Saving A Sculpture

Bill spent many years working in clay with Toshiko Takaezu's tutelage and mentoring. Her ceramic sculptures and work are known world-wide, and Bill is lucky to still work in her "legacy" studio. This large black "Moon Pot" by Toshiko, was a Mother's Day gift to me many years ago and in need of structural repairs which Bill could do. 

 Before & After...

This sculpture was always outside, and Bill is repairing it now that it has become extremely delicate. With many structural cracks and several holes, he has used two densities of expanding foam; poured inside of it to solidify the entire form. Satin (bottom) and gloss (top) black paints were hand applied afterward, and the piece is amazing again. Thank you Toshiko Takaezu and Bill! 

Old Floors Like New

The old floors in this 1780 farmhouse were barely sanded before and suffered water damage when the pipes burst in an abandoned state. We felt it was appropriate to have them sanded and sealed by an experienced professional. Duvan's Hardwood Flooring has made these old pine floorboards like new again! Duvan and his colleague did this work in one week for $2.50 sq. ft., and with four coats of semi-gloss polyurethane they will last our lifetime. Here are the rooms...

Sanding The Floors

Although we have tried to do most of the work on Christian's farmhouse ourselves, sanding the old pine floors and sealing them is being done by Duvan's Hardwood Flooring. They are a family business which specializes in restoring and refinishing floors, with much experience and willingness to please. Here are some rooms after one day of sanding.

I have 10 gallons of Bona Woodline Semi Gloss Polyurethane which has an amber tint and is highly endorsed, to seal the floor boards. It's a Swedish product I ordered through Amazon.

We feel lucky that all of the water stains are removed and many interesting large knots and boards
are obvious now.

Christian and Leif worked hard this weekend finishing the floor preparations.

Floor Fixes

All of the holes in the floors of this farmhouse have been refurbished with patches of the same antique pine boards. Bill and Christian have used some of the old dining room floor boards which had to be removed, for patches, since the floor was not salvageable. They "free hand" cut circles for the AC holes not needed, fit new tongue and groove boards for the largest holes, and chiseled to fit other splintered boards.

Here, the opening required moving the AC hook up from the outside condenser to the basement wall below it for the new HVAC unit there.  A PVC pipe was installed in the basement wall for future hook up.

Below, a missing transom was made using the same salvaged old pine. It has all been tedious work, but soon the floor refinishers come to sand and seal these old floors for us. Hooray!