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00:01Here at The Repair Shop,
00:03countless treasures have been brought back to life.
00:07Cha-ching.
00:08That reveal so much about who we are
00:11and where we're from.
00:14It's like it's brand new.
00:15But there's so much more out there
00:17that's not yet made it to the barn.
00:20This is amazing.
00:22So the team are hitting the road.
00:25I just love getting up close and personal with the objects.
00:27And we're going to get a glimpse into some amazing heritage crafts.
00:31I 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.
00:56Keep going.
00:57Keep going.
00:58It's getting hot in there.
01:00On precious restorations around the country.
01:03I can't even imagine what it looks like.
01:06There's a legacy here that needs to be protected.
01:15Today, Dom visits a historic music hall.
01:19Look at this place.
01:20It's incredible.
01:21That needs help with an old pianura.
01:24We need a puncher repair kit.
01:25And I brought one with me.
01:28Wilden Kirsten joined forces.
01:31OK, so we're missing two pieces.
01:32Yeah.
01:33To restore a priceless handmade chess set.
01:36To have something that I can hold, that he has held.
01:40It's invaluable.
01:42And Dom turns his hand to woodwork, learning an ancient craft.
01:46Quite impressed.
01:47I think I could hire you at this stage.
01:48Oh, yeah?
01:49Yeah.
01:50I'm really enjoying it.
01:58Repair shop experts Will and Dom are back on the road.
02:02Today's first stop, Glasgow.
02:04Having recently celebrated its 850th birthday,
02:08is a city steeped in history and culture.
02:12So, Glasgow.
02:14Yes, I'm dropping you off this morning.
02:16I'm going to a music hall.
02:19A musical?
02:20No, not musical.
02:21I'm not going to be singing.
02:22A music hall.
02:24Oh, right.
02:25Quite an exciting morning.
02:26It will be.
02:28Stepping into the spotlight today are traditional craft skills.
02:32As Dom answers the call of a legendary Scottish venue
02:36in need of some restoration help.
02:43Hidden away in Glasgow's historic Trungate.
02:46Oh, wow.
02:47The Britannia Panopticon is the world's oldest surviving musical.
02:51Look at this place.
02:52It's incredible.
02:55First raising its curtain in 1859,
02:58it quickly became a sensation.
03:00With popular entertainers of the day,
03:02including a young Stan Laurel,
03:05performing to packed houses.
03:08Today, the venue is an ongoing conservation project.
03:12And Judith Bowers,
03:13director and founder of the Britannia Panopticon campaign,
03:16knows all its showbiz secrets.
03:21Judith, this building is absolutely incredible.
03:26What did it used to be?
03:27Do you know originally?
03:28Originally, it was actually a warehouse on this site,
03:32but what the locals really needed was a music hall.
03:36And so, that's what it became.
03:41In the 19th century, Glasgow was an industrial powerhouse,
03:46its population booming as new workers flooded in,
03:50and they all needed entertainment.
03:52This was a bit of escapism.
03:54Absolutely.
03:55This is where you blew off steam.
03:57And the audience left no turn unstoned.
04:00Oh, wow.
04:01OK.
04:02They threw shipyard rivets, nails.
04:04Tough crowd here, then.
04:05Tough crowd.
04:06It was a full house every day.
04:08And in 1906, along came a young man called A.E. Pickard.
04:12He decided to extend the entertainments,
04:15and those entertainments included a waxworks,
04:20a rooftop carnival,
04:21a zoo called Noah's Ark,
04:24a hall of distorting mirrors,
04:26and an art gallery.
04:28So you could see everything for the one ticket price,
04:30from the attic to the basement.
04:32And it attracted over 20,000 people a day.
04:37A day.
04:38A day.
04:39So what does the future hold for this incredible building?
04:42Well, hopefully bring it back to what it was when it was the Panopticon,
04:45so you'll get to see everything under the one roof again.
04:55And like any other great theatrical establishment,
04:59the Panopticon has its very own grand dame,
05:02albeit one in need of some TLC.
05:05Gee, what have we got here, then?
05:06Well, this is Henrietta,
05:08and she's our 1904 Nilsson pianola.
05:12Self-playing piano.
05:13A self-playing piano.
05:15So you can pedal it,
05:16and it'll play the role of music.
05:18You can change that, I guess,
05:19for whichever song you want to play.
05:21Absolutely.
05:21We've got over 573 roles.
05:24But we can't play any of them,
05:26because this pianola's not working.
05:28If you pump on the bellows,
05:29pump on the pedals down there,
05:30nothing happens.
05:32Nothing happens.
05:33OK.
05:35The Edwardian-era pianola was donated to the Panopticon 20 years ago
05:40by a woman from nearby Cumbernault,
05:42but its origins are far more exotic.
05:45A next-door neighbour, her mother,
05:48inherited it from her parents,
05:50who apparently had a pub in New York,
05:54and they bought the pianola so that it could entertain people drinking in the pub.
05:59And then, of course, prohibition happened in the Americas.
06:02So they came back to Scotland,
06:05and the pianola came with them.
06:07They must have really wanted it.
06:09It was a piece of high technology back in the day.
06:12What would it mean to you to get the pianola repaired?
06:14Well, this is a very important part of the music hall for us,
06:19particularly with engaging the community.
06:21They always become fascinated by how this incredible instrument works.
06:27Yeah.
06:27It is our secret weapon for engaging the community, really.
06:30If we're able to get this repaired, can we have a listen?
06:34Yeah.
06:34Yeah?
06:35Yeah.
06:35Oh, magic.
06:38The pianola has been waiting in the wings for its encore,
06:42but Dom knows just the person to get it singing again.
06:46On his way to tackle the specialist job is Jamie McLaren,
06:50a local piano technician, for more than 20 years.
06:54Isn't this a beautiful thing?
06:56Yes, they're wonderful old machines.
06:59Unfortunately, this one is not working.
07:02How do we establish what's actually wrong?
07:04The first thing I would want to do
07:06is pull the roll of music down over the tracker bar.
07:11The tracker bar has lots of little holes which works each note.
07:16And then we would pedal.
07:18So by pumping that pedal, that should be...
07:20Moving a mechanical mechanism inside with chains
07:23and other little bellows
07:25for the roll to then turn to create the music.
07:28So the fact that you're pumping that pedal furiously
07:30and nothing's happening...
07:31Nothing is happening at all.
07:33So the first thing I want to do is take the bellows out,
07:37do a wee assessment, see what's going on,
07:39what repair's needing done,
07:41and then we go from there.
07:44While Jamie and Dom get under the bonnet of the old pianola,
07:49Will is keeping the show on the road,
07:51searching for more gems in need of the repair shop treatment.
07:56He's left the central belt behind for Inverness,
08:00where he's meeting Debbie,
08:02owner of a chess set with personal significance.
08:08So this is the chess set?
08:09This is the chess set.
08:11Whereabouts did you get it from?
08:12So my dad made the chess set, Will.
08:14I don't think he made the board,
08:16but the pieces certainly he moulded and created.
08:19Really?
08:20Yeah.
08:21They are absolutely amazing.
08:22It's like really good quality.
08:26Debbie's dad, Chris,
08:28modelled the set on the famous Lewis Chessman.
08:31Discovered in 1831 on a beach in the Outer Hebrides,
08:35the original pieces were carved from walrus ivory,
08:39most likely in 12th century Norway,
08:42when Lewis was part of a huge Norse kingdom.
08:45The striking pieces have captivated people ever since.
08:50What's your earliest memory of the chess set?
08:52Probably coming home from primary school
08:55and wanting to sit with dad and learn chess.
08:59I probably would have been five or six.
09:03You know, just that family time
09:04that comes from sitting around a board game together.
09:06Yeah.
09:07Sounds like you had quite a close relationship with your dad.
09:09Yeah, I was definitely a daddy's girl.
09:12He was just such a family man.
09:15You know, family was his life.
09:17There's so much of me, my mum says,
09:19that she sees in me that's like my dad.
09:20So this was your dad.
09:22So how comes that you have it now?
09:23My dad died when I was 13.
09:26My dad had MS, multiple sclerosis.
09:31When Debbie was a toddler,
09:33her dad got a job abroad
09:34and the family up sticks to Canada.
09:37So we were in Canada
09:38and that was the first signs that my dad was ill.
09:42Something wasn't quite right.
09:43So they made the hard decision
09:44to move back to Scotland to be closer to family.
09:48He went from being this guy
09:49that would be throwing me over his shoulder
09:50and, you know, playing football in the garden
09:53to a man who was bedridden.
09:55He had really progressive multiple sclerosis
09:59and it took his life when he was 37.
10:03I'm really sorry to hear that.
10:05That must have been tough on him,
10:06but also the family as well.
10:08Yeah.
10:08I had to grow up quicker than I wanted to, I guess.
10:13You know, we lived in a beautiful part of Scotland.
10:15There's a loch, Loch Moy,
10:17and it's a place that's really special to me.
10:20I spent a lot of my childhood there,
10:22swimming in the loch,
10:24climbing trees, building dens.
10:26But I felt that there was a time
10:28when I couldn't be that child
10:30because there was that extra responsibilities.
10:32And I was the eldest, obviously, of the three.
10:38Sadly, the family suffered another terrible loss in 2002
10:42when Debbie's brother, Ian, took his own life, aged 24.
10:47It hit us like a ton of bricks.
10:49We just couldn't get our heads round why he would do that.
10:52And there were so many emotions, I think,
10:54well, unfortunately, my brother's passing was at the loch.
10:58Really?
10:59Yeah.
11:00And it's also, though, where I hope to get married.
11:02Literally, it's my past, it's my present, it's my future.
11:06It's such a significant place in my life.
11:09Everything that I have gone through
11:10has made me the person that I am today.
11:12And it's why I do the job that I do now
11:14and love the job I do so much.
11:15What do you do for work?
11:17So I'm a peer support worker for a mental health charity.
11:20Oh, fantastic.
11:21You know, recovery's a journey.
11:22Do you ever fully recover?
11:23But I'm far enough along to be able to use
11:25my lived experience to hopefully give hope to others.
11:30Why is this chessboard so important to you?
11:33I mean, out of anything that you could have inherited
11:35from your dad, why is this chessboard?
11:38You know, he has put the time and the effort
11:40into crafting each piece
11:43to have something that I can hold that he has held.
11:47It's invaluable.
11:49And that's why restoring it so that it can be used
11:53so that I can teach my kids how to play chess on it.
11:57Now, I thought that this board was made of wood,
11:59but it's not.
11:59I don't think it is.
12:00Is it resin?
12:01Yeah, I can see around the outside edge there.
12:02Yeah.
12:03It's really dusty.
12:05I didn't even attempt to clean it
12:07because I didn't know, would I do more damage to it?
12:09Well, that's why I'm here.
12:10That's why I called in the experts.
12:13If it had the missing two pieces, I would be delighted.
12:17Yeah.
12:17Absolutely delighted.
12:19And some of the pieces that have got the worst damage,
12:21I guess, repaired or...
12:22This guy's head's not even great, is it?
12:24He's half a head, isn't he?
12:25Yeah.
12:26Yeah.
12:26He's like a Scotsman on a Saturday night.
12:27How's it going to feel to play that first game?
12:31As long as I win, it'll be great.
12:34That's the right answer.
12:35Back in Glasgow, it's taken a while,
12:43but Dom and Jamie are finally managing
12:45to remove the Pianola's bellows,
12:48the pedal-driven air pump that powers the whole instrument.
12:51So now we've actually got the bellows out,
12:54how are they looking?
12:55Yeah, there's a few holes there.
12:58If you open that up, that's it.
13:00I can see a hole in yours there.
13:01Right.
13:02You'll often find them in the creases.
13:05Is it mine OK on your side there?
13:06No, there's a wee hole there.
13:08Oh, really?
13:08There's a big hole on this side as well.
13:09Right.
13:10We've found the smoking gun.
13:11These four holes in the bellows...
13:13Yeah.
13:13..are why the whole machine isn't working.
13:15If there wasn't holes there,
13:17then there would be an issue up there.
13:20There still could be a few issues.
13:21We need a puncher, a pecky.
13:22And I brought one with me.
13:24I'm glad to hear it.
13:31So I've got some bits and bobs here.
13:34And we'll cut out with this leather
13:38the right kind of size.
13:41What we'll do, first of all,
13:43is try and take these big springs off.
13:46It should pop off if you get in at the right angle.
13:50Just watch it doesn't nip you.
13:52Oh, yeah, it did.
13:53You got yours.
13:54You have to do it.
13:55There you go.
13:57Makes it a wee bit easier to get in.
14:00I think you would want to make it
14:01round about an inch all the way around.
14:06From this leather?
14:07That's it.
14:07And that gives us plenty of area to glue that down.
14:11OK.
14:19Let's make sure it's sealed all the way round the edges.
14:25How's that look?
14:27Absolutely great.
14:28Acceptable.
14:29Yes.
14:29Good, good.
14:30Fantastic.
14:31With the leaky bellows fixed,
14:34Dom's starting a new journey north,
14:36leaving Jamie to continue the investigation
14:38and repair of this musical marvel.
14:44Meanwhile, Will has brought Debbie's chess set
14:47back to the barn
14:48to consult with the queen of model restoration,
14:52Kirsten.
14:53Hello, Kirsten.
14:57Hello.
14:58Fancy game of chess?
14:59I was going to say, game time.
15:01Now, this is Debbie's chess board.
15:03This was made by Debbie's dad.
15:04Wow.
15:05I know.
15:05Goodness me.
15:06So we're missing two pieces.
15:08Yeah.
15:08It's going to be a bit of a team effort.
15:10The board itself,
15:11even though it's not made of wood,
15:12it could do with a bit of a tidy up.
15:14If I get that sorted out,
15:15could you get started with replacing the pieces?
15:18Absolutely.
15:18I'm sure between us we'll get it looking lovely.
15:23I can see that this is made of plaster
15:28where the original body is exposed
15:31and they've been painted.
15:34What I'd really like to do
15:35is to fill and touch in
15:39all of these little chips
15:41that have obviously just occurred
15:43whilst these have been played with over the years.
15:47Unfortunately, there appear to be
15:49two of the pieces missing
15:51and I'm going to see if I can make those.
15:55It's a really long time
15:57since I made a chess piece.
15:59I think when I was a student at college,
16:02one of the exercises that we had to do
16:05was to cast a chess piece.
16:07So I'm going to have to see
16:08if I can remember how I did it.
16:13I think I'm going to start with this piece here
16:16because this has got the most damage.
16:30While Kierschen is working on the chess pieces,
16:32I thought I'd give the chessboard a bit of a clean-up.
16:35The underside has been covered in green-beige.
16:38This is the same stuff you get on pool tables
16:40and it prevents an item
16:42from scratching a nice polished surface.
16:45The corner here is lifting up
16:46and there's another lifting up piece here.
16:48I can glue those down quite easily
16:49with some wood glue
16:50and that will get it nice and flat again.
16:52Before I do the gluing,
16:54I'm going to clean the top.
16:56One thing I like to use when I'm cleaning
16:57is a nail brush.
16:59Now this with soapy water
17:00is really great at getting into all those grooves.
17:03It will hopefully help me
17:05to relieve some of that dirt off the surface.
17:07As Will cleans,
17:13Kierschen tackles her first piece.
17:16Because this is made of plaster
17:18and it's therefore a porous material,
17:21I've painted on a sealant
17:24and it's a way of consolidating that surface
17:29and it just means that there's a barrier
17:32between the fill that I'm using
17:34and the original material.
17:37I'm using this black two-part epoxy putty
17:41which just makes it a lot easier.
17:44You can just go straight for the black colour
17:46and it's also quite nice
17:48for putting detail into the fill.
17:51Because this is quite hard once it's set,
17:56I want to get as much detail
17:59and get the shape as accurately as I can
18:03because what I don't want to do
18:06is to be sanding and shaping
18:08once this has gone hard
18:10because that's a hard fill
18:11and the actual plaster figure itself
18:15is quite soft.
18:16So if you start sanding,
18:18it's quite possible to cause damage
18:20to the soft plaster.
18:24So that's starting to come together now.
18:28There's a bit more refining of the detail left to do
18:32but once I'm happy with that shaping,
18:36I'm just going to leave this to harden off
18:38and then probably have to do
18:42a little bit of retouching as well
18:43but not too much.
18:44In Glasgow, with the bellows repaired,
18:55Jamie's now removed the pianola section
18:57of the instrument
18:58so he can access the piano parts.
19:02He's working on the lost motion,
19:04the amount that piano keys move
19:06before they engage the hammers
19:08which strike the strings.
19:10This is for the piano side
19:12when the felt and leather's compressed
19:14so we can always adjust it
19:15to make it feel and play
19:17evenly and nicely.
19:23Now Jamie can remove the piano action
19:26to get even deeper inside.
19:29And that's your piano action.
19:32Pianolas need expert care
19:34because they incorporate standard piano design
19:36with pneumatic air-driven mechanics
19:39so they have hundreds of intricate components
19:41from valves and gaskets
19:43to a gear box.
19:45I'm going to now clean dust,
19:48get all the bits and bobs out of there
19:51that shouldn't be
19:51and this now will allow me
19:53to service the key action.
19:56Jamie is starting
19:57by giving the brass capstons
19:59at the ends of the keys
20:00a polish with wire wool.
20:04And then there's a century's worth
20:06of dust to contend with.
20:13Next I'm going to take the keys out
20:15now that it's hoovered
20:18and we're going to do a section at a time
20:21and you will see all the dust
20:24and everything that's fallen down in between.
20:29As you can see,
20:30it is pretty dusty in here.
20:37More dust
20:38means more vacuuming
20:40and once Jamie's cleared up all that
20:42he's turning his attention
20:44to the balance pins.
20:46This is them here.
20:48So it's what the piano key rocks on
20:50as you can see from the end here.
20:52They're a bit corroded at the moment
20:54so the key is a wee bit slow.
20:57After a thorough clean with wire wool,
20:59Jamie has a trick up his sleeve
21:01for the pins.
21:03So I'm just going to put some teflon
21:05on the pins
21:06just like your non-stick frying pan
21:09and it just helps the key
21:13glide over the nice polished metal.
21:18While the fine tuning of the pianola continues,
21:22Dom is taking to the tarmac
21:24once again on the hunt
21:25for a completely new crafting experience.
21:31Jamie Kunker
21:32is Scotland's only wooden ski maker,
21:35a craft he's developed over the past decade
21:37from his workshop
21:39in the Perthshire village of Burnham.
21:42Competing in a multi-million pound industry
21:44against rivals using high-tech production methods
21:47and ultra-modern synthetic materials,
21:50Jamie's construction techniques
21:52hark back to traditional methods
21:54that have remained relatively unchanged
21:56for over a thousand years.
21:59This is ash wood.
22:01Nice.
22:01And what I've done to it
22:02is obviously cut it straight
22:03into two segments
22:04and then I've tapered it
22:06with a sort of raised platform
22:08for your foot
22:08and that's going to govern the flex
22:10of the ski and how it performs.
22:12What we need to do
22:13is bend that familiar ski scoop
22:16into the front of it
22:17with the steam box
22:18and the steam bending jig.
22:19As you'd expect with modern skis.
22:21Yep.
22:21We just made out of some ash.
22:23Absolutely.
22:23OK.
22:27I've got to say,
22:28this is quite some set-up.
22:30This is genius.
22:32It's just a hob,
22:33a big pot of boiling water
22:34and a box.
22:35It takes around 25 minutes
22:40for the steam to heat the wood
22:41so it's pliable enough
22:43to bend without snapping.
22:46But when the skis come out
22:47of the heat box,
22:49time is of the essence.
22:52We've got to act quick now,
22:53haven't we?
22:53We've got to act quick.
22:54We've not got a huge window
22:55so take this way up
22:56and what we're going to do
22:58is we're going to ease it in there,
23:00get the bar out there.
23:02Right.
23:02And now start pushing from there.
23:04And then with your palms,
23:06don't be shy.
23:07They're always creaking.
23:08Keep going.
23:09Keep going.
23:10Push here.
23:11That's it.
23:13That's lovely.
23:14And then we'll close the latch.
23:16You still get scared now doing this?
23:18You do think they're going to crack.
23:19Yeah.
23:20But if you've done it properly,
23:21they'll be great.
23:22They'll be OK.
23:22So these will be in for about 24 hours
23:24to dry off
23:25and make sure that the steam bend stays in.
23:28But I've got another set
23:28on the bench over there
23:29which is the next day forward
23:31so I can show you the next stage.
23:33Perfect.
23:33Perfect.
23:35OK.
23:36So this is stage three now.
23:38We've got our steam bend in.
23:39This is what they're going to look like.
23:40That's what it'll look like.
23:41So it's got that marvellous radius
23:43that's set in.
23:44It's quite a heavy ski at this stage
23:45so we want to remove some material
23:47to help the ski flex
23:48but also remain rigidity.
23:50Oh, so this is quite critical
23:52because if you take too much off
23:53they're going to snap.
23:54It's going to be too soft, yeah.
23:55So we're going to use
23:56a few traditional tools here.
23:57We're going to use
23:58our spokeshaves,
23:59plain,
24:00and quite a fun one,
24:01the convex spokeshave.
24:02I have never used one of these.
24:05I'm not, I mean,
24:06I'm familiar with these tools
24:07but I've never,
24:08I haven't got that much experience with them.
24:09So you might see it
24:10on kind of like furniture maker's bench
24:11to do sort of the grooves
24:13and stools and things
24:14to make things more ergonomic.
24:15And so this section
24:16is going to kind of fall away
24:17and become slightly thinner
24:19and that's going to create
24:20a spine on the ski
24:21which is going to keep the ski
24:22stiff in rotation,
24:24so torsionally stiff
24:25but also shedding all this weight.
24:28So when you're turning the skis
24:29the skis feel lighter
24:30and don't feel kind of bulky.
24:31This is seriously complicated.
24:33Yeah, this is something
24:34that they worked out
24:34you know, thousands of years ago
24:36because all the skis
24:36that they find in bogs
24:37and hidden in ice and stuff
24:39all have this feature.
24:42This thing is going to start
24:43kind of gouging out
24:44very slowly.
24:49That kind of convex shape.
24:50How on earth did you learn
24:53how to do this?
24:55Well I actually started
24:56my woodworking journey
24:57making archery longbows and stuff
25:00and I think I always liked
25:01wooden objects
25:01which kind of had a bit of dynamism
25:03so like, you know,
25:04had a bit of spring
25:05and kind of light for them.
25:06Spring, tension, movement.
25:08Yeah.
25:09So have a little shot.
25:10Okay.
25:15You obviously ski yourself.
25:17I do, yep.
25:18Yeah?
25:18Yep.
25:18There's nothing more satisfying
25:20actually than skiing
25:21on your own skis
25:22and they're good.
25:23That's brilliant.
25:26Quite impressed
25:27I think I could hire you
25:27at this stage.
25:28Oh yeah?
25:29Yep.
25:30I'm really enjoying it.
25:34Every pair of skis
25:36is made to measure
25:37and takes a week to produce.
25:39A testament to Jamie's skill
25:41and passion for this rare craft.
25:44The very last stage
25:45is we've got to seal them
25:46from the elements
25:47so we've got to apply
25:48a traditional pine tar finish
25:49onto the base.
25:50We have a pot
25:52of Stockholm tar
25:53ready to go.
25:56Is there a technique
25:57with this brushing
25:58or thin coats?
25:59You'll find it'll probably
26:00as it cools down
26:01it'll start to kind of...
26:02Just start right at the end.
26:03Yeah, have a look
26:03at the colour change.
26:04It's quite amazing.
26:06Oh yeah, look at that.
26:07Yeah.
26:08Stockholm tar
26:09is a natural
26:09antifungal preservative
26:11with a wide variety
26:13of historical uses
26:14from waterproofing boats
26:16to treating cats
26:17and horses' hooves.
26:18What we'll do
26:19is we'll run heat over it.
26:21We'll run that over
26:21and you see it bubbling.
26:22Whoa.
26:23So that means
26:23some of that tar
26:24is actually getting absorbed
26:25into the wood fibres.
26:26That's what we want
26:27and then you'll come along
26:28quick, rub it off
26:30like that.
26:32And there you go,
26:33that's kind of that.
26:33That's the finish we want.
26:34Obviously there's...
26:51We've got to apply the tar
26:52to the sides and the top
26:53and then put the binding on
26:55and then it's kind of
26:56good to go.
26:57Finished ski,
26:57much like one of these.
26:58They are beautiful.
27:00Jamie, thank you so much.
27:02I have loved every minute of this.
27:03Yeah, come back any time.
27:05I'd love to.
27:10Back at the bar,
27:12Kirsten is making
27:13her next move,
27:14replacing Debbie's
27:15two missing chess pieces.
27:18The first step
27:18is to create a mould
27:20using an existing piece.
27:22It's so fortunate
27:23that I've got
27:25both of the pieces
27:26that need casting.
27:28So I've attached
27:30these threads
27:31and I'm going to
27:33suspend it
27:34into this cup.
27:37There's a gap
27:38of about that much
27:39just between the head
27:41and the bottom
27:42of the beaker
27:43and that's ready
27:45for me now
27:45to make up
27:46my silicon rubber.
27:48This is the
27:53silicon rubber here.
27:57This has to be
27:58quite accurate.
28:01So I'm just going
28:02to add
28:02to the hardener.
28:06I'm going to
28:07mix this
28:08really well
28:09just to ensure
28:10that it is
28:10going to harden.
28:11I'm confident
28:16that that has
28:17been really
28:18thoroughly mixed
28:19now
28:19and I'm ready
28:21to pour
28:22the silicon rubber
28:23into the cup.
28:28He's swinging
28:29around a little bit
28:30in there
28:31but I'm sure
28:32it will just settle.
28:33I'm going to
28:40leave that
28:41to harden
28:41now
28:42and this is
28:43where I cross
28:44my fingers
28:44and hope
28:45that all that
28:46detail will come
28:47out in the mould.
28:48It feels like
29:05the moulding
29:07material has
29:07set really
29:09well
29:09and I'm just
29:10going to
29:11see if I
29:12can pop
29:13the chest
29:15piece out.
29:17There's
29:17always a
29:18slight risk
29:19of the
29:20thing getting
29:20stuck,
29:22of the mould
29:22material tearing.
29:24It's a little
29:25bit fraught
29:26with things
29:27that can go
29:27wrong.
29:28There we go.
29:30It's on its
29:31way now.
29:33Great.
29:34So the next
29:35stage is
29:36to make up
29:38my casting
29:39material
29:39and to
29:41fill the mould
29:42up.
29:47you have to
29:56measure the
29:58material out
29:59quite carefully
30:00to make sure
30:01that this
30:02sets properly.
30:04I think that's
30:05looking good.
30:07I'm just going
30:08to bang this
30:09on the table
30:10a little bit
30:11because that
30:11brings any
30:12of the air
30:13bubbles up
30:13to the surface.
30:16I'm going to
30:17pour this in
30:17now.
30:19I'm pouring it
30:20quite slowly
30:21to make sure
30:21that I don't
30:22get bubbles
30:23in any of
30:24the areas
30:25where the arms
30:27and things
30:27are.
30:28I'm just going
30:29to set this
30:30to one side
30:31now and allow
30:31the casting
30:32material,
30:33which is very
30:33similar to a
30:34plaster,
30:35to harden.
30:36The casting
30:49material feels
30:50like it's
30:50completely hard
30:51and it's
30:52therefore ready
30:53to be
30:54released from
30:55the mould.
30:57Moment of
30:58truth.
31:01It's coming
31:02out now.
31:02He looks
31:09good.
31:12That's really
31:12nice.
31:13That's come
31:14out really
31:14well.
31:16So I now
31:17need to
31:18repeat that
31:18process with
31:19the other
31:20missing piece
31:21and once I've
31:23got the two
31:23new chest
31:25pieces,
31:26I then have
31:27to start
31:28thinking about
31:29retouching
31:30and matching
31:31them to the
31:31original
31:32pieces.
31:41Back at the
31:42Britannia in
31:43Glasgow,
31:44Jamie is
31:44nearing the
31:45end of the
31:45time-consuming
31:46and complex
31:47renovation of
31:48the pianola.
31:49The last
31:50section requiring
31:51work is the
31:52piano action,
31:53which contains
31:54the hammers,
31:55levers and
31:55dampers that
31:56are so crucial
31:57to a fully
31:58functioning
31:59instrument.
32:00So that's
32:01the action
32:02dust-free.
32:03So I'm just
32:04checking all
32:05the little
32:05screws for
32:06all the
32:07piano parts,
32:08all the
32:08hammerheads,
32:09levers,
32:10make sure
32:11everything's
32:12nice and
32:12tight so we
32:14don't have any
32:14clicks or
32:15movement.
32:16Then it
32:17should play
32:17nice and
32:18quietly when
32:18it goes
32:18back in.
32:20It's been
32:20good fun.
32:21When you
32:22start working
32:23on these
32:23old instruments,
32:24you can
32:24take them
32:25apart and
32:26find a million
32:27things wrong,
32:28lots needing
32:28replaced,
32:30but this
32:30one I
32:31think will
32:33come back
32:33to life with
32:34all the
32:34little repairs
32:35that we've
32:35done.
32:36Okay, that
32:37is everything
32:38tight and
32:39what we're
32:39going to do
32:39now is pop
32:40it back in
32:41the piano.
32:47Right, that's
32:48the action
32:48back in, so
32:49we're just
32:50going to
32:51start tuning
32:52the piano.
32:54So you
32:55can hear it's
32:56dreadfully out
32:56of tune, we're
32:58going to get it
32:58sounding pretty
32:59good, but I
32:59don't want it
33:00to be bang
33:00on because a
33:01lot of the
33:02rolls of music
33:04for the
33:04pianola workings
33:05in here are
33:06kind of ragtime,
33:08Scott Joplin,
33:09and it sounds
33:09brilliant when
33:10it's a wee bit
33:11honky-tonk, so
33:12that's the aim
33:13of the game.
33:16What a lovely
33:17tone this piano
33:18has, I can't
33:19wait to hear
33:20what it's going
33:21to be like at
33:21the end because
33:22I think it's
33:22going to sing
33:23beautifully.
33:28In the barn,
33:30Kirsten has
33:31successfully recast
33:32both of Debbie's
33:33missing chess
33:34pieces and is
33:36now ready to
33:36add the final
33:37touches.
33:39This has now
33:40hardened and
33:41I think it's
33:43picked up that
33:43detail really
33:45nicely.
33:46It's ready to
33:47be painted.
33:49I'm going to
33:49try and match
33:50this cream
33:52buff colour
33:53that the white
33:55pieces have been
33:56painted.
33:57And it's not
33:58just a straightforward
33:59block colour,
34:00you've got this
34:01detail where
34:02the lines
34:03are, so
34:05it's going to
34:06take a little bit
34:07of trial and
34:08error.
34:09I'm going to use
34:10an acrylic paint
34:11for this, so
34:12I'm just going to
34:13mix up a few
34:14colours and see
34:15if I can try and
34:16match that in.
34:17I think that colour
34:36looks pretty good,
34:38so I'm just going to
34:38leave that now to
34:40dry.
34:40and I'm now
34:46going to
34:47paint the
34:49other piece
34:50that I made
34:51black to
34:52match the
34:52original.
35:10Hey, Kirsten.
35:15Wow, that's
35:16looking fantastic.
35:17Thank you very
35:17much.
35:18It was just a
35:18light clean and a
35:19wax button.
35:20Have you finished?
35:20I have, yeah.
35:22And you've got to
35:22guess which ones
35:23I've made up.
35:24This is going to be
35:25tricky.
35:27I can't tell.
35:28Well done.
35:29The right answer.
35:30Great job.
35:31Debbie is going to
35:31be so happy to have
35:32this back in the
35:33family.
35:37Kirsten and Will
35:38have given the
35:39chess set and board
35:40a sympathetic
35:41restoration.
35:43All that remains
35:43now is for Will
35:44to make the
35:45journey back to
35:46the north of
35:46Scotland.
35:48Well, I'm heading
35:49off to Loch
35:49Moy and I'm
35:51reuniting Debbie
35:52with her chess
35:52board.
35:54Debbie paints
35:55such a wonderful
35:56picture of the
35:57lock.
35:58Can't wait to see
35:59it.
35:59But some of the
36:00memories are happy,
36:01some are sad.
36:02I'm hoping that
36:03when I give her
36:03back the chess
36:04board, it's going
36:05to add one new
36:06happy memory.
36:10My dad made it,
36:13you know, he
36:13created it and
36:14obviously with losing
36:15my dad at such a
36:16young age, my
36:17memories of him are
36:18really limited.
36:21When I hold a
36:22piece, that's a
36:23piece that he's
36:23crafted and that
36:25for me is what
36:26brings out the
36:27magic in being able
36:28to have it
36:29restored.
36:29Debbie chose
36:32Loch Moy as the
36:33meeting place for
36:34their reunion.
36:35It's such a
36:36special place for
36:37me because it
36:37holds good memories
36:38with some sadness
36:40unfortunately, but
36:41it's a place of
36:43peace and calm and
36:44serenity and you
36:45just have to look at
36:46what we've got behind
36:46us to see the kind
36:47of feelings being
36:48here evokes.
36:53Hi, Debbie.
36:54Hello, nice to
36:54see you again.
36:55Nice to see you
36:56too.
36:57This is beautiful,
36:58isn't it?
36:58Yes, Loch Moy.
37:01My childhood
37:02memories are all
37:02here.
37:03Yeah.
37:04You're getting
37:04married here in a
37:05few months, aren't
37:05you?
37:05Yes, yes, that is
37:06the plan anyway.
37:07Well, today I
37:09bought gifts.
37:10OK, gifts are
37:11good.
37:12What are you hoping
37:12we've managed to
37:13do for you?
37:15For me to be able
37:16to play chess on
37:16it, you know,
37:17having those
37:17missing pieces
37:18replaced, because I
37:20was happy with
37:20that, I wanted to
37:21keep as much of
37:21his handiwork
37:23present.
37:24Would you like to
37:25take a look?
37:27Yes.
37:27Yes.
37:27Yes.
37:28Oh, wow.
37:37Wow.
37:39That's amazing.
37:41Absolutely amazing.
37:43I can't even tell
37:45what the pieces
37:46were that you've
37:47made.
37:48They just look
37:49identical.
37:51It's perfect.
37:54I'm a bit in awe
37:59because I was so
38:00young the last time
38:01I saw this complete.
38:02it's made me really
38:04quite emotional to see
38:05it with all the pieces
38:06there.
38:08Yeah, I'm thankful,
38:10I'm emotional, I'm
38:12grateful and just
38:14it's amazing what you
38:15guys do.
38:16Well, I can't take any
38:17of the praise here
38:17because Kirsten has
38:19worked absolute wonders.
38:20I can see that.
38:21I love the fact that I
38:23managed to bring this
38:24back to you at this
38:25wonderful location.
38:27Receiving the chess
38:28set here helps me to
38:30start making even more
38:31happier memories
38:32connected to Locomoy,
38:33my special place.
38:34The chess set is ready
38:41to be played once
38:42again.
38:45But can the same be
38:46said for Henrietta,
38:48the Edwardian pianola?
38:50Dom's hitting the road
38:52to find out.
38:53I'm back in Glasgow
38:54on my way to the
38:56Britannia Panopticon
38:57to see Judith and the
38:59team there and most
39:00importantly to hear that
39:02pianola play for the
39:03first time in a long
39:05time.
39:05I'm so excited.
39:09First on the cards is a
39:11catch up with Jamie.
39:12How's it going?
39:13Hello.
39:14You OK?
39:14Still smiling?
39:15Still smiling.
39:16Yeah, it's been a lot
39:18of work but I've quite
39:20enjoyed it actually.
39:21Repairing something like
39:22this, knowing that it's
39:23here and it's going to be
39:24enjoyed by so many people
39:25for years to come.
39:26As I was working on it,
39:27that's what goes through
39:28my mind.
39:29So should we get it
39:30covered up?
39:30Yes, let's cover it up.
39:33Judith's organised a glitzy
39:36and glamorous gathering
39:38of artists, performers
39:39and friends of the
39:40Panopticon who are all
39:42eagerly awaiting the
39:44results of Jamie's
39:45repair.
39:47It's kind of important
39:48today to share, I think,
39:49this experience with them
39:51because a lot of them
39:52have never seen
39:53Henrietta working and
39:55it's just going to be
39:56such a buzz for them to
39:57see it.
39:58It's such a magical
40:00instrument, you know,
40:01press a button and off it
40:03goes.
40:03It's like a fairy tale
40:04and she's going to be
40:05turned on again and
40:06she'll be entertaining
40:08the public as she used
40:09to do.
40:09It's thrilling.
40:10The pianola's always
40:11been in the background
40:12and I can't wait to hear
40:13it play.
40:14It's going to be really
40:14fantastic.
40:15I can't wait to see it
40:16all working.
40:18I really can't.
40:19No pressure then, Jamie.
40:22I really am feeling
40:23quite nervous.
40:24I've worked really hard
40:25on the pianola.
40:26I think I've nailed it
40:27and I can't wait to see
40:29their faces.
40:34Thank you so much,
40:35everybody.
40:36It's so nice to see such
40:37an amazing turnout and
40:38you all look incredible.
40:39It's a big day, isn't it?
40:40It is a big day.
40:41It's a big day for all of
40:42us, I think, today at the
40:43C.
40:44What's underneath that
40:44cover?
40:45What difference is it
40:46going to make to have it
40:47working?
40:48Well, for a start, I've
40:49had a piano in tune for
40:50everybody to sing to.
40:51It's going to be fantastic
40:52and a real novelty.
40:54Is everyone ready to see
40:56it?
40:56Yes!
40:57Are you excited?
40:58Yes!
40:59Come on then, Jamie.
41:02CHEERING
41:02I know that it looks the
41:09part, but really, this is
41:10all about what it sounds
41:11like, isn't it?
41:12Yes.
41:13Do you want to hear it?
41:13Yes!
41:15Will you do the honours?
41:16Oh, what a love of you!
41:30It won't be a stylish marriage
41:35I can't afford a carriage
41:39And you look sweet
41:41Up on the seat of a bicycle
41:45Made for two
41:47And...
41:48CHEERING
41:48CHEERING
41:48Brilliant!
41:50Brilliant!
41:54Judith, how does it feel
41:55hearing it for the first time
41:57properly tuned?
41:58Absolutely amazing.
41:59Nowhere's going to describe it.
42:01It's going to bring a lot of joy
42:03to a lot of people.
42:04Yeah.
42:04It is.
42:05I think so much of this...
42:06Yeah, I'm going to greet as well.
42:16Thanks to Jamie's skill
42:17and hard work
42:18the pianola's decades
42:20of silence
42:21have been broken
42:22at last.
42:24We've never, ever heard
42:25the pianola playing like that
42:26It's incredible
42:27It really is incredible
42:28To see the pianola
42:29actually working again
42:31is fabulous
42:32To see the transformation
42:33from, you know
42:34before and now
42:36it's absolutely incredible
42:37I do love history
42:38and I do love the spolding
42:40and I do love that pianola
42:41If you'd like to see more
42:52fantastic fixes and restorations
42:55search BBC iPlayer
42:57for The Repair Shop
42:58on the road
42:59We'll be right back in the road
43:01We'll be right back in the road
43:02We'll be right back in the road
43:03We'll be right back in the road
43:03We'll be right back in the road
43:04We'll be right back in the road
43:05We'll be right back in the road
43:05We'll be right back in the road
43:06We'll be right back in the road
43:07We'll be right back in the road
43:08We'll be right back in the road
43:09We'll be right back in the road
43:10We'll be right back in the road
43:11We'll be right back in the road
43:12We'll be right back in the road
43:13We'll be right back in the road
43:14We'll be right back in the road
43:15We'll be right back in the road
43:16We'll be right back in the road
43:17We'll be right back in the road
43:18We'll be right back in the road
43:19We'll be right in the road
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