Wood Repairs and Refurbishing

Jan 6, 2025 | Repair or Replace Signs, wood repair and refurbishing | 0 comments

custom repair and refurbishing large eagle

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

Occasionally, we’re asked to do wood repairs and refurbishing. Usually, it involves wood art and other outdoor wood items damaged by UV exposure, weathering or vandalism. Since custom service is part of our business model, we welcome wood repairs and refurbishments. These types of projects are usually interesting and come with fascinating histories. However, sometimes, they are challenging. For example, a recent project involved a retired Navy captain and his treasured, hand-carved wooden eagle.The carved eagle was quite old, weathered, and in need of TLC. The captain’s questions: Could we repair the eagle that needed new wing tips? Could we refresh, 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’s wings, restore the finish, then create another twice the size of the smaller eagle honoring the original artist’s vision and workmanship.

First, the wing tips required repair. We prepared the original surface for tip replacements by sanding, shaping and cleaning the area to accept the new tips. The new tips were formed in wood, then carved and glued to the prepared surface. Once painted, the repair was invisible.

Because the small, original eagle was old, refinishing it was the next consideration. If we used the wrong refinishing product, we could make the result worse than the original. But, unfortunately, we weren’t able to determine the original finish. Rather than using the wrong refinishing product, we used paint and faux techniques to restore its appearance. The resulting refinish was completely successful.

The final stage of the captain’s project was to produce a larger version of the original eagle. This required carving a 6′ eagle out of cedar, staining it, then adding the white head feathers. The captain was thrilled with the finished large replica, pictured above. It will grace his property entrance for many years. The smaller, repaired, original eagle will be displayed close by.

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