Yearly Archives: 2013
Masonic Centre Carved Lettering
Every year for the last 13 years I have been incise carving the new names and dates of the current masters to their appropriate lodge boards. Throughout this whole time I have been dealing with the steward Jack and his wife Claire. During my last visit in April Jack informed me that both of them are retiring. It has been an absolute pleasure working with Jack and his wife Claire and they have always been very accommodating with what I require to carry out the carving on site. I hope they both have a fulfilled and happy retirement. Best wishes for the future Mark
Read MoreRestoration Joinery
These pair of seventy year old solid English oak gates were in need of some sympathetic restoration to the bottom rails and styles . Wet rot had seriously damaged the bottom rails and to such an extent had caused structural failure to the mortise and tenon joints at the bottom of the styles. I was left with no choice but to completely replace the bottom rails with air dried oak and then scarf joint new sections onto the ends of the styles with hidden Oak pins used to strengthen the joints . New mortise and tenons were made exactly how the old ones were formed using oak dowels that were draw bored to pull up the shoulders of the tenons. The ends of the tongue and groove boarding had to re-fixed with stainless steel screws that had been counterbored first and Oak pellets inserted over the top of the screws and cleaned off flush. The gates were extremely well made seventy years ago and all the joinery restoration work I carried out was done using the same traditional methods. The gates are constructed from 60mm thick solid English Oak and are over 6ft high and wide each gate which makes them immensely heavy […]
Read MoreCabinet making, Wood carving & Gilding
Just finished a commission for a private client who wanted a solid Mahogany folding table top for his boat. The timber I used was African Mahogany from sustainable forests. For stability the centre section of the top was made up from two pieces of timber using the biscuit joint method and all ends of the table top leaves were cross banded again for stability but also hides the end grain so it is aesthetically better. I chose to use a PU adhesive in the joinery construction as it is impervious to salt water, chemicals and extreme temperature ranges. I then hand carved the name of the boat with incised lettering to the centre of the table top. After I had completed the carving I proceeded to oil gild the incised work with 23½ ct gold leaf. This has a stunning effect with the lustrous hue of the Mahogany and is complimentary to the solid brass hinges. The surface finish that I used is a tabletop hard wax oil and I applied a minimum of five coats all over. My clients were over the moon with the finished product which makes me extremely happy as I take great pride in my work.
Read MoreWood carver honoured to be invited back
I have just completed a recent commission in one of London’s prestigious institutions where I was invited to return to carve and gild incised letters to the clients Roll of Honours Board. It’s been a few years since my last visit but it’s always a pleasure to work on such prominent and historical projects. I look forward to being invited again. Then back to the workshop to complete a pair of Rococo Scrolls ready for the client to collect.
Read MoreCarvers & Gilders is online.
Carvers & Gilders are very proud to announce that we are now have a digital presence. The new bespoke website really helps explain the tailor made services on offer. The new website has been crafted by a creative design agency in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk. The site design displays the excellence and array of services that Mark Bridges Carvers & Gilders Ltd has to offer. The new website has only just been launched so feel free to peruse our different services and start planning the perfect project for the New Year! We can’t wait to hear from you, please feel free to get in touch to discuss your requirements.
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