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00:01Here at the Repair Shop,
00:03countless treasures have been brought back to life.
00:09That reveal so much about who we are
00:12and where we're from.
00:15But 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.
00:40To 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, yes.
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.
01:07There's a legacy here that needs to be protected.
01:16Today, we're in central Scotland.
01:18Will throws everything into fixing a dilapidated sign.
01:24What does this symbolise to you?
01:26It sort of symbolises what we stand for.
01:29We are offering our hands of friendship to the community.
01:33Back in the barn, we have a timely repair.
01:36As the temperature rises, the pendulums grow in length.
01:40That is amazing.
01:41That could reawaken treasured memories.
01:44When I talk about it with her, she gets quite emotional.
01:47It's just such a big part of her history.
01:56Here we go. On the road.
01:57On the road.
01:58Just keep employing them out.
01:59OK.
02:00And we'll be fine.
02:01Where are we going?
02:02We're going to Clack Manningshire.
02:03I've done a bit of research and apparently it is the smallest county in Britain.
02:0961 square miles.
02:10I love these fun facts.
02:12You like the fun facts, don't you?
02:15Today's first stop is Allowa, the wee county's biggest town.
02:20It has a rich industrial heritage, including spinning meals for the knitwear industry
02:26and a glassworks which was opened in 1750 and continues to this day.
02:31And all those workers needed a way to relax.
02:35I am going to meet James at his local bowling club.
02:38They're about to celebrate a really important anniversary and they want me to have a look at their sign.
02:44It's a very old sign.
02:46Bowls is a popular sport here with three clubs in a town of just over 20,000 people.
02:53And Will is answering the call of the Allowa Co-op bowling club,
02:57which has been a social hub at the heart of the community for a hundred years.
03:03The club is important to me because it's really good for socialising,
03:06for meeting new people.
03:09I've been a member for 11 years now and I've made some great friendships.
03:13Since my accident at the time where the clubs have rallied round me very well here.
03:17Will's meeting club president James Lindsay, who needs help with an important restoration project
03:24to mark the club's centenary.
03:25James, nice to meet you.
03:27Hi, well thanks for coming.
03:29So what are we looking at here?
03:31This is our original sign that we had up on the balcony.
03:3540 year old at least.
03:37Because it was left out in the weather, got a little bit bent shall we say.
03:40And the cracks are starting to show and the paint's all cracked.
03:45And our handshake, that's the symbol of the club.
03:49It was gold hands and a gold rim.
03:52And our pictures sadly fading away as well.
03:56So it would be just nice to get it back to some sort of original thing
04:00so that we could see it up for our centenary celebrations this year.
04:06I mean it's lasted quite well for something that's been left out in the rain pretty much.
04:11But obviously, I mean painting onto hardboard, it's going to end up warping and moving around.
04:16And that's why you've got all the crackers.
04:17Now you tell us.
04:19Well, you know, you should have called me 50 years ago.
04:21What exactly would you like us to do with the sign?
04:23If possible, restore the lettering so it makes it more prominent looking.
04:29And clear the drawing of the bowling club and try and restore that so it can see it.
04:35So I see that you've got 1925 here, so that's the year that the club opened.
04:38That was the year the club opened.
04:40If possible, if you could add 2025 in the same format, that would be quite nice.
04:46What does this symbolise to you?
04:48So it symbolises what we stand for.
04:50We are offering our hands of friendship to the community.
04:54It gives the community opportunity to socialise.
04:58You've got your pubs and clubs and stuff, but sports-wise, there's stuff for the youth.
05:04But for the older generation, the bowls gives them opportunity to mix and socialise and have a bit of fun.
05:12I would love to give it a go.
05:14Absolutely.
05:15I've also got flat shoes on.
05:16You've got flat shoes, I've got a spare set of bowls.
05:18Let's go.
05:19Let's go and do this.
05:22Bowling is a game with ancient roots, and it was embraced by the Scots early on.
05:27Once a pastime for the upper classes, the modern game of lawn bowls opened to the masses in the 1830s,
05:33when the invention of the lawn mower meant greens could be maintained at less expense.
05:39At the same time, one Scottish company pioneered a game-changing, inexpensive way of making standardised bowls on a mechanical lathe.
05:48The process of which continues today.
05:52Hold on a second. How come yours looks better than mine?
05:55Well, a present has to have nice-looking bowls.
05:59Let's see what you can do.
06:01That wasn't too bad.
06:05What do you get out of bowls, personally?
06:06Confidence, I would have to say.
06:07Do you think that you wanted to have the sign fixed is almost like a thank you to the club for what they've done for you?
06:21It is a thank you to the club from me, because it was part of their history before I was here.
06:27If I can help a little and preserve it, then all the better to them.
06:32I love him.
06:35The sign will be restored as a tribute to a hundred years of fun and friendship.
06:41But for now, Dom's heading 17 miles west to the village of Kippen to meet Kirsty Carberry,
06:48whose precious family heirloom needs attention from the experts back in the barn.
06:54Hello.
06:55Kirsty, hi.
06:56Hello, lovely to meet you.
06:57You OK? It's lovely to meet you.
06:59Thank you so much for having me over.
07:00Perfect day.
07:01Isn't it? Beautiful.
07:02I didn't need my jumper.
07:03No.
07:05This must be the clock.
07:06This is the clock.
07:07Will you tell me a bit about it?
07:09It belongs to my mother.
07:11It was her grandfather's.
07:13So it goes back to late 1880.
07:18It's not been working for about seven years.
07:21OK.
07:22It is inscribed as well.
07:23It says Dr James Stewart.
07:26Which is your...
07:27Which is my great-grandfather.
07:28Great-grandfather.
07:29The name of the house, which is Amun Sui House.
07:31And it says from Lady Scott.
07:34He lived at the start of his career on Nile of Harris, which is up the outer Hebrides of Scotland.
07:41OK.
07:42And the family that lived in this house, that gifted him this clock, he was their family doctor.
07:50I guess that's how things were back then.
07:52So the big house had...
07:53Yeah.
07:54Had the family doctor.
07:55Their own, their family doctor.
07:56Yeah.
07:57And that was your great-grandfather.
07:58That was my great-grandfather, yeah.
07:59Oh, wow.
08:02The beautiful thank you gift came from Lady Sophie Scott, a prominent landowner on Harris, whose friendly ghost supposedly still haunts the castle today.
08:13Past down generations, the clock became Kirsty's mum Margaret's pride and joy.
08:20And no wonder, it was cutting-edge technology from the 17th century, with its mechanism specially designed to keep time in the freezing cold conditions that could be encountered in remote parts of Scotland.
08:33Mum was born in St Andrews, but when she was born, they bought a hotel in Glencoe.
08:40She was an only child, and it was quite a lonely experience for her.
08:45They were both busy, I guess.
08:46They were both busy.
08:47She had a lot of time on her own.
08:50She had a beautiful black Labrador called Cruch, and he's in just about every picture of her in Glencoe.
08:57And it's one of those experiences that not many people have, to have grown up somewhere like that on your own.
09:05Just complete freedom.
09:06Yeah.
09:07Just hills and locks as entertainment.
09:10She's got very fond memories of Glencoe, and this is part of that history for her.
09:17It's amazing.
09:18Mum's in a nursing home now, and I think it would be a bit too much to have in her room.
09:23So even if we could get it up and running, to have it in her house so that she knows it's working.
09:30Yeah.
09:31She's been diagnosed with dementia.
09:33I guess it just must make you want to just cling on to the memories that she has got.
09:38It does, yeah.
09:39And it's talking to her about things that I know she's going to remember, and that makes her happy as well.
09:43Does she know that you're getting it repaired?
09:45Yeah, she does.
09:46Does she?
09:47Yeah.
09:48Her face just lit up.
09:49It's beautiful.
09:50Oh, bless her.
09:51I just want to get this working.
09:52Cosmetics, I mean, it looks beautiful as it is, I think.
09:55Yeah.
09:56And it is.
09:57It's shiny.
09:58You know, it looks in good condition.
09:59Very well looked after.
10:00But it's the workings, to see the workings of it.
10:03Yeah.
10:04And hear it again.
10:05It'll mean a lot.
10:06It's just going to jolt so many memories for her.
10:08For her.
10:09And for me.
10:10Absolutely.
10:11Steve is going to be so excited to work on this.
10:15I need to get back on the road and back to the barn.
10:17So if it's okay, I'll take the clock with me.
10:19Thank you so much.
10:20Okay.
10:21Be careful.
10:22Yes.
10:23Okay.
10:24Okay.
10:26Bye.
10:29Bye.
10:30Bye.
10:33Bye.
10:34Bye.
10:35Bye.
10:36Bye.
10:37Bye.
10:38Bye.
10:41Bye.
10:42Bye.
10:44Bye.
10:45Back in Allowa, Will has enlisted a local specialist and familiar face to the repair shop team.
10:51Heritage sign writer Ross Hastie previously helped him
10:54with the historic carriage at Musselburgh.
10:57Will is hoping Ross will use his skills
10:59to restore the bowling club's cherished sign.
11:04Ross.
11:05Hello.
11:06Good to see you again, my friend.
11:07Good to see you, too.
11:08Now, I need some help, please.
11:10This sign belongs to the Allower Bowling Club.
11:13Yeah.
11:13And they're about to celebrate their 100th year.
11:17But it'd be really nice to sort of bring this into 2025
11:19and have it looking vibrant again.
11:21Can you help?
11:22Yeah, we can do that.
11:24I presume all this cracking in the paint has occurred
11:26because it has warped and moved around.
11:28Yeah, it's definitely been done in an oil-based paint,
11:31which dries hard and doesn't really allow for any expansion,
11:34so it's started to crack.
11:36It's started to crack.
11:37James, who is the current president of the club,
11:39did mention gold.
11:42Yes.
11:43Apparently the hands were golden
11:45and there's a golden circle going around the outside.
11:48Ooh, we can make them gold again.
11:50Yeah?
11:50Yeah.
11:51Would it be like a bit of gold paint?
11:52I think gold leaf.
11:54Gold leaf?
11:54Gold leaf would be the way.
11:56Bringing out the big guns.
11:57OK, I like that.
11:59Finally, the date on here, 1925,
12:01that's when the club started.
12:04James did say, if it was possible,
12:06if we could put 2025 on the other side in the same style.
12:10Yeah, that would be a nice touch.
12:12I think it will fit.
12:13Lovely.
12:14We can start by cleaning it
12:16with a kind of fairly mild vinegar-based cleaner.
12:20That should remove any surface residue
12:22without hurting the background,
12:24so that would definitely be the place to start.
12:27Oh, my word.
12:42Look at that transformation already.
12:44Yeah, it's really brought back what the colour should be.
12:46What's next?
12:47I think we should definitely, just for safety,
12:49get a tracing of this,
12:51because the small detail on this is just hanging on right now,
12:54and I think if we give it a light sand
12:57in order to let the new paint adhere,
13:00we might end up losing some critical detail.
13:03So let's trace that now.
13:04OK.
13:06Leaving Will to trace the clubhouse motif,
13:09Ross is using his years of experience
13:12to try and find a colour
13:13that will match the base coat of the sign.
13:16I reckon I'm going to start with what's called fire red,
13:20which if I just wet this again
13:21to get the colour back.
13:25By wetting it,
13:25it's going to show us what it's going to look like
13:27when it's varnished.
13:28It's a really good idea.
13:29Now, I think
13:30that fire red, as it is,
13:37is not far away.
13:38It just has to be looking absolutely spectacular.
13:41Yeah, we can do that.
13:42While it's game on for the sign restoration,
13:48Dom has arrived at the barn
13:51to drop off Kirsty's silent clock
13:54at the bench of third-generation horologist
13:57Steve Fletcher.
14:00Steve!
14:01Ah, so this is the clock.
14:03This is Kirsty's clock.
14:04Right.
14:05I love these absolutely beautiful clocks.
14:08They're either called four glass
14:11because they've got four glasses.
14:12Four pieces of glass, I get that, yeah.
14:14Or they're called parish regulators as well
14:17and they're regulators
14:18because they've got a temperature-compensated pendulum.
14:23What on earth does that mean?
14:25It's the temperature rises.
14:26The pendulums grow in length.
14:28The material, the steel...
14:30Expansion.
14:30Expanding.
14:31Yeah, yeah.
14:31No.
14:31And, because these have got the two mercury tubes in there,
14:37the mercury goes the other way
14:38and compensates for the expansion of the main pendulum.
14:42To balance the weight of it all.
14:43Yeah.
14:43That is amazing.
14:45Yeah, so they keep absolutely bang-on time.
14:49Wow.
14:49It's an incredible condition, really,
14:51but unfortunately, not working.
14:54OK.
14:55This is for her mum.
14:56Her mum, sadly, has got dementia.
14:58She's in her home.
14:59And so I'm hoping you're able to get it working
15:01and get it chiming and making its noises again
15:04so that Kirsty's mum, it might trigger a memory for her.
15:08OK, well, I'll take it apart, see what I can find wrong
15:10and hopefully get it ticking and sounding right.
15:14Thanks, Steve.
15:14OK.
15:15OK.
15:15So I can't see why the clock isn't working at the moment.
15:26So once I get in, I hope that there's going to be something that I can see.
15:33I'm just going to trigger the strike, which seems to be working OK.
15:49I can see I need to make some adjustments because it did falter a little bit.
15:54This lever that comes down at the back of the mechanism
15:58and drives the pendulum is called the crutch.
16:01I can feel that it's far too tight
16:05and won't do the job that it's designed to do.
16:08I can actually see that the friction part of the crutch at the top
16:13has been squeezed up.
16:14I can see the marks there where someone's got some pliers
16:17and has squeezed it up.
16:19I think someone has really struggled in the past
16:21with getting the right sort of spring for the fly,
16:25but it's quite a naive thing to do to squeeze it up,
16:29to make it tight.
16:30So I need to rectify that and put it back to how it should be.
16:36I just need to strip it down, give it a really good clean,
16:40and then I can go through everything with a fine tooth comb
16:43just to make sure that I identify anywhere that needs to be rectified.
16:48Back in Alowa, Ross is making progress.
17:07He's given the bowling club sign a gentle sanding,
17:11renewed the base coat with a matching red paint,
17:13and sealed the surface with a clear binding primer.
17:18Right now I'm painting the black shadows again.
17:23I'm painting the black in to try and cover the cracks,
17:25but also, as I'm doing each bit, I'm trying to fix up the shape.
17:29Right here, that's not really a straight line anymore.
17:31But if I put it in, I'm just making it ever so slightly bigger
17:35so I can get it to a straight line.
17:40Well, the bulk of the work is done.
17:55All the backgrounds put back in,
17:56all the signwritings put back in.
17:59The blue was pretty close to one that I had out the can,
18:02so that didn't take much mixing.
18:03The green's going to have to do a bit of mixing to try and match that.
18:12I'm using SignWriter's enamel.
18:14It's an oil-based enamel,
18:16similar just to a traditional oil-based gloss,
18:19although it's probably got a lot more pigment in it
18:23than normal oil-based gloss.
18:25So the colours are quite bright.
18:30Yay!
18:33I'm quite happy with that colour.
18:43It's similar in value as a colour,
18:48but it's more vibrant.
18:53I'm quite happy with that as a grass.
18:56Yeah.
18:58I mean, who's going to stop me?
18:59My grass, please.
19:01Doubt it.
19:03With Ross making headway on the sign,
19:10Will's travelling further north to the Speyside town of Rothes.
19:14Famous for its whisky production,
19:16Speyside alone boasts an incredible 50 distilleries.
19:20But to get all that lovely liquid gold,
19:23first you've got to start with a bit of copper.
19:26I'm off to a company that makes copper stills for distilleries.
19:31Oh, that's going to be such a good day.
19:32I'm a bit jealous.
19:33I know.
19:34Sorry.
19:34The stills are beautiful.
19:36Big, round copper.
19:37Yeah.
19:38With all the, you know, the pipes coming out the top.
19:40It's like panel beating for cars, but out of copper.
19:43Scotland's whisky industry may date back centuries,
19:48but with annual exports worth an incredible 5.4 billion pounds today,
19:53it's a business that's going from strength to strength.
19:57Both sculptural and functional,
20:00these famous stills have become a symbol of tradition and craftsmanship
20:03and have a key role to play in making sure Scotland's national tipple
20:08tastes as good as it should.
20:11Working like huge kettles,
20:13they boil up liquid to release the alcoholic vapours,
20:17removing impurities along the way
20:19and helping to create the whisky's distinctive flavour.
20:22With so much at stake, it needs an expert hand.
20:27So Will's hopped out to visit a 130-year-old business
20:30and meet Gary Garrick,
20:32who's dedicated 20 years to the ancient craft
20:35of coppersmithing whisky stones.
20:39Hi there, Gary. Nice to meet you.
20:40Oh, hello. Nice to meet you. Welcome to Precise.
20:42Thank you. Thank you.
20:43This place is amazing.
20:44It is.
20:44So much copper.
20:45There is so much copper.
20:47Right, safety first.
20:49Safety first.
20:50Eh?
20:50Safety first, yes.
20:51So what are we doing here?
20:54Well, here we have copper that's been cut to size
20:57and we've taken it into this workshop to be rolled
20:59for making the stills in this workshop.
21:02So it goes from flat sheets...
21:05Flat sheets to rolled...
21:06To then.
21:07Yes, flat sheets to rolled sheets,
21:09to formed sheets and to full stills.
21:12It takes 1,600 hours to create the average still
21:16and the process starts with giant sheets
21:19of 4mm thick copper being laser cut
21:22to the unique pattern of the still.
21:25Once cut to size, they move it to the copper shed
21:28where Gary takes over the next step, shaping.
21:32I'm making sure the template is right to the copper
21:35so when I line it up with the other sheets
21:37it should be a round circle.
21:39I'm happy with that just now.
21:43The curved panels are then welded together
21:46into larger sections
21:47which need further shaping by hand.
21:50This is huge!
21:52To achieve this,
21:54the copper first needs to be soft
21:56and that requires heat.
21:58Whoa!
21:59Let's start.
22:00Oh, it starts from the bottom.
22:07Why?
22:09The heat rises so...
22:11Once you get higher up...
22:13Because you're not...
22:14It's working all to heat up.
22:17So how long does it take to heat this up?
22:20It'll take a couple of minutes.
22:23So I know that is baking hot now.
22:25It's definitely changed colour.
22:27Yes.
22:27But this is now soft enough to start to shake.
22:29Yes, it is, yes.
22:30OK.
22:31You have to kind of work it up the way.
22:33Just kind of get the bumps out gradually.
22:36OK.
22:36Otherwise you'll end up with lots of wrinkles
22:38especially in this shape.
22:39Go and try.
22:40So I can whack?
22:41Use this side.
22:43Yeah, that side.
22:44Start from here and work your way along.
22:46And then just whack along the line?
22:48Yes.
22:51Harder than that?
22:52A little bit harder than that.
22:53Oh, my arm!
22:54It's raised a ton!
22:55OK, ready?
22:59Hold on a second.
23:07Big forearms.
23:08Exactly.
23:09That's good.
23:10I've got longer arms as well.
23:12I'm sweating already.
23:14I've kind of come down at an angle.
23:16Should I straighten that out?
23:17Yeah, you can if you want, yes.
23:18I want to hand that back to you
23:25because I don't have the energy to do it again.
23:30It may be hard graft
23:31but a smooth finish is essential
23:33allowing the copper to efficiently conduct heat
23:37and ensuring that the contents of each still
23:40are warmed evenly and precisely.
23:42After the malleting is done
23:45is the turn of mechanical hammers
23:47which finish the surface
23:48to exacting design specifications.
23:52But there are places the machine can't reach
23:54and for these
23:56the human touch is still required.
23:59So we'll be using the flattener in the hammer
24:01to smooth out the copper up the top here
24:04and to blend it in with the rest of the copper
24:06that's been hammered.
24:07Right, and this hasn't been done on the machine
24:09because the machine can't get back,
24:11goes to the edge.
24:11Yes, exactly, yes.
24:13All right, let's see how it's done professionally.
24:15So watch your fingers.
24:18You've got the dolly on the surface.
24:20You've got the dolly on
24:21and you're just hammering very softly
24:24until you find the head
24:26and then you can hit a little bit harder.
24:28So...
24:38You can see, you can feel,
24:40it's kind of smooth there.
24:44You've kind of blended it in
24:45compared to what it is here.
24:48There you go.
24:49You can have a shot.
24:50Right, I'll get stuck in.
24:51Yes, I'll move out your weight.
24:53OK.
24:53Squeeze past.
24:54Very snug up here, isn't it, Gary?
24:56It is.
24:57OK.
24:58So...
24:59About there?
25:00So round about here, yes,
25:02that's what I've been hitting.
25:03Yes, sir, yeah.
25:08They keep on going.
25:09Yeah.
25:12You hit the head there.
25:17Do you hear the difference?
25:18Yeah, definitely.
25:20That's smoothing out at all?
25:21That's smoothing out there, yes.
25:23Right, so once this has all been finished,
25:25what's next?
25:26To join it on to the other parts of the still,
25:29this is only one part of the still,
25:31they're all welded together
25:32and then they're mechanically hammered
25:34and joined all together
25:36and then they're shipped out to the distilleries
25:39to be fitted.
25:42Scotland's whisky makers pour centuries of expertise
25:45into creating the perfect dram,
25:48but without the skills and craftsmanship
25:50of coppersmiths like Gary,
25:52they couldn't produce a job.
25:54Do you like whisky?
25:56Now and again when I'm allowed.
25:59Do you know what?
26:00Thank you so much for today.
26:02No problem.
26:02It's an eye-opener
26:03and I feel like I'm probably best suited to woodwork.
26:07It's OK, you're welcome back anytime.
26:20Back at the barn,
26:21having thoroughly cleaned every component
26:24of Kirsty's clock,
26:26Steve is now beginning the exacting task
26:28of examining each part
26:30to identify and fix any fault.
26:34At the moment,
26:36I'm just checking all of the teeth
26:38of all the wheels.
26:40I have actually been given
26:43a lovely pair of magnifying glasses,
26:46which is really helping
26:49with the smaller wheels.
26:52I'm just going to look at the escape wheel,
26:55which is the wheel that drives
26:57the part of the mechanism
26:59that drives the pendulum.
27:01And this has got some very,
27:04very fine teeth,
27:05which are very easily bent.
27:08So I'm just checking it
27:10really, really carefully.
27:13I've actually spotted a tooth
27:14that is very, very slightly bent.
27:17The slight bend
27:18will make all the difference
27:20in the actual going of the clock.
27:22I do need to just straighten that out.
27:25I'm just going to do it
27:26very, very gently
27:27because it only needs
27:28a slight amount of power
27:31just to straighten that up.
27:33I've got to be very, very careful
27:37because there's always a chance
27:40that you could break a tooth like this.
27:47There we are.
27:48You wouldn't know it's ever been bent.
27:51Right, that's all the teeth.
27:54Nice and straight.
27:55I need to now check
27:57all of the other components
27:58for any other damage.
28:03So I'm currently doing
28:15the bushing work at the moment.
28:17All the bearings,
28:18they have pivots at the end
28:20and those pivots actually
28:22go into pivot holes
28:23and those holes actually get worn.
28:27And what I need to do is
28:28make those holes a little bit bigger,
28:31put a tube of brass in
28:33which is called a bush
28:34and then make that hole
28:37the right size for the pivot
28:39so that it's nice and snug.
28:42If the clock runs with worn pivots,
28:44it creates so much damage.
28:46This hole that I'm going to work on now
28:48is so worn.
28:52Not sure how it ever works.
28:54Once I've bushed it,
28:56this just won't flop around
28:57like this at all.
28:58And then that will turn
29:00really efficiently.
29:03I'm going to use
29:04one of these tiny little bushes.
29:07So the hole that's in the centre
29:10of the bush
29:10is too tight for the pivot
29:12but that's absolutely
29:14as it should be
29:15because then I'm just going
29:16to open up that hole
29:17to the right size.
29:20So what I need to do
29:21is open up this hole
29:23to accommodate the bush
29:25that I'm going to pop in there
29:26by using a brooch
29:28which is a five-sided
29:30tapered cutting tool.
29:33I'm just going to
29:35gently spin it
29:37and apply a little bit of force.
29:40I'm just taking off
29:41absolute tiny, tiny bits
29:44of brass.
29:46If I take off too much
29:47then it does mean
29:49that I would have to go
29:50to a bigger bush
29:51which I don't particularly
29:53want to do.
29:54There we go.
29:56Now it's sitting in there
29:57really, really nicely
29:58at the moment
29:58because it hasn't gone
30:00all the way in
30:00but when I push it
30:02right the way in
30:04it's going to be
30:05friction tight
30:06and will stay in there
30:08forever.
30:09So I'm just going to
30:10push the bush in
30:13with these parallel pliers.
30:15So that bush
30:18has gone in there
30:19absolutely perfectly
30:20and now what I need
30:22to do is to
30:23open up the hole
30:25so that it's nice
30:26and snug for the pivot.
30:28And again I'm using
30:29five-sided brooches.
30:32Got to be so careful
30:33not to overdo this
30:34because if you overdo it
30:35then you'd have to
30:36punch the bush
30:38out again
30:38and put another one in.
30:42It's really worth
30:43just spending a bit
30:46of time
30:46just getting it right
30:47because you know
30:49this is going to make
30:49all the difference.
30:51Just going to
30:52see how it's
30:53all faring.
30:57And that's
30:58spinning nicely
30:59and there's
31:00just the right
31:02amount of
31:03movement in the
31:04pivot hole.
31:12Back in Ottawa
31:13Ross is adding
31:14the final touches
31:15to the bowling
31:16club sign.
31:18I'm about to put
31:18the gold leaf
31:20on this.
31:21He's already
31:22painted a special
31:23glue called
31:24size onto the
31:25area that he
31:26wants to gild.
31:27This helps the
31:28gold leaf bond
31:29to the surface.
31:31I use the
31:32three-hour size
31:33on this
31:33but I find that
31:35with certain
31:36sizes anyway
31:37the longer you
31:38leave it
31:38the shinier
31:39a gild you get.
31:41So with this
31:41particular one
31:42I'm quite happy
31:43leaving it
31:44four or five
31:45hours in these
31:46temperatures
31:46and it'll still
31:48take and I'll
31:49get a shiny
31:49gild.
31:52On a perfectly
31:53smooth surface
31:53you would kind of
31:54gild it with this
31:56motion
31:56but pushing it
31:58gently into the
31:59surface
32:00although this
32:01surface is quite
32:02textured
32:03there's still some
32:04wrinkles in it
32:04so I'm having to
32:05push harder
32:06and just kind of
32:07tap it on
32:08rather than
32:09smooth it on
32:11like you would
32:11on a smooth
32:12surface.
32:14I'm now going to
32:15polish it a bit
32:16with velvet.
32:17Some people use
32:18cotton wool
32:19I like to use
32:20velvet
32:21and because it's
32:22a circular shape
32:23I'm just going to
32:24follow the shape
32:25of the circle
32:26and that'll give it
32:27a nice gentle
32:27burnish.
32:29It doesn't look
32:30like much yet
32:31but it will
32:31soon.
32:46In the barn
32:48Steve's almost
32:49finished a complex
32:50series of repairs
32:51on Kirsty's
32:52clock
32:53but there's one
32:54final vital
32:55component
32:56requiring his
32:57expertise.
32:58I've now turned
32:59my attention to
33:00repairing the
33:02crutch.
33:02The part of
33:03the mechanism
33:03that transfers
33:04the power
33:05from the
33:06escape wheel
33:06through to
33:07the pallets
33:08through to
33:09the pendulum.
33:10If this is
33:11too tight
33:12then that
33:12will not
33:13happen.
33:14It's been
33:14really hammered
33:17at the top
33:18it's splayed
33:19out the
33:20springy part
33:21and it's
33:23actually so
33:24tight on the
33:25thread that it's
33:25not doing the
33:26job it's
33:27supposed to.
33:28So I'm going
33:28to put it on
33:29back to front
33:30and then I'm
33:35going to
33:35actually squeeze
33:37that back to
33:38where it's
33:39supposed to
33:39be.
33:40I'm going to
33:40use some
33:41nylon lined
33:42pliers and
33:44just squeeze
33:45it gently
33:47back to where
33:48it's supposed
33:48to be.
33:50There we go.
33:52Then I'm going
33:53to take it
33:54off.
33:55I'm going to
33:56put it on the
33:57other way
33:57round and
33:58actually that's
34:00already just
34:01improved it
34:01hugely but I
34:02do need to
34:03relieve some of
34:04the tension as
34:04well.
34:05So I'm just
34:06going to pop
34:06my tweezers in
34:08there and
34:09open it up a
34:11little bit.
34:13So I'm just
34:13actually feeling
34:15for the right
34:16amount of
34:17tensions so
34:18that I'll know
34:19that if the
34:19pendulum is
34:20swung vigorously
34:21the clock will
34:23go back into
34:24beat again.
34:25If it's too
34:25tight that won't
34:26happen.
34:27If it's too
34:28loose it'll just
34:29flop around and
34:29the clock won't
34:30work so it has
34:31to be just
34:31right.
34:33And I've got
34:35it absolutely
34:36right now.
34:37That will work
34:38perfectly.
34:44With his
34:45repairs complete
34:46Steve is
34:47undertaking the
34:48complicated task
34:49of reassembling
34:50the clock.
35:05I just need to
35:06get the gong
35:06back on and
35:07then it'll be
35:07ready to hand
35:08back over to
35:09Kirsty.
35:10I'm sure they're
35:11going to
35:12absolutely love
35:13it.
35:20after hours of
35:23painstaking work
35:24the clock that
35:26wouldn't strike is
35:27ready to be
35:27reunited with
35:28Kirsty and
35:29Steve has
35:30entrusted Dom to
35:31deliver the
35:32precious timepiece
35:33safely back to
35:34Kippen.
35:35This is a
35:35slightly nerve
35:36wracking time for
35:37me because
35:37Steve has given
35:39me very strict
35:40instructions for
35:41how to set this
35:42clock up.
35:43It's an
35:43incredibly old and
35:45incredibly fragile
35:46clock and I need
35:47to be careful.
35:52This is going to
35:53be a special day
35:54for Kirsty.
35:55It's been a while
35:55since this clock
35:56has worked and
35:57there is such a
35:58special reason for
35:59her wanting to
35:59get it working
36:00again.
36:01It's the sound,
36:02the sound this
36:02makes every hour,
36:04the strike.
36:05That's the noise
36:06that she wants
36:06her mum to hear
36:07and I really hope
36:09that it brings back
36:10some happy memories
36:11for her mum.
36:12I'm nervous, I'm
36:17excited as well.
36:19I've been
36:19mentioning it to
36:20mum when we've
36:21been visiting her
36:21and she gets quite
36:23emotional when I
36:23talk about it which
36:24in turn gets me
36:26emotional.
36:28It's going to be
36:29great to see it
36:30again.
36:36Hi.
36:37Hello.
36:38Take a seat.
36:39It's good to see
36:40you again.
36:41You too, Dom.
36:42Since talking to me
36:43about the clock
36:43previously, have you
36:45been thinking about
36:46it more?
36:47Very much.
36:48It goes so far
36:49down into our
36:50family and when I
36:52talk about it with
36:52her she gets quite
36:53emotional.
36:54It's just such a
36:55big part of her
36:56history.
36:56That must be so
36:57nice for you,
36:58getting to sit with
36:59mum and talking to
37:00her and seeing her
37:00react to things
37:02like that.
37:03I said, Mum,
37:03they're coming back,
37:04they must have
37:04been able to fix
37:05it.
37:06And she got teary
37:08and she was like,
37:09really?
37:10I said, yeah.
37:11Yeah, so to see
37:13her face when I
37:14talk about it, it
37:14just lights up.
37:15It's just lovely.
37:16That's magic.
37:17That's so special,
37:17isn't it?
37:18So what are you
37:19hoping to see then?
37:21To see it working,
37:23obviously.
37:23the pendulum on it had
37:26been damaged so to see
37:27that back intact and
37:29working again, it's
37:31mesmerising to look at.
37:35And I remember that as
37:36a child so no doubt
37:37when it's back on the
37:39shelf I'll be looking at
37:41it again like I was when
37:42I was ten years old.
37:44You're looking forward to
37:45seeing it?
37:45I am.
37:46You ready?
37:47I am ready.
37:47Yeah.
37:48Yeah.
37:52Oh, my goodness.
38:02Just stunning.
38:05You wouldn't know it's
38:07from the late 1800s,
38:08would you?
38:10Look at the colour of it.
38:12It has changed.
38:14It looks like new.
38:16It's an incredible thing.
38:17It really is.
38:18So did he fix it?
38:19Well, I can show you.
38:29Oh.
38:31Ever so gently
38:32ticking away.
38:33And it is.
38:33It's so subtle.
38:35Yeah.
38:36To have made something
38:37like that back in those
38:39days.
38:39Well done, Steve.
38:40It's working.
38:41Yeah.
38:42There's one thing that
38:43we've not heard yet.
38:45I think Steve has given
38:46me permission.
38:48He's told me how to do it
38:49safely so I can twiddle
38:50the hand round.
38:51To hear it chime.
38:52If you want to hear it.
38:52Yes, please.
38:53Yeah?
39:06Isn't that stunning?
39:09And again, just subtle.
39:11It's not overpowering.
39:14It's just so gentle.
39:16Keep it wound up.
39:18Keep it going.
39:19But most importantly,
39:20just keep enjoying it.
39:21Oh, yeah.
39:21This historic clock, gifted from
39:28Lady Scott to Kirsty's great-grandfather
39:31is keeping time once more
39:33and will hopefully spark some
39:35precious memories for Kirsty's mum.
39:38I'm just so looking forward to show mum
39:40that it is working,
39:42that it's been fixed
39:44and it's going to sit on the shelf again
39:46and pride the place.
39:47Will's back on the road to Ottawa
40:03to reunite bowling club president James
40:06with the sign that spent 40 years
40:08at the mercy of the Scottish weather.
40:11It's a big day.
40:12It really is because we're celebrating
40:14the centenary of the bowling club
40:16and I'm really excited to see
40:18what Ross has done with the sign.
40:19As the man himself arrives,
40:22hoping his work bores them over,
40:25the club members are gathering
40:26in eager anticipation.
40:28I'm feeling excited about seeing the sign again
40:30and what's been done to it.
40:33The sign was in such a bad condition
40:34it'd be great to see it restored.
40:37I'm really looking forward to seeing the work
40:38that's happened to the sign
40:39because I think it'd be quite good.
40:41I was hoping we can just bring new life into it
40:44like we've brought new life into the club itself.
40:47Well, thanks for all coming down today.
40:51This is Ross.
40:52Ross has been working on the sign for you.
40:54It's really great to be part of the community here
40:56and the fact that you're celebrating
40:58your 100th anniversary
40:59is quite a special thing.
41:01So, fingers crossed,
41:03you're happy with Ross' work.
41:05Are we all ready to see it?
41:06Yes!
41:06Yes!
41:08There we go.
41:09Oh, wow.
41:12Oh, look at that.
41:17Oh, that's really nice.
41:18Thank you very much for that.
41:20Thank you very much.
41:21Good news.
41:23Ross, do you want to explain exactly what you've done?
41:25Yeah, so decided to lightly sand it
41:28and then seal it to stop it getting any worse.
41:31Mixed all the colours
41:32and repainted everything back in on top.
41:35Added the 2025 banner
41:37and put some gold leaf on the hands.
41:41Yeah, well done, Ross.
41:46Well, I know how much this club means to you, James,
41:48and the impact that it's had on you over the years.
41:52I mean, it's a fantastic place.
41:53Because it's more than just bowls, isn't it?
41:55It's community, family,
41:57and it's a great place to talk as well.
41:59And we'll continue doing that now
42:01and we'll have someone to symbolise it with.
42:07Right, oh, Stefan, take a look.
42:08Take a look.
42:13Feeling excited and proud
42:15that we've managed to preserve a piece of history.
42:18It's a fantastic job that Ross has done with the sign
42:20and it'll get displayed with pride in the club.
42:24My favourite thing's the handshake
42:25because it symbolises the friendship
42:27that we have throughout the bowling community.
42:31Thank you so much for having us back
42:33and we're thrilled that you like the sign.
42:36A little golden handshake.
42:38That's how you do it.
42:39Who wants a game of bowls?
42:40Hey, come on.
42:46What a turnout.
42:48It really shows off what this is all about here.
42:51Community.
42:52It means so much to James
42:53and everyone loved the sign.
42:56Actually, I think I'm up.
43:00If you'd like to see more fantastic fixes and restorations,
43:04search BBC iPlayer for The Repair Shop on the road.
43:08But it wasisk and horror,
43:10but it was nearly as moat if not.
43:20See you next time.
43:26Bye.
43:26Bye.
43:27Bye.
43:29Bye.
43:30Bye.
43:31Bye.
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