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00:00Here at The Repair Shop,
00:03countless treasures have been brought back to life.
00:07That reveal so much about who we are
00:11and where we're from.
00:14It's like it's brand new.
00:16But there's so much more out there
00:18that's not yet made it to the barn.
00:21This is amazing.
00:23So the team are hitting the road.
00:25I just love getting up close and personal with the objects.
00:28And we're going to get a glimpse into some amazing heritage crafts.
00:31Yes. I cannot wait.
00:34On a unique adventure.
00:36Oh, yes.
00:37This is terrifying.
00:39To join forces with expert craftspeople.
00:43Whoa!
00:44If we don't point these joints, moisture's going to penetrate.
00:47On their most ambitious restorations yet.
00:50To think every day you come up, this is your office.
00:52Wow! It's big!
00:54Keeping heritage crafts alive.
00:57Keep going, keep going.
00:58Yeah.
00:59It's getting hot in there.
01:00On precious restorations around the country.
01:03I can't even imagine what it looks like.
01:06Wow!
01:07There's a legacy here that needs to be protected.
01:09This time, Will and Dom are in the south of Scotland.
01:20On the road again.
01:21Oh, I love Scotland.
01:22I know.
01:23It's beautiful, isn't it?
01:24Bringing a beloved landmark back to life.
01:27This is quite scary.
01:29You can really see now how the weather has got to the wood.
01:32Will cooks up a plan to restore a rusty family heirloom.
01:35How many meals were cooked on this pan?
01:37Oh, my mum would cook mince and stew, eggs in the morning.
01:42Must have been thousands.
01:43Keep going.
01:44Yep.
01:45All the way.
01:46All the way.
01:47Go, go, go, go, go.
01:48Andy's put under pressure.
01:49That's it.
01:50Learning the traditional craft of rush seating.
01:53I didn't realise it actually literally comes like this, doesn't it?
02:02I do find it hard to pronounce a lot of the places that we're visiting.
02:06Well, names like Cucubri, where we're heading now.
02:09Say it again?
02:10Cucubri.
02:11It's off the tongue for you, doesn't it?
02:12Yeah.
02:13Nothing like how it's spelt.
02:15In Dumfries and Galloway, in the southernmost part of Scotland,
02:19Cucubri is a coastal town on the River Dee.
02:22Apparently, it's a sort of seaside artist town,
02:26kind of like St Ives in Cornwall.
02:28St Ives is beautiful.
02:29If Cucubri is anything like that, I can't wait to see it.
02:31Yeah.
02:33From the late 19th century,
02:35Cucubri became a hub for painters and craftspeople,
02:38many of whom became central to Scotland's art history.
02:43But before then, fishing was key to its identity and economy.
02:47And even today, Cucubri is one of the busiest ports in the UK for scallop fishing.
02:53I've been invited up here to help restore a wooden sculpture.
02:57Right.
02:58Positioned in the harbour, looking out at sea as a memorial for sailors lost at sea.
03:03Really?
03:04It's a special thing.
03:05It's really nice.
03:06It means a lot to the community.
03:07At Cucubri Harbour, Dom's meeting Louise Liddell from the Fisherman's Mission,
03:13to find out more about the sculpture and why it means so much to the town.
03:18Would you tell us a bit about this beautiful sculpture?
03:21It's a sculpture of the mother and child looking out to sea.
03:23It's looking straight out to the harbour.
03:25And it reminds people of the risks that the fishermen go out to sea experience every day.
03:31And it also shows that the families back here, left waiting,
03:35are also affected by the fishing and think,
03:37well, I really hope my husband, my brothers, you know, come home tonight.
03:41Wow.
03:42It's a big symbol of that fear and hope and all of those emotions that go with all of the family.
03:49It's not just the people that are out on the boats.
03:51It's the families that they've left behind.
03:53This tightly knit coastal community has suffered several fishing disasters.
03:59In 1985, five crew lost their lives when the scallop trawler Mary L sank in the Iry Sea.
04:07In 2000, another trawler, the Solway Harvester, sank off the Isle of Man during a fierce storm.
04:15The seven strong crew never returned.
04:18Fishing is one of the most dangerous jobs in the UK.
04:23Anything can happen, the risk is really high.
04:25So this statue is not for one particular tragedy, this is a symbol of...
04:30No, this is for general fishing.
04:32..just to say the mother and child want their loved one to return home.
04:36And they're just longing to hope that they're going to be safe and they will return home.
04:40How long has the sculpture been here?
04:42The sculpture has been here, I think, 32 years.
04:4532 years, it's been outside in the elements.
04:47Yes, outside in the elements, exposed to all the rain, the wind, snow and ice that we get in Scotland.
04:53And that looks like it's starting to take its toll.
04:55Yes, yes.
04:56The eight-foot-tall sculpture was carved in 1994 by artist Charlie Easterfield when she lived in the town.
05:06It's made from green oak.
05:08The freshly cut wood is soft and easier to work and was always designed to weather naturally.
05:15But over the years, the memorial has suffered from the formation of algae and black spot.
05:21The community want it back to its best.
05:24And there's a deadline.
05:26We're actually having our second National Fishing Remembrance Sunday, this Sunday coming.
05:32So it would be fantastic for it to be restored ahead of that special day.
05:37And that's this Sunday?
05:38Yes, that's this Sunday down here at this memorial.
05:41So we haven't got long.
05:42At this statue.
05:43I completely get it.
05:44I understand how important this is to the local community.
05:47Yeah, definitely.
05:48I'm very pleased to say that I've got a brilliant team of experts that are going to help to get this looking its best.
05:53Thank you very much.
05:54It'll be very much appreciated by everybody in Kirkcubry.
05:58And help is close at hand in the form of repair shop expert Rich Fraser.
06:05Hello, Dom. Rich, how are you doing? Good to see you again.
06:07Rich is a specialist heritage stonemason, lime plasterer and conservation builder.
06:14Traditional skills which should help this time-worn sculpture weather many more storms.
06:20This sculpture is so important to local community, right?
06:25And weather has taken its toll, as you can see.
06:27There's huge old cracks in the wood and some of the stonework at the bottom makes me a little bit nervous.
06:32So yeah, I think cleaning the oak prior to restoring it is going to be an essential part of the process.
06:39We're at a crucial point in time here where the wood is so dry it needs some oil.
06:44And the only way we can get that absorbed into it is to remove the dirt and organic growth that's on it.
06:49Right.
06:50So it can be absorbed.
06:51And if we come further down, there's so much organic growth between the stones.
06:55There might be some issues with the pointing.
06:57Some of the stones might be loose.
06:59So we want to clean that up a little bit to see the full extent of the problems that we're dealing with.
07:04OK.
07:05So before you can even think about starting any repairs, she needs a clean.
07:09Yeah?
07:10Absolutely.
07:11How do we do that?
07:12Well, very carefully, I think we go in at first with brushes to see if we can remove some of the dirt and grime gently without using any chemical.
07:20My mind would go straight to a pressure washer.
07:23No, no, it can cause irreversible damage and the dirt and organic growth will come back twice as fast.
07:28Oh, really?
07:29Yeah, yeah, yeah.
07:30It opens up the surface texture and it gives habitat for the dirt and the organic growth to become re-established.
07:38OK, so I'll leave the pressure washer for cleaning my van.
07:40Leave off.
07:41Nowhere near this.
07:42Nowhere near this.
07:44With a careful conservation plan in place, Dom and Rich are preparing for the first stage of the statue's restoration.
07:53While Will's out on the road seeking inspiration.
07:57He's looking for a treasured heirloom for the team to bring back to life in the barn.
08:04120 miles to the northeast in Kincardin on the Firth of Forth, Lindsay Raymond has just what he's looking for.
08:15Hi, Lindsay.
08:16Hi.
08:17So this is it?
08:18This is the frying pan?
08:19Yeah, this is the family heirloom.
08:21It's been in the family for over 70 years and it means so much to all of us.
08:26And I would love to get it back to the original state.
08:30That's some serious frying pan.
08:31Yes.
08:32I think it possibly came for grandparents, but it's my childhood.
08:37You know, my mum and dad used this to cook for eight kids.
08:41So that's like a busy household with a family of ten.
08:43Yeah.
08:44There'd be sort of constant cooking then.
08:45Oh, it was non-stop.
08:47Who did all the cooking?
08:48I think my mum mostly, because my dad was working.
08:51He was a plumber.
08:52Although he was a chef in the army in Egypt.
08:55Really?
08:56Although I now think maybe he was the chief dishwasher.
09:00You know what I mean?
09:01Because he loved washing pots.
09:03He would always be at the sink washing the dishes.
09:06And this one, never once did it have one bit of rust in it.
09:09Because it was like the pan that my mum and my dad used all the time.
09:13You know?
09:14I've never seen anything like this before.
09:17That's some heavy duty kitchenware.
09:19Yeah, yeah.
09:20And it never left the cooker.
09:22It was always on the cooker.
09:24How many meals for the family do you think were cooked on this pan?
09:26Oh, my mum would cook mince and stew, eggs in the morning.
09:31Must have been thousands.
09:33Didn't get used a lot.
09:34Are your parents still around then?
09:35No, no.
09:36The two of them's passed away.
09:37About a decade ago.
09:39What were their names?
09:40Billy and Jessie.
09:41Billy and Jessie.
09:42They were together for maybe 65 years.
09:45Now, do you always remember this being clean then?
09:47Oh, absolutely.
09:48Like it never had any rust on it.
09:49Yeah, black and smooth.
09:50It was black and smooth.
09:51Yeah.
09:52What has happened to this frying pan?
09:53Yeah, it had been left outside as a gate stop.
09:56Was that you?
09:57No, it wasn't me.
09:58No, it was my brother.
09:59It lay out in his garden for maybe about five years.
10:02I tried to clean it up.
10:04Mm.
10:05So I've tried vinegar, bicarbonate soda.
10:08I've tried sandpaper.
10:09Sandpaper?
10:10I know, I know, but that was...
10:12I've tried so many different things and nothing worked.
10:16Why do you want to get this cleaned up?
10:17It is a major part of our childhood because it was the pan that my mum used for everything.
10:22She just cooked everything in it.
10:24To anyone else, it's a frying pan.
10:26Yeah.
10:27But actually, there's the memories of your dad and your mum in the kitchen.
10:30Yeah, absolutely.
10:31What would it mean to you to have this fixed?
10:33Oh, I can't wait, honestly.
10:34I can see myself taking it away on my camping trips.
10:37Really?
10:38I definitely want to cook.
10:39If we can get all the rust off and get this nice black and smooth for you,
10:42what's the first dish you're going to cook?
10:44A fried egg sandwich.
10:46Definitely.
10:47Yeah, that's what I want.
10:49Why that meal particularly?
10:51Because again, I think that was what we had as kids.
10:53So that should take you back to your childhood?
10:55Yeah, yeah, absolutely.
10:56Right, I'll get this down to the barn and I'll see you very soon.
11:00Yeah, thank you.
11:01Cheers.
11:02As Will prepares to head south with the pan...
11:07That's it.
11:08..in Kukubri.
11:10Right, and that'll do.
11:12..at the sculpture.
11:14Lift that up and spin that up.
11:16So we just want a slight lean inward, so we'll just check from the side.
11:19Rich makes sure that Dom's on the level.
11:23Is that the safety squid?
11:24That is the safety squid, yeah.
11:26Neil.
11:27OK.
11:28We're good.
11:29Up you come.
11:30OK.
11:36First things first.
11:37Admire the view, surely.
11:39That's the first thing to do.
11:40OK, so we'll get some gloves on.
11:44First rule in conservation work, you've got to look cool at all times.
11:48Oh, I see.
11:49OK.
11:50Perfect.
11:51So let's have a little brush to see what's going on.
11:55God, there's a lot of dust coming off, isn't there?
11:57There's a bit of guana.
11:58Oh, Rich, this is quite scary.
12:03The more we're brushing, you can really see now up close how the weather has got to the wood.
12:08Yeah, the sky-facing elements of the timber have opened up significantly.
12:13They're eroded.
12:15They're dry.
12:16And it's all these cracks.
12:18The rain and the weather is just going to go straight in there.
12:21The surface dirt and organic matter is still heavily stained.
12:26We want to get that off.
12:27Some of these stains on her arm and her hand there,
12:30they're not going to come off no matter how much scrubbing we do with the brushes.
12:33They are not going to come off these brushes.
12:35We need to introduce a different method.
12:38I want to bring in a steam cleaner.
12:41We have a superheated water steam cleaner.
12:45150 degree temperature at low pressure
12:48will actively soften and remove the surface pollutants.
12:52And it will inhibit them coming back so fast as well
12:55because it kills organic growth out the root.
12:57Amazing.
12:58Yeah, it's really good.
12:59Having begun the restoration using his least invasive cleaning methods,
13:04Rich now needs heavier equipment.
13:07Round your heads.
13:08Giving Dom time to learn more about the sculpture
13:11and what it means to the community.
13:14Close to the harbour, he's meeting Donna McKnight.
13:17Can I ask what your connection is to the sculpture as a local?
13:21I lost my father when I was very young.
13:23I was only five months old.
13:24He went down in a fishing trawler, the Marielle, in 1985.
13:30When you lose someone at sea, you never have that closure.
13:34You don't get to bring them home.
13:36You don't get to put them at rest.
13:37That's so true.
13:38I didn't even really appreciate that.
13:40People say they're lost at sea.
13:42They literally are lost at sea.
13:44You just don't have that person to bring home.
13:47And I think that's what a lot of families and loved ones struggle with.
13:50It's quite powerful, isn't it, that you were left with your mum,
13:52which is literally...
13:53Mother and child.
13:54Mother and child.
13:55That's what the sculpture is depicting.
13:57Yeah.
13:58With the Marielle, there was four mothers that were left with their babies at that time.
14:03Out of the five men, there was two ladies that were pregnant
14:06and two that had just had their children.
14:07Oh, wow.
14:08So, also, when a tragedy happens, something awful happens,
14:12it doesn't just affect the loved ones, it affects the whole community.
14:15Everybody feels it.
14:16Everybody remembers that time that, you know, they didn't come back.
14:21What's it going to mean to you to have the sculpture repaired?
14:24It's going to be great to see it restored for that connection to my dad
14:30and where I would come and remember him and the rest of the men.
14:34It'll be great to see it back in its glory.
14:37It's important that it stays here.
14:39Definitely, definitely.
14:41But Dom's leaving the next phase of the sculpture's restoration
14:45enriches expert hands
14:47because he's needed back in the barn.
14:53Restoring Lindsay's rusty cast iron pan
14:56will require all his metalwork expertise and experience.
15:01I think electrolysis would be the perfect solution for this.
15:04This is a process that fascinates me.
15:07It works so well for situations like this
15:09where it's got this layer of surface rust
15:12and bits of remnants of old cooking food and all sorts.
15:15For Dom's plan to work, he needs a plastic box,
15:19some lids and a battery charger.
15:23The electrical current, once I've turned on this car battery charger,
15:26will be trying to jump from the pan
15:29to these electrical points outside here, these steel bars.
15:33A piece of rust or a piece of baked-on egg won't stop it
15:36and it will burst it and break it away from that cast iron surface.
15:40But importantly, won't damage the cast iron.
15:44To do this, I need to completely submerge the pan in some warm water.
15:53Okay.
15:55I'm going to dilute some soda crystals into the water now.
15:58That's going to make it an electrolyte, helping electrical current pass through it.
16:02The beauty of this electrolysis is that it won't affect the surface of the cast iron.
16:07All I want to do is remove the rust and remove the baked-on grime that's on there.
16:11Hopefully there's no damage or old repairs.
16:13That would be such a shame.
16:15But there's only one way to find out.
16:17That's to let the electrolysis do its thing.
16:20This fizzing, that is a good sign that the electrolysis is starting to work.
16:27Over time, all of the rust and dirt will be transferred from the pan
16:32to these four posts that I've got around the edge.
16:35I just need to leave that now to do its thing.
16:42Back in Kokubri...
16:43Open starts.
16:44...Rich is ready to resume work.
16:47His steam cleaner is fired up.
16:52And he's starting with two test areas.
16:56On the wooden sculpture.
17:00And the stone plinth.
17:03Okay, this is perfect.
17:04So I can see it's really effectively taking off the ingrained dirt and organic growth.
17:10But no damage at all to the surface of the timber.
17:13It exposes the beauty of the grain.
17:15Look at the texture in that.
17:16It's amazing.
17:17And the stone work.
17:19Really effective at taking the organic growth.
17:22Same stone before and after.
17:25Successful test sample.
17:28Let's get the access in.
17:37Come on.
17:38There it is.
17:39There it is.
17:40That is superheated water at its best.
17:49Woo!
17:51So the cleaning has unearthed another treasure.
17:53We can now see the cut of her dress off the shoulder.
17:56Never seen that before.
17:57Coming down her arm.
17:58We've got all this texture and variation of the natural oak.
18:02That was hidden under all the grime.
18:04The cleaning has been really effective.
18:06But it's not completely stripping the timber.
18:08So she's not like you.
18:09We've not removed any of her character.
18:11So now we're working on the masonry.
18:12I've turned up the pressure in the steam cleaner.
18:13It can be much more aggressive than it was with the timber.
18:14The steam cleaner has been really effective at removing the lichen off the surface of the
18:30stones.
18:31But there's still quite a lot in the heavy depths and recesses.
18:34It is really stubborn.
18:35I have to pass over several times and at quite close proximity.
18:39Also, these depths and recesses have got hunger.
18:42They really are asking to be filled with mortar.
18:45I really didn't think I had to repoint this.
18:48But the problem is, if we don't point these joints, moisture's going to penetrate into the core,
18:53the structure, and potentially cause a collapse.
18:56Can't have that.
18:59Repointing the plinth will take time.
19:02And after cleaning, the sculpture will need to be coated in oil to preserve it.
19:07For Rich, there's plenty of work still to be done.
19:15But elsewhere, in the barn, Dom's forging ahead with the restoration of Lindsay's iron pan.
19:24Some time has passed and the clear water that I had the saucepan in has turned into a swamp.
19:30That is a really, really good sign.
19:32You can see this orange rust colour.
19:34That has been caused by all of the rust that was on the iron pan being pushed away.
19:39And now it's all floating in the solution.
19:41So I think it's about time I have a look.
19:43Oh, wow.
19:44Oh, look at that.
19:45You can literally see where the electrolysis process has pushed away all of these flaky bits.
19:57Oh, look at that.
19:58It's perfect, absolutely perfect.
20:01Peeling away like an old layer of paint, but it's not.
20:04That is just years of oil and grease that's been baked onto the surface.
20:09The iron underneath all of this dirt.
20:13Wow.
20:14It's really clean.
20:16Literally shiny.
20:18Oh, I'm going to give this a scrub.
20:20This is going to come up well.
20:21Electrolysis has done really, really well in no time at all, but there are still some stubborn areas.
20:32So I think I'm going to change that solution, refresh it all, clean everything up and give it one more go.
20:37See if it can remove these last stubborn bits.
20:40While Dom scrubs the pan before a second soap.
20:49At the sculpture, Rich has to remove the old crumbling mortar from the plinth.
20:55If I had a hammer, hammer in the morning.
20:59It's a time consuming job.
21:01Hammer in the evening.
21:02So Rich is getting a helping hand.
21:04All over this land.
21:05From local stonemason, Dougie Swan.
21:08So I think we need to get our chisels in.
21:10Knock the stones off.
21:11You can see how there's a slope going into the core.
21:14What we'll do is we'll put a ring of mortar on all the way around.
21:17We'll place them ever so slight run off to the front.
21:20We want to keep a slight air gap, but not enough that folk can bulk rubbish in it.
21:24Absolutely.
21:25Aye.
21:26Okay.
21:29With the old pointing raked out, time to prepare for the new.
21:37Okay.
21:38Now we're ready for mixing.
21:39I've got two types of sand.
21:41Sharp sand.
21:42I'm building sand.
21:43I'm going to mix one to one.
21:45I've got my lime.
21:48Which is appropriate for the hard stone and the cement mortar which was used to construct it.
21:56Mix dry until I've got a nice uniform consistent colour.
22:00This is perfect.
22:01I don't want to add too much water to make it too wet.
22:06So we're just going to place the mortar into the voids.
22:11We're making sure we've got enough mortar present that we can work with later.
22:16The recess point is a modern finish but it poses a vulnerability.
22:23So why would you leave the surface finish recessed?
22:28Rich is filling the gaps with mortar so there's no chance of water getting in.
22:32It may look less elegant but makes for better preservation.
22:38So the first pass we get a contact and the second pass we bring it to fullness.
22:45Until now the glorious weather has helped the statue's restoration progress at pace.
22:53Right.
22:54I'm going between your hands.
22:55Do you get any move?
22:57All right.
22:58Cheers pal.
22:59That's it.
23:00Away you go.
23:01But now it's a hindrance.
23:03Threatening to dry Rich's fresh mortar too quickly.
23:07I've protected it with a little bit of hessian and some plastic film.
23:11Which I'll remove maybe in about an hour's time once it's firmed up a little bit.
23:14And I'll put a surface finish on it with a little scratch.
23:17Perhaps a light brush.
23:20Time for a cup of tea.
23:23In the barn Lindsay's pan has now had its final soak in Dom's electrolysis bath.
23:33And it's spotless.
23:35This is a massive success story for electrolysis.
23:39Look at it.
23:40The pan is looking so much cleaner.
23:43So clean you could almost eat off of it.
23:45Well actually to be fair not quite yet.
23:48Because the electrolysis has unfortunately uncovered one area which I'm a bit confused.
23:53I'm concerned with.
23:54I can see the handle.
23:56It wants a bit more of a bend.
23:57It's trying to spring out.
23:59And that rivet is giving way.
24:01There's already movement there.
24:02I can actually physically move the handle.
24:05I just need to grind this rivet off.
24:06Remove that.
24:07Clear the hole out.
24:09I might give this handle a bit of a tweak.
24:11I might warm it up and just bend it over slightly just to close this gap up.
24:14To just neaten it up a bit.
24:16Put a new rivet in there.
24:17Hammer it over.
24:18Once that rivets installed.
24:19We should be good to go.
24:28Now if I just punch that down.
24:30It should just fall through.
24:31And the handle should be released from the actual pan.
24:33Now I've got the handle actually separated.
24:37If I pull it into position you can see how sort of distorted it is.
24:42It's just the wrong shape.
24:44I think what I'm going to do is heat up a section of this handle here and just bend the end over.
24:48So it matches the profile of the pan.
24:57The actual pan is cast.
24:59Which means it's very strong.
25:01But the handle has been forged.
25:06Which means it's much more malleable.
25:14I want to bend this as little as possible.
25:17The worst thing I could possibly do is bend it too much.
25:20Then I have to bend it back.
25:21And then back again.
25:22The more times you bend it you end up with fatiguing the metal and it can snap.
25:25I want to just be able to just sneak it down just enough.
25:29Perfect.
25:30That is clamped exactly where I want it.
25:32Now I just need to find a rivet that fits in that hole.
25:35And get it riveted in place.
25:47That has gone so well.
25:49I'm really pleased.
25:50Most importantly that handle is nice and secure.
25:54Following the profile of the pan.
25:57Now the handle is in place once it's cooled down.
26:00I can think about seasoning it.
26:01Which is a critical step to be able to use this pan safely again.
26:05So at the moment this is just bare cast iron.
26:10So for cast iron pans like this you need to season them.
26:13That involves me giving it a bit of a massage.
26:16Moisturising it.
26:17Rubbing in this oil all over the surface.
26:20The oil that I'm using is flax oil.
26:22It's very similar.
26:23Pretty much a food safe version of linseed oil.
26:26I'm putting it on quite thick now.
26:28Rubbing it around.
26:29Making sure the oil gets in everywhere.
26:31And by applying it to the surface and baking it on multiple times.
26:34Building up this as a layer.
26:36Will make this perfectly suitable to cook food on.
26:44In the Scottish borders.
26:46Will's on a mission.
26:48Seeking out more traditional crafts to celebrate.
26:52He's visiting a furniture company based at the Hugo Birch Foundation.
26:56Who are reviving an endangered skill.
27:01Hey Rich.
27:02Hey Will.
27:03Good to see you.
27:04This workshop is great.
27:05Thanks.
27:06These are great.
27:08Is this a small version of what you're making then?
27:10Yeah so that's a rush seated chair.
27:12So the seat is woven from rushes that we harvest ourselves from British rivers.
27:16Okay.
27:17But the seats you're making are slightly bigger than this.
27:19Slightly bigger than that yeah.
27:20Richard Platt and Sam Cooper produce rush seated chairs to designs that were established in the early 1900s.
27:32But before the rush seats can be woven the chairs have to be built.
27:38Where are you at now with the chair that you're making?
27:40I'm just finishing up fitting these slats to the back here.
27:43Do you want to have a go?
27:44Yes please.
27:46Right.
27:47So what is the process here?
27:48What exactly are we doing?
27:49So we're just making this end bit here fit in this hole here.
27:52So we're going to use this draw knife and just take off this little corner here.
27:58So brace against here.
27:59I'm going to try not to take off my thumb.
28:01It's really sharp.
28:02Yeah.
28:03So just brace with your foot against there.
28:05Yeah.
28:06Are you sort of shaving it like that?
28:07Yeah.
28:10If you try with more like a slicing motion.
28:12Yeah.
28:13Take it from here.
28:14Yeah.
28:15Come across like that.
28:16Oh I see.
28:19Yeah super.
28:20Spot on.
28:21Why do you use this traditional technique?
28:23It's basically not been improved upon since it was developed really.
28:27And the draw knife is just a really efficient tool.
28:30So what part of the chair is this for then?
28:32So this is the back slat.
28:33It's what your back rests against when you're sitting in the chair.
28:35Right.
28:36So we're just going to put it in the slot and then give it a little tap with a hammer.
28:40You can be pretty aggressive with it.
28:41Give it a tap.
28:42Ready?
28:43Yeah go on.
28:44Go on.
28:45Hit it.
28:46So now we've just got to assemble the rest of the chair.
28:50Okay.
28:51Not a pleasant noise.
28:52For a second I thought you broke something.
29:07But actually is that just like the friction of having such a tight joint?
29:11Yeah that's correct.
29:12So the tenons here are actually just over the size of the mortise that we're putting
29:16them in.
29:17We orientate the spars in a way that means that we're going into the end grain harder
29:21than we're going into the side grain.
29:22So we're not going to split the joint but we can force them in that hard.
29:25I'm learning so much today.
29:26That's such a clever idea but I mean that is a well made piece of furniture.
29:30It's not going anywhere.
29:31Or so far it's a well made ladder isn't it?
29:34Yeah that's right.
29:35Yeah that's why they have their name the ladder back chair.
29:38There you go.
29:39Mm-hmm.
29:40That's quick.
29:41Yeah.
29:42That good?
29:43Yeah great.
29:44I thought that split the wood for a second.
29:45No.
29:46No.
29:47So you and Sam are the last two rushed seat makers in the whole of the UK.
30:00Yeah there's no one making rushed seated chairs that are brand new in the UK other than us.
30:05So how did you become a rushed seated chair maker then?
30:08In 2018 my mentor Lawrence Neil hadn't passed on the craft and this craft was about to die
30:15out basically with his retirement so he got funding to teach myself and Sam to be rushed
30:21seated chair makers so that we could take over when he retired.
30:23And you did.
30:24Yeah.
30:25And you're still here making chairs.
30:26Here we are.
30:27Yeah yeah.
30:28Keep going.
30:29Yep.
30:30All the way.
30:31All the way.
30:32Go go go go go.
30:35Keep going.
30:36That's it.
30:41Now they never go together exactly square straight away so they require a little bit of tweaking.
30:50A little bit of tweaking so.
30:52Hold on.
30:53I've just realised it's now become a chair.
30:55Yeah absolutely.
30:56So the last thing now is just to put the seat in it basically.
30:59Yeah.
31:00I'm going to catch up with Sam and see what he's up to.
31:02Cheers lad.
31:07Hey Sam.
31:08Hey Will.
31:09How are you getting on?
31:10Yeah not too bad.
31:11Probably got an hour or so left of this chair.
31:13Yeah.
31:14Well I've seen rushed chair seats.
31:16I didn't realise it actually literally comes like this doesn't it?
31:18Yeah.
31:19We harvest them ourselves.
31:20We go and cut these in river arrow every summer.
31:24Make sure we cut them after they flowered and then it will grow back from the same patch
31:28river the next year.
31:29We can keep cutting year on year.
31:31Why is rush such a good material for this?
31:34It's got a really nice outer layer which is really strong and fibrous and then a spongy
31:38layer inside which will compress down.
31:40On its own one rush is actually fairly weak but when you put two or three together it becomes
31:44amazingly strong and a rush seat will last for 30 or 40 years before it needs to be replaced.
31:49If you want to grab hold of the rushes here keep hold of them just so we're trying to keep
31:52everything under tension as we go.
31:54You've got these three rushes which have come through from the previous strand and we're
31:58probably going to need to add one more new rush in.
32:01So if you grab me another rush we're just going to have to add one into this strand here.
32:04So for a new one I'm just going to pop it in between those three and the seat, tuck
32:10it under and then I can pinch those rushes together and just start twisting.
32:15At this point I'll hand it over to you.
32:17Okay.
32:18So you're going to be, use your right hand, you're going to pinch at the start of your
32:22twist and your left hand to twist it.
32:24Twist.
32:25And how tight does the twist need to be?
32:26Not that tight.
32:27So you're aiming for sort of almost a 30 degree twist that you can see here.
32:30So yeah that's about spot on.
32:31Like that.
32:32And then yeah follow up, pinch with your spot on.
32:34Yeah.
32:35Doesn't even need the instruction.
32:36Oh.
32:37So.
32:38It's tiring work.
32:40It's quite a physical job actually especially when you're doing a chair this sort of size
32:43the amount of tension you need to put into it.
32:45Mm.
32:46It's a lot more than you think.
32:47It's something I've come to love.
32:50When I started a chair this sort of size took me about two and a half days.
32:53Nowadays I've got it down to about four hours.
32:55Now this is a traditional skill, right?
32:57Yeah.
32:58How do you stay with the modern times?
33:00So part of that for us is just make sure we're innovating a little bit.
33:03First thing was adding color like this sort of chair and adding painted chairs puts them
33:07in a slightly more modern setting.
33:09Another thing is adding new designs.
33:11We've got a couple of them we've been working on.
33:13I can show you one if you like.
33:14Perfect.
33:15Whoa.
33:16So yeah this is one of our newest designs.
33:17This is the canopy chair.
33:18This is something we've wanted to take in a much more contemporary direction but still
33:21using a lot of the heritage skills that we've learned from our other chairs just with a more modern twist.
33:35This is really great.
33:36So you're really moving these skills into the future.
33:40Yeah absolutely.
33:41We're trying to make sure that this craft doesn't just survive but it thrives.
33:49In Kukubri the restoration of the sculpture is proving to be a real community effort.
33:56With the wood cleaned and the stonework repointed Richie's part of the fix is complete.
34:02Taking over for the final stage of the process is local carpenter James Campbell.
34:09Today we're here to get some coats of oil on this.
34:12It's going to be a mix of Danish oil and tubs.
34:15It doesn't seal it the way a varnish would seal it.
34:18It allows it to breathe.
34:19It allows it to do its own thing.
34:21The idea is that the mix will soak in just to bring the green oak back to life.
34:26There's still a lot to be done.
34:29So Dom's hot footed it back to Kukubri to help out.
34:33Jim how's it going?
34:35I'm having a tea.
34:36Good to see you.
34:37This is looking fantastic.
34:38It's getting there isn't it?
34:39Isn't it brilliant?
34:40Yep.
34:41Richie's steam cleaning has worked wonders hasn't it?
34:44It definitely has.
34:45Yep.
34:46You can see so much more of the detail now.
34:48Even in the light from here you can see that almost looks like the original chisel marks.
34:53Which is what we've found out from some of the locals that remember when Charlie was chiseling away at this.
35:00She allowed passers-bys and locals to have a shot at the chiseling.
35:04So it's been quite important to us not to sand away at this or anything and just allow a bit more of a natural finish to that.
35:13Really?
35:14Yep.
35:15So Charlie actually let the local community come over and have a go.
35:18Yep.
35:19I love that.
35:20It's no wonder that this sculpture means so much to the people of the town.
35:25It not only commemorates their loved ones lost at sea, they helped to create it.
35:32What's the next job?
35:33Next job is we continue with oil and we've got the first coat on already and we're now ready for the second coat.
35:40But it's just soaked it up, isn't it?
35:41Yep, yep.
35:42Wow.
35:43The wood was just so dry.
35:44Absolutely.
35:45How many coats do you think it's going to need?
35:47At least three.
35:48At least three.
35:55As quick as I'm putting it on, it's just soaking up.
35:58Yep.
35:59That's what we found.
36:00The idea of the sprayer was it would soak as far into the timber as possible and then a wee bit of detail with the brush like what you're doing.
36:06Getting all the little nooks and greys.
36:08Yep, yep, yep.
36:09What's the time this has been done?
36:10We think it was roughly 20 years ago.
36:12It was actually my dad that oiled it at that point.
36:15Really?
36:16Yep.
36:17So I am now back, taken over from him.
36:19That's so nice, is it not?
36:20Yeah.
36:21Next generation coming along looking after the same sculpture.
36:23That's right.
36:24That's right.
36:25Oh, that's beautiful.
36:26We just need to do a good job.
36:27It's a good job.
36:28We are a good job.
36:29While Dom gives the sculpture a final coat of protective oil.
36:35Will is heading back to Kincarden with Lindsay's frying pan.
36:43Today is an exciting day because I'm meeting up with Lindsay again.
36:46I've got a lot of surprise for Lindsay.
36:49I have found the perfect camping spot and I know that Lindsay loves camping.
36:53So it would be great to take the frying pan outdoors and put it to good use.
36:59I'm very excited to get the frying pan back.
37:03And I just can't even imagine it getting back to what it originally looked like.
37:08I hope I don't start crying.
37:10And I know it's just a frying pan.
37:12I'm going to keep it well seasoned like my mum and dad did.
37:15And I'm never going to use it as a gate stop.
37:25Lindsay.
37:26Hi.
37:27Nice to see you again.
37:28You will.
37:29How are you feeling?
37:30Yeah, I'm really excited to see it.
37:31You know, it's quite emotional.
37:33Do you remember what it looked like when I came to begin up?
37:35Yes.
37:36And it was a bit of a disaster.
37:37It was just complete rust.
37:38Completely, fully rust.
37:39It was very rusty.
37:40It was very rusty.
37:41I mean, it had been used in the kitchen for so many years.
37:44And it sounds like your dad did a great job at keeping it clean.
37:46Yes.
37:47You know, it was always used seven days a week.
37:49My mum during the week, my dad at the weekend making Scottish breakfast.
37:53What are you hoping that Dom has managed to do for you?
37:54I don't know.
37:55I can't even imagine what it looks like.
37:57I honestly don't.
37:58I just don't know.
37:59Shall we see?
38:00Yeah, please.
38:01Here we go.
38:04Oh, my God.
38:06Oh, it's beautiful.
38:08Oh, it's lovely.
38:09Look at that centrepiece in my kitchen now.
38:12Yeah.
38:13Honestly, it's absolutely wonderful compared to what it was.
38:18It's amazing.
38:19Are you pleased?
38:20You better believe it.
38:21I'm pleased.
38:22I just can't believe how nice it is.
38:24I'm going to invite all the family on a Sunday morning to my house and I'm going to make the traditional Scottish breakfast that my dad used to make, you know, with a square sausage, beans, eggs, black pudding, everything, you know.
38:37One of the other reasons why I brought you here to this specific spot is because I know you love being outdoors.
38:42Yes.
38:43And cooking outdoors.
38:44So I thought, now that this has been restored, let's put it to the test.
38:47Oh, right.
38:48OK.
38:49Oh, I didn't expect that.
38:50No?
38:51All right.
38:52Yeah.
38:53Well, let's do it.
38:54Yeah.
38:56One for you.
38:59Well, I've got some eggs here.
39:03Oh, wow.
39:04Oh, look at that.
39:05Whoa.
39:06Wow.
39:07Oh, that sound.
39:08Yeah.
39:09Perfect.
39:10Right, here we go.
39:11You ready?
39:12I'll maybe need a bib because maybe they'll spill down me.
39:19To you.
39:21Hopefully I don't get egg on my face.
39:24Or yolk on my chin.
39:29It's nice.
39:30It's nice.
39:31That's lovely.
39:32A wee bit of sauce.
39:33Mmm.
39:34If I had whisky with me, I would raise a toast to Dom's hard work.
39:37Yeah, me too.
39:38But instead, we'll just raise a sandwich.
39:40Raise a sandwich.
39:41Yeah, well done, Dom.
39:42Well done, Dom.
39:44Thanks.
39:45I'm just so happy to get the pan back.
39:48I'm just delighted.
39:49I felt quite emotional because it did take me back to my childhood.
39:53You know, like watching my mum cook all the meals.
39:56I just can't believe Dom has done such a good job.
40:00You know, that it's now usable.
40:02And I am.
40:03I'm feeling delighted.
40:04I am.
40:05I'm over the moon.
40:06I'm over the moon.
40:07I'm over the moon.
40:17Across the country in southwest Scotland, in Kukubri, the statue of the mother and child is ready for unveiling.
40:26Hello, everyone.
40:34Hello.
40:35It has been such a pleasure seeing the community come together to restore this sculpture.
40:40I have had such an amazing time here.
40:43Everybody that I've met has been so welcoming.
40:45So thank you very much.
40:46Are you all ready to see it?
40:52Yes.
40:53Come on, then.
40:54Louise Liddell from the Fisherman's Mission organised today's ceremony.
41:07Louise, are you pleased?
41:08Yes, it's amazing.
41:09You've done such lovely work to it and you've restored it back to what it was expected to be in its original state.
41:15Within the community, everybody will be really chuffed with it.
41:17It's lovely.
41:18Absolutely.
41:22Dougie, I know that you helped us with this restoration.
41:25Is it quite nice to see it all complete now?
41:27It's absolutely wonderful to see it complete and it was quite a pleasure to actually work on the monument.
41:33Very proud.
41:34Very proud.
41:35Today we gather to honour the memory of the many fishermen who have been lost at sea over the years.
41:41Their absence is deeply felt by family and loved ones and their legacy endures through the generations.
41:49This sculpture embodies the profound sense of hope and the ever-present fear that today might be the day that boat does not come home.
42:00It really was a touching and very moving service today.
42:03It's really poignant around Cracubri to be able to have this kind of gathering and with people to be able to remember the fishermen.
42:13I've seen it mature over the years and having seen it today, it's good, it's going to continue in good health for the future.
42:24The sculpture is an integral part of the community and it stands prominent at the very front of the harbour.
42:30The work that Dom and the team have done with the sculpture is really, really good.
42:33It's brought a new lease of life to it.
42:35It looks really lovely and it's going to stand there proud for another 30, 40 years, hopefully.
42:41Just from the minute I've turned up, I have been surrounded by people that are willing and keen to get involved and help out.
42:47This is why we are coming on the road to help people with projects like this.
42:52It's an absolute honour to be part of it. It's been a really special day.
42:59If you'd like to see more fantastic fixes and restorations, search BBC iPlayer for The Repair Shop On The Road.
43:17Big Kil besmart
43:18Big Dent
43:27Big cement
43:31やすみなさん
43:36大宅
43:39あっこうも
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