Water Clock Restoration Day 18

The Bouquet feature in the centre of the clock has suffered more than most. The woodland creatures have become tarnished, the foliage has been damaged and repeatedly over-painted, losing all the detail. The large copper autumn leaf that supports it all is grimy and dull.

The bouquet before work begins.

Team Billington have stripped the Bouquet down to its constituent parts and have brought the three birds, frog and squirrel that populate it back to their true shiny condition. The foliage and autumn

leaf are at the soda blasters joining the queue and a close inspection of the metalwork to assess the condition of the water spouts will only be possible after it has all been exposed by blasting.

Some of the woodland creatures before cleaning.

We know that some of the leaves have broken away over the years and will need to be replaced. Tracings from the surviving leaves will be taken to allow accurate replacements to be cut and formed.

The woodland creatures after cleaning and polishing.

Some of the bright metal parts of the Clock are in very good condition but the animals and butterflies that have been repeatedly exposed to water have suffered. Following soda blasting and polishing they are bright and shiny but some show slight signs of wear with the brass from which they are made grinning through the chrome plating, particularly on edges. Rather than attempt to rectify this, which would involve stripping them down to their constituent parts and replating we have decided that it is better if they 'show their age'. They are, after all, over forty years old and are allowed to!