0:00:02 > 0:00:03Welcome to The Repair Shop,
0:00:03 > 0:00:06where cherished family heirlooms are brought back to life.
0:00:06 > 0:00:09Anything can happen. This is the workshop of dreams.
0:00:09 > 0:00:12Home to furniture restorer Jay Blades.
0:00:12 > 0:00:14Nowadays, things are not built to last,
0:00:14 > 0:00:17so we've become part of this throwaway culture.
0:00:17 > 0:00:20It's all about preserving and restoring.
0:00:20 > 0:00:22We bring the old back to new.
0:00:22 > 0:00:24Working alongside Jay will be some
0:00:24 > 0:00:27of the country's leading craftspeople...
0:00:27 > 0:00:29I like making things with my hands.
0:00:29 > 0:00:32I love to see how things work and want to know how things work.
0:00:32 > 0:00:35Whether it's a Rembrandt or somebody's family piece,
0:00:35 > 0:00:38every painting deserves the same.
0:00:38 > 0:00:41..each bringing their own unique set of skills.
0:00:41 > 0:00:43You're about to witness some magic.
0:00:43 > 0:00:45They will resurrect...
0:00:45 > 0:00:47- revive...- Oh, yes.
0:00:47 > 0:00:50..and rejuvenate
0:00:50 > 0:00:51treasured possessions
0:00:51 > 0:00:55and irreplaceable pieces of family history.
0:00:55 > 0:00:58Oh, my goodness me. It looks like it's new!
0:00:58 > 0:01:01Bringing both the objects...
0:01:01 > 0:01:02Oh, wow!
0:01:02 > 0:01:06..and the memories that they hold back to life.
0:01:06 > 0:01:08Thank you.
0:01:14 > 0:01:16In the Repair Shop today,
0:01:16 > 0:01:21furniture restorer Will Kirk shivers the timbers of a seafaring chest.
0:01:21 > 0:01:24I'm actually worried, feeling the surface -
0:01:24 > 0:01:26you feel that there's a bit of lipping there,
0:01:26 > 0:01:29where the wood has moved and warped and changed.
0:01:29 > 0:01:32There seems to be a lot more work than I first thought.
0:01:32 > 0:01:35And ceramics conservator Kirsten Ramsay
0:01:35 > 0:01:38attempts a seamless repair on a '70s bowl.
0:01:38 > 0:01:41My oldest son pushed it against the wall, and did that to it.
0:01:41 > 0:01:44I mean, it's really rather spoilt, unless you've got a banana hanging
0:01:44 > 0:01:46over the edge or something, it spoils the appearance of it.
0:01:46 > 0:01:48Yeah, I know. Absolutely.
0:01:48 > 0:01:52But first, seeking some essential first aid for a cherished possession,
0:01:52 > 0:01:57Ian McFadyen is hoping clockmaker Steve Fletcher can breathe new life
0:01:57 > 0:02:00into a century-old family heirloom.
0:02:00 > 0:02:01What have we got there, then?
0:02:01 > 0:02:05Here we have my grandfather's old cuckoo clock,
0:02:05 > 0:02:09which is in dire need of love and attention, I think.
0:02:09 > 0:02:11OK.
0:02:11 > 0:02:14- Wow! That's nice.- It's a beautiful old clock.- It's really nice.
0:02:14 > 0:02:15I mean, it is Victorian.
0:02:15 > 0:02:17And there's a bird... Is there a bird in there?
0:02:17 > 0:02:20- Oh, absolutely.- Yeah? - Yeah, but it only goes "cuck".
0:02:20 > 0:02:22- It only goes "cuck"? - It's lost its "oo"?
0:02:22 > 0:02:24It doesn't go "oo", or it could be the other way round.
0:02:24 > 0:02:27- I can't remember.- Right, OK. - It doesn't do the whole "cuckoo".
0:02:27 > 0:02:30- You said this was your father's. How long did your father have it? - It was my grandfather's.
0:02:30 > 0:02:34- Your grandfather. - My grandfather's, so it was my mother's cherished possession.
0:02:34 > 0:02:36You know, I mean, you replace furniture, you replace carpets.
0:02:36 > 0:02:38- Yeah, yeah.- Cars come and go.
0:02:38 > 0:02:41- Yeah.- Everything. But that's something that's consistent
0:02:41 > 0:02:44and my mother died in 2000,
0:02:44 > 0:02:47and I want to be able to hand that down to my son or my daughter.
0:02:47 > 0:02:49Whoever wants it in my family.
0:02:49 > 0:02:53- Yeah.- It's a family heirloom, so I would just love to get it fully
0:02:53 > 0:02:55restored, back to how it should be.
0:02:55 > 0:02:57The tone of the cuckoo, when it works, is gorgeous.
0:02:57 > 0:03:00- It's that deep, rich sound. - It's got a really, really deep,
0:03:00 > 0:03:02- rich cuckoo sound.- Yeah, absolutely. - Absolutely beautiful.
0:03:02 > 0:03:04There's a bit of woodwork, as well.
0:03:04 > 0:03:08There's the top of a leaf missing there and another top of a leaf
0:03:08 > 0:03:12missing there. So, basically, what you'd like us to do with this
0:03:12 > 0:03:15is repair it, get it cuckooing again.
0:03:15 > 0:03:17And then do something with the woodwork, as well.
0:03:17 > 0:03:21Yeah. Cosmetically, I'm hoping that the whole thing can actually be made
0:03:21 > 0:03:23solid and look as it would have done, you know,
0:03:23 > 0:03:27- when it was pride of place.- Thank you.- Thank you very much indeed.
0:03:27 > 0:03:30- Yes, nice to meet you.- Look forward to seeing the finished results.
0:03:30 > 0:03:32- Yeah.- Thank you.- Bye-bye, now.
0:03:33 > 0:03:36Every time I think of that clock, I think of my mum and dad.
0:03:37 > 0:03:42My mother died of cancer in 2000, my father died seven years later.
0:03:42 > 0:03:46I've got a feeling Mum and Dad will be looking down, you know,
0:03:46 > 0:03:48seeing that I've...
0:03:51 > 0:03:54Sorry.
0:03:54 > 0:03:55It's a lot of history in that.
0:03:55 > 0:03:59It is a lot of history and when we get it up ticking and working
0:03:59 > 0:04:01and cuckooing, it will mean a lot to him.
0:04:01 > 0:04:02Yeah, it does mean so much to him.
0:04:02 > 0:04:04- It will mean a lot. - Yeah. I'm on a quest.
0:04:04 > 0:04:07I've got to get it working and I've got to get it in pride of place back in
0:04:07 > 0:04:10the home, where I feel it belongs rightly in the family.
0:04:10 > 0:04:15The exact origins of cuckoo clocks are shrouded in the mists of time,
0:04:15 > 0:04:19but the cuckoo clock as we know it today began being produced by the "Uhrmacher" of
0:04:19 > 0:04:23the Black Forest area of Germany from the mid-18th century.
0:04:23 > 0:04:27The cuckoo noise is made by a set of small bellows,
0:04:27 > 0:04:30powered by the clock mechanism inside.
0:04:30 > 0:04:34The actual leather on the bellows is
0:04:34 > 0:04:38rotten and absolutely shot away, so I've got to renew that completely.
0:04:38 > 0:04:40Some Sellotape over there,
0:04:40 > 0:04:43just to cover up the holes in the fabric there.
0:04:43 > 0:04:46And this one's split open completely, as well.
0:04:46 > 0:04:48Absolutely rotten.
0:04:48 > 0:04:50There we are.
0:04:50 > 0:04:55So the cuckoo here, it looks intact and that should work perfectly.
0:04:55 > 0:04:57So under its wings,
0:04:57 > 0:05:00we've got some stripes which shows that there are some paintings and
0:05:00 > 0:05:02markings on the bird.
0:05:02 > 0:05:04Can you see the beak opening?
0:05:04 > 0:05:06Usually the beak gets broken off.
0:05:06 > 0:05:09That's all intact.
0:05:09 > 0:05:12So the case, actually, is
0:05:12 > 0:05:15a much bigger job than at first glance, actually.
0:05:15 > 0:05:17To help get the clock really singing,
0:05:17 > 0:05:21Steve is recruiting furniture restorer Will to work his magic on
0:05:21 > 0:05:23the carved case.
0:05:23 > 0:05:26Steve, I hear you have something for me.
0:05:26 > 0:05:28I do. It's a bit of a challenge, I'm afraid.
0:05:28 > 0:05:30It's missing the leaf there, there, and there.
0:05:30 > 0:05:33So we need some new bits carved up for it.
0:05:33 > 0:05:36Lovely. I'll be sleeping in the workshop tonight.
0:05:36 > 0:05:39- I'll get on with that. - OK. Good, good.
0:05:44 > 0:05:47The Repair Shop has tools and the talent
0:05:47 > 0:05:50to deal with any restoration challenge.
0:05:50 > 0:05:54No matter how big, how small, how old, or how new.
0:05:54 > 0:05:57Kirsten's the young lady you need to see.
0:05:57 > 0:05:59- Thank you very much. - Right, thank you.
0:05:59 > 0:06:01Up next for ceramics conservator Kirsten,
0:06:01 > 0:06:05a piece from the late-20th century belonging to David Ash.
0:06:05 > 0:06:07Look at that. It's a lovely bowl.
0:06:07 > 0:06:10- It's nice, isn't it? - Yeah, yeah. Really lovely.
0:06:10 > 0:06:11It looks very of its period.
0:06:11 > 0:06:15- Yeah.- And very much sort of back in fashion, I would say.
0:06:15 > 0:06:20- Is it?- Yeah.- This is a bowl that my wife and I purchased in a place in
0:06:20 > 0:06:22Devon called Chagford.
0:06:22 > 0:06:25And I'm not sure who made this, but the initials are on the bottom.
0:06:25 > 0:06:27Right. Yeah.
0:06:27 > 0:06:30And we bought it in about 1973.
0:06:30 > 0:06:35- Yeah.- And we had it for a number of years before my eldest son pushed it
0:06:35 > 0:06:39against the wall, and did that to it. I mean, it really rather spoilt it,
0:06:39 > 0:06:41unless you've got a banana hanging over the edge or something,
0:06:41 > 0:06:43it spoils the appearance of it.
0:06:43 > 0:06:46Yeah, I know. Absolutely. It looks to me like someone's had a go at
0:06:46 > 0:06:48restoring that. Could I be right?
0:06:48 > 0:06:50Yes, I had a go myself,
0:06:50 > 0:06:53with some putty and it looked like Plasticine that you could mix up.
0:06:53 > 0:06:55You could mix them up and try and match the colour.
0:06:55 > 0:06:57- Oh.- Which I did not a bad job of.
0:06:57 > 0:07:01OK. But the problem was that after I had fired it at low temperature in
0:07:01 > 0:07:02- the oven...- Yes.
0:07:02 > 0:07:05- ..it fell off.- Yeah, if you're happy to leave this with me...?
0:07:05 > 0:07:08- Yeah. OK. I'll come back. All right. - That's lovely.- Thank you very much.
0:07:10 > 0:07:12I'm going to clean that off,
0:07:12 > 0:07:15just to make a really nice surface to fill onto.
0:07:15 > 0:07:17I can't throw this away,
0:07:17 > 0:07:20because I can remember what it felt like to buy it on the day that we
0:07:20 > 0:07:25bought it and throwing it away would be like throwing that memory away.
0:07:25 > 0:07:28First, to fill the gaping gap in David's bowl,
0:07:28 > 0:07:30Kirsten is bringing out her secret weapon,
0:07:30 > 0:07:34one you can pick up in any well-stocked garage.
0:07:34 > 0:07:38I'm actually just going to use a car body filler, which is what I use on
0:07:38 > 0:07:40ceramics like this.
0:07:40 > 0:07:42It's like a polyester resin.
0:07:42 > 0:07:45It will be great on this because, actually, it cures very quickly,
0:07:45 > 0:07:49so it means I can pop it in there and be sanding it back within sort
0:07:49 > 0:07:50of ten, 15 minutes.
0:07:50 > 0:07:55It's quite difficult to get white fillers that are reversible and that
0:07:55 > 0:07:58also don't react with the paint.
0:07:58 > 0:07:59I think, quite often,
0:07:59 > 0:08:05practical people will actually often have a go themselves but, more often
0:08:05 > 0:08:09than not, they're actually just not very happy with the result that
0:08:09 > 0:08:12they achieve, so they end up bringing it to me anyway.
0:08:12 > 0:08:16So I'm just going to leave this to harden now and then come back to
0:08:16 > 0:08:18it and apply another coat.
0:08:25 > 0:08:28The rest of The Repair Shop team are bringing their skills to bear on the
0:08:28 > 0:08:32clock that hasn't cuckooed for 17 years
0:08:32 > 0:08:35and Steve's eagle eye has spied another member
0:08:35 > 0:08:38of the animal kingdom hitching a ride inside.
0:08:38 > 0:08:40Look at this.
0:08:40 > 0:08:43That's a hare. This was the trademark of
0:08:43 > 0:08:47Philipp Haas & Sohne of St Georgen,
0:08:47 > 0:08:49in the Black Forest.
0:08:49 > 0:08:51OK. That his, like, trademark?
0:08:51 > 0:08:55- That's his brand.- Yeah, the hare was the trademark of the company.
0:08:55 > 0:08:59Which means it's going to be in the 1880s,
0:08:59 > 0:09:02because this wasn't registered until 1883.
0:09:02 > 0:09:07Meanwhile, Will is beavering away at restoring the carvings on the case.
0:09:07 > 0:09:09This mahogany's quite soft.
0:09:09 > 0:09:14It's quite easy to carve. If you're carving with the grain, then you're all right, but sometimes,
0:09:14 > 0:09:17if you sort of catch it going across the grain of the wood,
0:09:17 > 0:09:19it can always catch and split out
0:09:19 > 0:09:21and then you've got more work on your hands.
0:09:21 > 0:09:24You've got to glue it back and start again.
0:09:24 > 0:09:25So you always have to be mindful of
0:09:25 > 0:09:28the grain direction when you're chiselling.
0:09:34 > 0:09:37I'm just cutting off the old bellow material.
0:09:37 > 0:09:41I'm going to try and cut it back up to the paper.
0:09:41 > 0:09:43I'll then cut some new fabric.
0:09:43 > 0:09:47Jay, that glue I gave you. Did it come with a blue clip, by the way?
0:09:47 > 0:09:49Actually, this is all right, mate.
0:09:49 > 0:09:52Sure. I went to all that trouble.
0:09:52 > 0:09:55- Actually, I might need that. - Yeah, you do need it now, don't you?
0:09:55 > 0:09:56You have to make sure that
0:09:56 > 0:09:59everything is absolutely perfectly true.
0:09:59 > 0:10:02This work is critical to the going of a clock -
0:10:02 > 0:10:04or the good going of a clock.
0:10:10 > 0:10:11Come for a little bit of a nosey.
0:10:11 > 0:10:14Yeah. We are doing really well on it, actually.
0:10:14 > 0:10:17- Got the...- Oh, wow! - ..the movement all up together.
0:10:17 > 0:10:19I'm just testing it on this test rig.
0:10:19 > 0:10:21- Yeah.- Strike coming up.
0:10:21 > 0:10:26And then we've got the "cuck," and then the "oo".
0:10:26 > 0:10:28Ooh! Do that again!
0:10:28 > 0:10:31OK, I'm just going to cover these screw holes there,
0:10:31 > 0:10:34because once it's in the case, they'll be covered, so you've got a...
0:10:34 > 0:10:36CUCKOOING
0:10:36 > 0:10:41- Wow!- That's the "cuck," or the "oo," and then the other one.
0:10:41 > 0:10:43HOOTING
0:10:43 > 0:10:47- Wow!- This is basically just like blowing over the top of a bottle and
0:10:47 > 0:10:50making a noise. You hold on to that one.
0:10:50 > 0:10:54- All right.- Lift with that little ring there and just drop it quickly.
0:10:54 > 0:10:56That's it, that one.
0:10:56 > 0:10:59CUCKOOING
0:10:59 > 0:11:02- We're not in time now, are we? You go first.- That's fine.
0:11:02 > 0:11:04- That's absolutely fine. - Let me have a listen.
0:11:04 > 0:11:06- You go.- That's a new "cuck".
0:11:06 > 0:11:08New "cuck". There you go.
0:11:08 > 0:11:09- A new cuckoo clock.- Yeah!
0:11:09 > 0:11:11THEY LAUGH
0:11:16 > 0:11:20The Repair Shop team is always on call to answer customer Maydays.
0:11:20 > 0:11:24A new arrival has just dropped anchor in the workshop
0:11:24 > 0:11:26and has caught the eye of Jay...
0:11:27 > 0:11:29Here, Will. I think this is one for you, mate.
0:11:29 > 0:11:31Have a look at this.
0:11:31 > 0:11:33..and fellow furniture restorer Will.
0:11:33 > 0:11:35Oh, yes. Very nice.
0:11:35 > 0:11:38That's mine. It's got my name all over it.
0:11:38 > 0:11:40- Hello.- Hello, there.
0:11:40 > 0:11:43The piece that's piqued their interest has been in
0:11:43 > 0:11:46Chrissie Thornhill's family for two centuries.
0:11:46 > 0:11:51It's come down the Thornhill family from my five-times grandfather...
0:11:51 > 0:11:56- Wow!- ..who was born in 1752 and he was a sea captain.
0:11:56 > 0:11:57He was a master mariner.
0:11:57 > 0:12:00- Right.- And he had ten sons,
0:12:00 > 0:12:03about five of whom all became sailors, as well.
0:12:03 > 0:12:06- Really?- So, there's a lot of salty sea dogs in there.
0:12:06 > 0:12:08So it's been on its travels, then?
0:12:08 > 0:12:12- This has had a lot of...- It's certainly been all over the place and heaven knows where.
0:12:12 > 0:12:16I mean, you can sort of see from the marks on the top,
0:12:16 > 0:12:19I think it would have been carried onto the ship, because of the handles.
0:12:19 > 0:12:22You probably had to keep it in the centre of the ship,
0:12:22 > 0:12:23just to sort of keep the balance.
0:12:23 > 0:12:25If the balance goes!
0:12:25 > 0:12:28So, Chrissie, what work needs doing to this?
0:12:28 > 0:12:32It has got rather a nasty crack right across the front.
0:12:32 > 0:12:37Also, the front drawer comes down into a desk which, as you can see,
0:12:37 > 0:12:40is in need of a little bit of attention, I think.
0:12:40 > 0:12:43- Then the top?- The top has got so much history - I mean,
0:12:43 > 0:12:45all those scratches and marks and everything,
0:12:45 > 0:12:48to sort of have all of those go,
0:12:48 > 0:12:51I think it would lose some of the history, so
0:12:51 > 0:12:54I don't know what you can do, but I'm sure you can do something -
0:12:54 > 0:12:57that some of that will still be there.
0:12:57 > 0:13:01It is really nice to keep a lot of these old scratches and marks and
0:13:01 > 0:13:04everything, rather than it looking too brand-new.
0:13:04 > 0:13:07However, I do think, at the front, it's pretty bleached out by the sun.
0:13:07 > 0:13:10And it would be quite nice to have it looking like mahogany,
0:13:10 > 0:13:13- rather than a bit of beech. - That would be wonderful, yes.
0:13:13 > 0:13:18So, I would say, would you be happy with sort of maybe, sort of,
0:13:18 > 0:13:20one of the mid-tone colours here,
0:13:20 > 0:13:22something around this kind of chestnutty-brown?
0:13:22 > 0:13:24That would be smashing, yeah.
0:13:24 > 0:13:26Once this is repaired, where would this be?
0:13:26 > 0:13:29- It's not going to be going on any more ships, is it?- I don't think so.
0:13:29 > 0:13:32- OK.- It's going back to... I live with my mum...
0:13:32 > 0:13:34- Right.- ..who I care for,
0:13:34 > 0:13:40and it's been in our living room for the last 30-odd years.
0:13:40 > 0:13:45- OK.- And one of the reasons I would really like it back to sort of full
0:13:45 > 0:13:47working order is because I write,
0:13:47 > 0:13:52and I would really love to sit at this desk and write,
0:13:52 > 0:13:53which I've never been able to do...
0:13:53 > 0:13:58- Yeah.- ..and get all that inspiration from all these sea stories...
0:13:58 > 0:14:02- Yeah.- ..maybe to write my bestseller. No pressure!
0:14:02 > 0:14:04- You take care now, OK? - Thanks a lot, Will.
0:14:04 > 0:14:07- Thank you.- Wow!
0:14:07 > 0:14:09200 years of history.
0:14:09 > 0:14:11- I know. Exciting.- It is.
0:14:11 > 0:14:15As a writer, to be able to sit at something that has so much
0:14:15 > 0:14:19connection with the past and my family down through the generations,
0:14:19 > 0:14:22I'm sure it's just going to be so hugely inspirational.
0:14:22 > 0:14:25- It's a shame these marks can't talk...- Yeah.
0:14:25 > 0:14:27..and tell us where it has been and stuff.
0:14:27 > 0:14:28I'm really excited to get stuck in.
0:14:28 > 0:14:31- Well, I'm going to leave this one with you.- To drag back to my bench?
0:14:31 > 0:14:34I've got work to do. See you later, mate.
0:14:34 > 0:14:35See you in a bit.
0:14:35 > 0:14:39With 200 years of seafaring history in his hands,
0:14:39 > 0:14:43Will needs to navigate a way of repairing the chest without losing
0:14:43 > 0:14:45any of its character.
0:14:45 > 0:14:47I'm going to start with the structural work,
0:14:47 > 0:14:48lose that crack completely,
0:14:48 > 0:14:52but there's a reason why there's a crack and that's because, with all
0:14:52 > 0:14:55the weight on the inside, with all the drawers and the extra pieces
0:14:55 > 0:14:59of wood, the constant pulling and pushing and pulling, pushing,
0:14:59 > 0:15:02her drawer has actually dropped down.
0:15:02 > 0:15:04You push it back in and the inevitable is going to happen.
0:15:04 > 0:15:06It's got to split off on the front.
0:15:06 > 0:15:11Then it's just getting stuck into the polishing, which is, I think,
0:15:11 > 0:15:14the trickiest job, because it's getting that colour right,
0:15:14 > 0:15:18the finish right, not wanting to remove any of the history.
0:15:18 > 0:15:21That's where the pressure is really on.
0:15:27 > 0:15:28I found something interesting, Jay.
0:15:28 > 0:15:30I've taken out the drawer, turned it around,
0:15:30 > 0:15:35and you can see, this actually fits in like a puzzle piece.
0:15:35 > 0:15:37Is that the reason why it wouldn't shut, as well?
0:15:37 > 0:15:40That's the reason it wouldn't shut because, on this side,
0:15:40 > 0:15:42you can see that it's nice and flush.
0:15:42 > 0:15:46- Yeah.- But on this side, it's a bit on the ropey side and poking out,
0:15:46 > 0:15:49so I think, if we knock that back into place,
0:15:49 > 0:15:51the drawer should go back in.
0:15:55 > 0:16:00Over in clock corner, Steve has got his project mechanism running
0:16:00 > 0:16:02like... well, clockwork.
0:16:02 > 0:16:05He is now giving the battered old bird its first bath for
0:16:05 > 0:16:07over 100 years.
0:16:07 > 0:16:10- Cor, blimey! - Come out well, hasn't it?
0:16:10 > 0:16:13- Yeah.- That's quite exciting, isn't it?- Yeah, it is very exciting.
0:16:13 > 0:16:16- And amazing the amount of dirt! - You've got oil on there,
0:16:16 > 0:16:19you've got glue on there, you've got polish on there.
0:16:19 > 0:16:23You've got everything. It's just a build-up of layers and layers of
0:16:23 > 0:16:25stuff, so that's why I've had to use some acetone to clean it up.
0:16:25 > 0:16:27That is amazing.
0:16:27 > 0:16:32Steve has one other last-minute fix to perform by repairing the bone
0:16:32 > 0:16:34hands of the clock.
0:16:34 > 0:16:37So I've cleaned up the minute hand.
0:16:37 > 0:16:40You can see, I haven't cleaned up the hour hand yet.
0:16:40 > 0:16:41You can see, it's got a bit missing.
0:16:41 > 0:16:44- Yeah.- Well, I've got a piece to make for that.
0:16:44 > 0:16:47Is that dinner?
0:16:47 > 0:16:52- What's that?- So it's some bone that I got from the pet shop.
0:16:52 > 0:16:53That's real... That's meat, isn't it?
0:16:53 > 0:16:57Yeah, it is. It's real bone, so I'm going to cut a sliver off of that,
0:16:57 > 0:17:00and I'm going to carve it up and attach it to the hand.
0:17:00 > 0:17:03Your talents are endless, aren't they?
0:17:03 > 0:17:08Animal bone is a common material used by the Black Forest clockmakers
0:17:08 > 0:17:12for hands, numerals, and other decorative features.
0:17:19 > 0:17:21With the final touches completed,
0:17:21 > 0:17:25Ian is back to be reunited with his cherished timepiece.
0:17:25 > 0:17:28- How are you doing, Ian? - Hello, there.- You all right?
0:17:28 > 0:17:31- Good afternoon. How are you? - Very good, very good.
0:17:31 > 0:17:32- Come and have a look...- OK!
0:17:32 > 0:17:36- ..at what we've done. - Really looking forward to it.
0:17:36 > 0:17:38Can't wait.
0:17:41 > 0:17:43- There.- Oh!
0:17:43 > 0:17:45Oh, wow!
0:17:45 > 0:17:48Yeah, that does look good, doesn't it?
0:17:48 > 0:17:51That's a treat. It really is.
0:17:51 > 0:17:53- Looks gorgeous.- I can tell by the smile on your face you like it.
0:17:53 > 0:17:57I'm thrilled with it. I can see, you know, it looks beautiful.
0:17:57 > 0:17:59Now, the big test...
0:17:59 > 0:18:01- is the sound.- Yeah?
0:18:03 > 0:18:04CUCKOOING
0:18:04 > 0:18:05That's it.
0:18:05 > 0:18:07Isn't that lovely?
0:18:13 > 0:18:16- Now I'm getting emotional. - Bless you.
0:18:16 > 0:18:19The whole thing just makes me think of my mum...
0:18:20 > 0:18:21Which...
0:18:22 > 0:18:24..is pretty sentimental.
0:18:24 > 0:18:27Do you know what, Ian?
0:18:27 > 0:18:29This gives me the greatest of pleasure,
0:18:29 > 0:18:33to do a clock up that means so much to somebody
0:18:33 > 0:18:36and to see your reaction, it is just wonderful.
0:18:36 > 0:18:40It makes me feel really proud of what I do, actually.
0:18:40 > 0:18:42It was unfinished business.
0:18:42 > 0:18:44It was something that...
0:18:45 > 0:18:47..played on my conscience,
0:18:47 > 0:18:50the fact that the clock didn't work and it's now resolved.
0:18:50 > 0:18:53So now that it's done, it's quite a weight off of my shoulders,
0:18:53 > 0:18:55because it's absolutely perfect.
0:18:55 > 0:18:59Thank you very much for repairing it and making it look good again.
0:18:59 > 0:19:01CUCKOOING
0:19:09 > 0:19:13Meanwhile, Will is hoping for his own perfect restoration result.
0:19:13 > 0:19:17His challenge is repairing the 200-year-old captain's chest while
0:19:17 > 0:19:21preserving its characterful ocean-going patina.
0:19:21 > 0:19:24Now I've had a chance to look at the inside,
0:19:24 > 0:19:26there seems to be a lot more work than I first thought.
0:19:26 > 0:19:30For one, I'm actually worried, feeling the surface here,
0:19:30 > 0:19:33you can feel that there's a bit of lipping there, where the wood
0:19:33 > 0:19:35has moved and warped and changed.
0:19:35 > 0:19:39So that's even more time, more work and everything else.
0:19:39 > 0:19:43With so much to do, Will's press-ganged Steve into action...
0:19:43 > 0:19:46We don't have a master key, unfortunately.
0:19:46 > 0:19:48..to help unlock the chest's full potential
0:19:48 > 0:19:51by finding a replacement for the missing key.
0:19:51 > 0:19:54We're trying to find out the size of what it would be.
0:19:54 > 0:19:55Oh, there you go.
0:19:55 > 0:19:58That's absolutely bang on the right size.
0:19:58 > 0:19:59So it would be 50 mil.
0:19:59 > 0:20:01Thanks for that, Steve.
0:20:01 > 0:20:04And we've done a bit more ageing to the top of this chest,
0:20:04 > 0:20:06which is brilliant.
0:20:06 > 0:20:08Thanks, Steve.
0:20:09 > 0:20:11With Steve on key duty,
0:20:11 > 0:20:16Will can get on with preparing the desk for active service by restoring
0:20:16 > 0:20:18the writing area.
0:20:18 > 0:20:21To replace the old green baize on the surface, well, actually,
0:20:21 > 0:20:25that's another thing I need to do - I actually have to flatten this off,
0:20:25 > 0:20:26so it's all nice and smooth.
0:20:26 > 0:20:29One of the problems with laying the leather
0:20:29 > 0:20:32is even a tiny bit of dirt will show up on the surface.
0:20:32 > 0:20:34It's really unforgiving.
0:20:34 > 0:20:38As more problems emerge, it's all hands on deck as the team
0:20:38 > 0:20:41try to get it shipshape in time for collection.
0:20:50 > 0:20:53- That's great.- Hold on, he's got all of us working on this.
0:20:53 > 0:20:55Well done.
0:20:55 > 0:20:57I know. I found an old key.
0:20:57 > 0:21:00- Yeah.- But the bit was not quite long enough.
0:21:00 > 0:21:04- The wards are in the right place. - The wards are...
0:21:04 > 0:21:05- The wards are the cut-outs. - Cut-outs.
0:21:05 > 0:21:09Yeah. What I did, I hard-soldered another bit on the end there to
0:21:09 > 0:21:12extend it, and it works perfectly.
0:21:12 > 0:21:14- There you go, sir.- Magician!
0:21:14 > 0:21:16Thanks very much, Steve. Thanks, mate.
0:21:16 > 0:21:19- See? So when are you getting back to work?- No, no!
0:21:19 > 0:21:20THEY LAUGH
0:21:20 > 0:21:22What? You've got Steve working on the lock.
0:21:22 > 0:21:25You've got me doing... What are you actually doing?
0:21:25 > 0:21:27- Gosh!- I'm having a cup of tea.
0:21:27 > 0:21:29- Thanks, Steve. - It's probably cold now.
0:21:31 > 0:21:34So just now, you can see I'm checking the bottom of the leather
0:21:34 > 0:21:37to make sure there's nothing on there.
0:21:37 > 0:21:40It's always tricky, scoring the edge with a blade.
0:21:40 > 0:21:44One sneeze, and you've got yourself a hole in the leather.
0:21:48 > 0:21:50And talking of holes to fix,
0:21:50 > 0:21:54ceramicist Kirstin has finished the first stage of the repair to
0:21:54 > 0:21:56the damaged bowl.
0:21:56 > 0:21:58But filling the gap was the easy part.
0:21:59 > 0:22:03Now Kirsten must paint her repair to blend in seamlessly with
0:22:03 > 0:22:05the original artist's work.
0:22:05 > 0:22:09Obviously, the painting is the kind of more difficult bit.
0:22:09 > 0:22:12I'm sort of getting my pallet together,
0:22:12 > 0:22:15cos it's quite a lot of different colours that are in here,
0:22:15 > 0:22:18so I'm just going to start getting rid of the white,
0:22:18 > 0:22:21blocking up the white.
0:22:21 > 0:22:23That's starting to blend in now.
0:22:28 > 0:22:33I used a matt glaze to get the background colour and then,
0:22:33 > 0:22:36you can see here, there is some sort of glossy glaze, as well,
0:22:36 > 0:22:42so I've gone over with the gloss in places to mimic that glossy finish.
0:22:42 > 0:22:45The eye just doesn't really notice it, I don't think.
0:22:45 > 0:22:50I just hope that David will be happy.
0:22:50 > 0:22:54So now, I just leave it to dry and then
0:22:54 > 0:22:56it's ready for David to come and collect.
0:22:58 > 0:23:01- Hi, David.- Hi. - How are you?- I'm fine.
0:23:01 > 0:23:03- How are you?- Good. Yeah, fine, thank you.
0:23:03 > 0:23:05I've done your bowl for you.
0:23:05 > 0:23:07- Oh, good.- I hope you'll be happy.
0:23:09 > 0:23:10Oh, wow! That's amazing.
0:23:10 > 0:23:12I can't even see where it was.
0:23:12 > 0:23:15- So where is it?- Well, I was hoping you would say that.
0:23:15 > 0:23:19- I can't see it at all. - See if you can spot it.
0:23:22 > 0:23:25No, I can't spot it.
0:23:25 > 0:23:27- I cannot spot it.- Good.
0:23:27 > 0:23:29- Phew!- That's amazing.
0:23:29 > 0:23:31Let's have a look and see.
0:23:31 > 0:23:34Yeah, I can see, actually.
0:23:34 > 0:23:35It's just across there.
0:23:35 > 0:23:37It's fantastic and it's very, very smooth, as well.
0:23:37 > 0:23:40- It's beautiful.- Don't rub it too hard after I've just finished it!
0:23:40 > 0:23:43No, it's quite beautiful.
0:23:43 > 0:23:46That is a really impressive job. Terrific.
0:23:46 > 0:23:49So, hopefully, you won't have to drape a banana over that corner.
0:23:49 > 0:23:52No, no, and I'll have to keep it away from teenagers and walls.
0:23:52 > 0:23:55Oh, yes. Yeah, absolutely.
0:23:55 > 0:23:57Thank you very much. It's just a fantastic job.
0:23:57 > 0:24:01- Oh, thank you.- We've had this bowl now for about 45 years and it's been
0:24:01 > 0:24:04hidden in a cupboard for about 30 of those and subsequently repaired in
0:24:04 > 0:24:07four hours, which is fantastically impressive.
0:24:07 > 0:24:10And it's just so nice to see it looking like this again.
0:24:10 > 0:24:13I would never have thrown it away. That's been the problem with it,
0:24:13 > 0:24:16because we have this attitude that either it gets fixed or it has
0:24:16 > 0:24:18to go, because it's not being used.
0:24:18 > 0:24:21But you can't throw something like this away, I don't think.
0:24:28 > 0:24:32After restoring everything below deck on the sea captain's chest,
0:24:32 > 0:24:35Will now faces his biggest challenge -
0:24:35 > 0:24:37cleaning and varnishing the exterior,
0:24:37 > 0:24:41restoring some of the original colour, while retaining the telltale
0:24:41 > 0:24:44signs of the desk's 200-year-old history.
0:24:44 > 0:24:46Wow!
0:24:46 > 0:24:49So you can already see how dirty the surface is.
0:24:49 > 0:24:52There's something quite rewarding about doing this.
0:24:52 > 0:24:54I'm just doing the finishing touches now.
0:24:54 > 0:24:56I'm so happy with the colour.
0:24:56 > 0:25:00I think I was quite nervous about the colour in the beginning.
0:25:00 > 0:25:02I mean, it looks like an even kind of colour job,
0:25:02 > 0:25:05so after buffing this up, it's going to be good to go.
0:25:08 > 0:25:12- I'll make this good for Chrissie. - Yeah. Lovely.
0:25:12 > 0:25:14- 200 years, yeah?- Yeah!
0:25:15 > 0:25:17Jay, have a look at this.
0:25:17 > 0:25:19- Are you finished?- Yes.
0:25:19 > 0:25:21Wow!
0:25:21 > 0:25:24- Nice?- It's nice. That is nice. Guys, you've got to have a look at this.
0:25:24 > 0:25:26- Will's done some work. - Jay, don't embarrass me.
0:25:26 > 0:25:29- No, it looks good, mate. It does look good.- Wow!
0:25:29 > 0:25:32- Looks amazing, doesn't it? - It's beautiful.
0:25:32 > 0:25:34Are you going to open the drawers for us?
0:25:34 > 0:25:37Just soak in the atmosphere for a second.
0:25:37 > 0:25:40- I need to see the drawer.- First of all, nice and smooth movement.
0:25:40 > 0:25:43Nice action there.
0:25:43 > 0:25:46The split along the bottom of the top drawer.
0:25:46 > 0:25:50- What split?- Exactly! What split? And then, that...
0:25:50 > 0:25:53- Oh!- Oh, wow!- Well done. - Nice bit of leather there.
0:25:53 > 0:25:56- Fantastic.- You've done good. - Fantastic.
0:25:56 > 0:25:59Jay, Kirsten and painting conservator Lucia
0:25:59 > 0:26:01are suitably impressed.
0:26:01 > 0:26:03But Jay has one last finishing touch
0:26:03 > 0:26:06for its owner and budding author Chrissie.
0:26:06 > 0:26:08So if you guys are cool with this, I'd like to
0:26:08 > 0:26:12do a little bit of a whip-round and we get Chrissie a pen
0:26:12 > 0:26:15and a pad for writing her bestseller.
0:26:15 > 0:26:18Cos there's bits in there, but it's empty.
0:26:22 > 0:26:24200 miles away,
0:26:24 > 0:26:28Chrissie and her mother Margaret are eagerly awaiting the return of their
0:26:28 > 0:26:32family treasure from its latest voyage.
0:26:32 > 0:26:34Are you looking forward to it arriving, Mum?
0:26:34 > 0:26:38- Of course I am.- Mum and I have missed it enormously.
0:26:38 > 0:26:41I mean, it's really been like a big hole in the room.
0:26:41 > 0:26:44For her to see it in its new state,
0:26:44 > 0:26:46I think will be wonderful for her.
0:26:51 > 0:26:54Would you like to bring it in round the back?
0:26:54 > 0:26:57It's probably easiest if we take it in this way.
0:26:58 > 0:26:59Oh, Mum, look at that.
0:26:59 > 0:27:03How lovely. Isn't it beautiful?
0:27:03 > 0:27:04And a key in it!
0:27:04 > 0:27:08Yeah. It's super and they've just kept so much of everything.
0:27:08 > 0:27:12That crack at the front, I mean, you can't spot it at all.
0:27:12 > 0:27:15I mean, it's like magic.
0:27:15 > 0:27:17Oh, yes, and there's a lovely green.
0:27:17 > 0:27:19- Isn't it?- Oh, how lovely!
0:27:19 > 0:27:22Well, I'm looking forward to sitting and writing on that.
0:27:22 > 0:27:23You'll be inspired.
0:27:23 > 0:27:26- Are you pleased? - Oh, I'm delighted, my love.
0:27:28 > 0:27:29Oh, that's it. What's that?
0:27:29 > 0:27:31Oh! A pen.
0:27:31 > 0:27:33Oh! A notebook.
0:27:33 > 0:27:37"To Chrissy. Something to inspire your writing.
0:27:37 > 0:27:39"With love, The Repair Shop."
0:27:39 > 0:27:42- Isn't that wonderful?- So kind.
0:27:42 > 0:27:45This is where I'm going to write my bestseller and I'll probably start
0:27:45 > 0:27:48it on the pages of this wonderful book.
0:27:48 > 0:27:52It's absolutely wonderful to have the chest back and seeing it looking
0:27:52 > 0:27:54the way that it does,
0:27:54 > 0:27:56oh, it's just tremendous.
0:27:56 > 0:27:58It really is a showpiece.
0:27:58 > 0:28:01My husband would have thought, you know,
0:28:01 > 0:28:02"How wonderful."
0:28:02 > 0:28:07And to see it restored to a time when his ancestor first had it,
0:28:07 > 0:28:09he'd be very pleased.
0:28:12 > 0:28:16Join us next time as more precious pieces are rescued and their
0:28:16 > 0:28:20cherished memories restored in The Repair Shop.