STRIPPING PROCESS

It should be noted that even as unglamorous as the stripping process can be, it is a very important step in the restoration process. Great care must be taken not to damage the carving. The stripping process can be a messy, tedious, laborious job. Although, what is sometimes discovered beneath years of paint can be quite exciting. In this case the paint on the cover horse hides most of the very intricate detail on the trappings. At some point in time the horse had been stripped and the original paint lost. However, as the saddle area is stripped, we find very ornate leafing and flower designs within the obvious elaborate scroll work. A strap on the rump yields a face with a ring through its mouth. The mane is much more intricate and deeply carved than it appeared and flows down the back of the neck. The lumps and bumps on the thighs are veins.

Stripping begins with a variable temperature heat gun. Excessive heat can burn the wood and even loosen glue joints. Once the paint is removed using the heat gun and a round edged putty knife, which prevents accidental digging into the wood, the details are finished using a chemical stripper and a light touch with a brass wire brush until clean.                                        < 1 2 3 4 5 > Next