Custom Wood Repairs and Refurbishing

Oct 23, 2018 | Gold Leaf Hand Carved Hand Painted Signs | 0 comments

custom repair and refurbishing large eagle

The large, duplicate, 6 ft., hand-carved eagle

Occasionally, we’re asked to do custom wood repairs and refurbishing. Usually, it involves wood art and other outdoor items damaged by UV exposure, weathering or vandalism.

Since custom service is part of our business model, we welcome custom repairs and refurbishing. These types of projects are interesting, although sometimes challenging. For example, a recent project involved a retired Navy captain and his treasured, hand-carved, wooden eagle.

The eagle was quite old, weathered, and in need of TLC. His questions: Could we repair the eagle that needed new wing tips? Could we freshen, refinish and restore it after years of outdoor exposure? Further, could we create a replica TWICE the size of the original, say, 6 feet across?

Yes, yes and yes.

How we repaired and refurbished the captain’s eagle

Although we prefer to use more refined carving techniques, the goal of the project was to repair the eagle, then duplicate it twice the original size, honoring the original artist’s vision and workmanship.

Because the original eagle was old, its finish was the first consideration. If we used the wrong refinishing product, we could make the result worse than the original. Unfortunately, we weren’t able to determine the original finish. As a result, we used paint and faux techniques to restore its appearance.

The wing tips required repair. We prepared the original surface for new replacements by sanding and shaping the area to accept the new tips. These were also shaped, then carved and glued to the prepared surface. Once painted, the repair was invisible.

The captain was thrilled with the finished large replica, pictured above. It will grace his property entrance for many years. The smaller, original eagle will be displayed close by.

The custom repair and refurbishing process, below. From the left: the original eagle. Center: the wingtip repair. Right: the finished wingtips.