We now have a set of gleaming animal and bird figures ready to take their place on the ends of the radial arms at the top of the clock, courtesy of Team Anker. These were covered in grime but not exposed to the ravages of chlorinated water and coins so have been bought back to life using a dilute solvent and a lot of elbow grease.
The petals around the sunflower have adopted a number of different shapes over the years due to the unwanted attentions of maintenance cherry-pickers. Team Price have produced a former based upon one of the undistorted petals to allow all of the petals to be copper-beaten back to the same shape.
Team Grogan are now working on the butterflies cleaning and replacing the missing jewels from the wings and copper antennae. Team Billington are in the process of stripping down the central Bouquet feature so that each part can get the most appropriate cleaning regime.
A slight problem with the size of the Cobweb Water Wheel means that zinc plating may not be an option but we are keen to ensure that when restored it will withstand the rigours of its vulnerable location. We are now investigating electropainting (e-coat). This is used to treat the undersides of cars so offers a durable, water-resistant finish and looks promising. With a final powder-coated finish we should be able to both restore the wheel's original appearance and make sure it stays that way.
Team Parkes are working on the steel frame that supports the Woodland Orchestra in the sunflower and Team Dexter are in the process of replacing the missing drive mechanism. Pete Dexter is also looking to correct the alignment of the stirrups that support the petals and devise a protective rim for the Cobweb Water Wheel to protect its more vulnerable parts during transit.
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