Restoration of small rocking horse.

[ghexton]

Restoration of small rocking horse.

Looking to renovate the small rocking horse below for my daughters 1st Birthday.
https://ibb.co/5c9Gktp
https://ibb.co/cQNnHgZ
https://ibb.co/dQb4qP9

Plan is to sand down all timber and seal?
Any idea for sealing? Bees wax?
Touch up face with some paint.

Now the hard bit, the tail and mane?
I dont have a clue on what to do here. Did think about washing and leaving as it is?
However i still think it will look tatty.
My other thought was to try and pull/ drill out all hair, restore holes best i can and get and mop head and try and stick the threads in with super glue?

Please chip in with ideas? need to get cracking as July is fast approaching.
Thanks
GH

[nickdub]

My advice would be to do as little as possible if you are looking to sell it, unless you can find someone who really knows what they are up to to advise you - more likely to make it worth less rather than more. A good wash down with soapy water and a sponge trying not to get it very wet and a dry off outside in the fresh air would be stage 1.

Beeswax BTW, although it is good for bringing out the colour of wood, will get on to the clothes of a kid who played with the horse if you use that.

[ghexton]

Hello Nickdub,

Nope not looking to sell, its looking to be played with. I hope.
Noted on bees wax, i will use something else.

Thanks.

[burnie]

I use Bri wax on all things wooden, once dry and polished with a cloth it does not come off, it soaks into the wood. I would bin the tail and buy something synthetic

[nickdub]

Doing it for your self makes sense - I'd say the most awkward bit will be the "hair" - either do a Google and find something you like the look of or post the same query on a site where more people do toy restoration - bound to be a few standard materials people use.

[Can the Man]

Maybe you could buy a coloured wig in a fancy dress shop. (After all this Coronavirus is over off course)

[Jungle Jane]

Do you think it would be easier to sow something onto the tail & mane that are already there,or weave something into it?

[ghexton]

Hello All,

Thank for the advice below, please see images below from this weekends graft.
Wiped down, sanded plus a little haircut.

https://ibb.co/sjzbhMF

https://ibb.co/NmFMQPz
trimmed these and going to leave them, depening how tail goes.

https://ibb.co/LrxVsyF
butchered this a little planing on cutting a bigger hole 32mm to hopefully make a tidier hole for the tail. which i am going to try make out of grey knitting yarn wrapped around card.

Next step is to sharpie the black face detail back on (presume this is better to do before waxing) and then give few coats of Colron Refined Beeswax Natural 400g. I went with this because it was all i could get my hands while shopping for nappies, and i really want a natural effect.

https://www.wilko.com/en-uk/colron-r...400g/p/0289141

[roitelet]

Well done, looking good! Don’t forget to show us the finished article.

[nickdub]

Looking like a bang up job to me - well done.

[Scarlet]

I think it's so beautiful and she will treasure that.
I'm not sure a sharpie for the eyes would be the right thing. They often bleed into wood and you may get fuzzy edges - especially
If the grain is raised. You could paint it or even use a cut out transfer after you've waxed it.

[ghexton]

Thanks for all the wonderful comments


Before:
https://ibb.co/0y4VNVH

After:
https://ibb.co/JKrVwZn

Not bad for £15 from recrimination yard. I would like to do the mane in the same style as the tail but ive not got the patience to drill out the old stubs of hair and try and glue new bunches in. I did think about trying to dye or colour it in, but again im not sure if that will work. Who knows another month of lock down and i may well try. If any one has any ideas please feel free to share.

Thanks.

[nickdub]

Rocky looks ready for a race or gymkhana :-)

[roitelet]

Beautiful!!!

[Aberdeenplotter]

Looks great. Huge improvement.