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the care that goes into creating a craft object

Posted on Friday, 22 October 2004 09:07AM by RESTORATION DEPT
It pays to understand something of the care that goes into creating a craft object which aims quite simply to be the best. It all starts with the quality of wood from which the rocking horse is made.The hardwood should be selected for its stability, its grain and its suitability for carving. If it is a tropical hardwood, it should carry the assurance that it is from a managed forest where replanting is the regular practice. After the already seasoned wood is delivered to the workshop, it is cut into the component pieces from which a rocking horse body is made. These pieces should be stored for a further period of seasoning, to eliminate any risk that the finished rocking horse might split or crack. In due course the components are assembled, using high-strength glue, into the rough-blocked shape of a horse. Then the hand-carving begins by craftsmen who know that a moment's carelessness could destroy their whole creation. Slowly the fine features, the set of the head, the neck muscles and the whole graceful shape of the body emerge. Next comes the process of fine sanding to produce a smooth unblemished surface ready for its final finish. This is best achieved by the traditional process of french polishing by hand, enhancing the natural wood grain and giving a richness and colour that cannot be matched in any other way. Alternatively, a painted dapple-grey finish may be applied. But it should be much more than a coat of paint: it should be built up by stages, the darker dappling effect delicately applied to simulate that of a real dapple-grey horse. And the final coat, silky to the touch, should be robust in withstanding hard wear.
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