether or not the legs were checked for movement before removing all the legs, was not obvious but it seemed a rather radical measure to remove all of them. Lines mortise and tenon leg joints were designed to be wedged from behind either side of each tenon, but no sign of that being done in this video. The less said about the paintwork and dappling the better. It takes quite an effort to turn a Sportiboy into a scary "Collinson" stlye horse made in the mid 1950s.
the delicate, intricate process of the wooden restoration project? I have never seen a craftsman use a screwdriver to remove tacks or a chisel to apply wood filler, that's not a sympathetic restoration it's a pantomime and very sad to see.
The artisan has commented elsewhere on this video - this was not intended to be a historical restoration, rather giving this item a new lease of life for a child who was going to play with it.
Ours is from 1932. It had a removable saddle and stirrup irons. It was a lot less dappled and was more yellowed. Could this be the varnish discolouring? I definitely think that the contrast between black and white is too much.
Oof. This isn't restoration. Ripping and tearing pieces off, using modern glue, not bothering to clean the hardware. Hide glue in the joints is important in case of any future need of restoration because it is reversible. Using PVA glue is a bad practice here. And ripping off pieces of the wood and tearing up the leather accoutrements? Why? That's not preservation.
Well done, a beautiful restoration! It amazes me how skilled the artisan is in not only woodwork but also metal, leather, painting and much more. It also looks like so much fun restoring old things like that, bringing them back to the life they once had. It's very inspiring and makes me wanna get back to working on my old (but not that old) and crusty chest of drawers. It's been painted too insanity (9+ layers of paint) and the top layer is so porely done that it's an eyesore. But the wood underneath is beautiful and I'm trying to bring that back out. It's not really a restoration but more like a light revamp? I dunno. I came to a standstill about that project by the end of summer, but now I really wanna get back into it!
The pink eyes are a bad color choice. The paint job is, I'm sorry to say, poorly done and inaccurate as to the time period. It's clownish rather than realistic, as what would have been attempted in that era. The carver took great pains to make it accurate, as would the painter.
Very impressive. I once helped a team redo an entire Looff carousel that was over 100 years old. It was more work than any of us could have anticipated.
Your video is nice, however☝🏼 Most viewers of restoration videos watch them for the noise & not talking. The talking isn’t necessary. We use them as an ASMR to soothe us & help us rest. If you just had subtitles, instead of talking, thus video would rock. 💁🏼♀️ My Autistic kiddo watches these to soothe him & I’m a disabled combat vet that’s started using them to help me sleep dealing with PTSD. So, we really enjoy every ounce of effort you put in to making this & restoration. The talking seems to have the opposite effect than soothing. Also, can you take less abrasive measures so as not to compromise the original artist of the piece🤦🏼♀️
@@paulcommander379 that’s why I still complimented & thanked you for the vid. I know a lot of hard work was done. Something like this isn’t just done in a few hours.
Yes, as you say a lot of unseen hard work goes into these jobs. Unfortunately there is a segment of the viewing public who just want to tear others to pieces. I have restored well over 100 rocking horses and not one of my customers have ever complained so I must be doing something right. Thank you for your comments. Kind regards, Paul@@TAG77
@@paulcommander379 that’s because there’s too many that are used to instant gratification or forgot their manners when giving constructive criticism to help a channel. I recognize the hard work and someone that takes time out to do that and then I’ll tell them ways of how to attract more of us that watch these types of video. But of course, I’m also an artist & I know it doesn’t take one day to do work like this.
As a hose owner I was not ready for the actual skin from the neck of the horse to be nailed right on. Kind of gross. Paint job meh. I don't think skilled artisans would have whammed away with the tools that way.
I use horse tails which I then go through a tanning procedure to cure the leather. Makers like Collinson's of Liverpool used to use cow tails which had to be joined together to make them long enough. If cut carefully you can get a good mane, tail and forelock from one tail. They are held onto the horse by nailing them on through the leather. Sometimes the manufacturer of the horse will cut a groove along the back of the neck and the hair is pushed into the groove. Some of the start of the video is of me removing the old rusty nails the held the long gone old mane. Regards, Paul
OMG!!! I saw furniture restoration that was made with a LOT more care and love. The way of removing tacks and screws was already putting me off, but I wanted to cry when the leg was split to take it off. No, no, NO!!! And the wood was not treated to prevent future attacks by woodworms? Was the wood even definitely FREE of woodworms before applying wax? But man, the worst of all was the awful painting. And the fittings... Sorry, but I would suit for damages whoever did this, if that charming horse was mine. In other words: THIS was NOT a restoration work, it was a very bad taste makeover 😖!! I wonder why you made it public 😕
None of the legs were split when removing them, were you watching the same video? If you go back to some of my earlier replies you will see that I have explained about the removal of the old nails, pins and screws. The woodwork was thoroughly treated for the woodworm and great care was taken to fill the old exit holes. If you want to pull me to pieces please get your facts right first.
1 - he does whatever he want 2 - you're not the one paying him 3 - trapped under wax, paint and varnish, the woodworm had no oxygen left and died 4 - he publish whatever he wants, this is a free expression platform 5 - It may help people to do the same, modifying some details to their own taste
@@savaneflo "trapped under wax, paint and varnish, the woodworm had no oxygen left and died"... Sorry to inform you that this does NOT happen: they will not die, they need incredibly tiny amounts of oxygen to live on. They will just make new tunnels, and will resurface eventually to infest other pieces of furniture and toys. And sorry, but I don´'t care if you believe me or not. And if you don't share my taste, so be it. The artisan sure has the right to do what he thinks was a great job. And I have the right to to disagree.
Hahaha😂😂😂ohh my god how ugly.That was not a RESTAURATION that was a RENOVATION!!! Restauration means keep old substance, cleaning and repairing VERY carefulley.The object should never look new!!Poor old horse, before it looks wonderfull and now it s distroid😢
The word you were trying to write at the end is spelt destroyed. I just thought you should know for the future so that you can pull another restorer to pieces by spelling it correctly. When you are faced with a horse that has been stored away in poor conditions and the little bit of remaining tack is rotten and and the old gesso is falling off there is nothing but the bare bones to save. This horse was going to be used for the next generation to play on, not to be used as a museum exhibit. Because it was going to be used I have a responsibility to make sure it is safe to used. The owner was delighted with it and the child also loves it.
Surely this is a joke. The sheer brutality of the work carried out here is torture. You can always tell a professional ARTISAN by how rusty and dull his chisels are. A hand held utility blade as a scraper, time to head over to " Thomas Johnson, Antique Restorer" for proper techniques. This may be an okay fix but not one of time and precision, sorry.
