This is the Spurn Lightship, built in 1927 and served on the River Humber (England) for nearly 50 years. When decommissioned she was bought by the council, restored and is being readied for opening to the public in the Hull Marina in Spring 2025.
I was asked by the Hull Maritime Museum to restore the ship's wheel, so here we go -
1. The wheel before restoration
2. I was nervous of the structural integrity of the spoke handles as it's almost a hundred years old. The wheel was therefore suspended on a steel bar between two tables to minimise handling. Liquid stripper was used and scrubbed off with coarse wire wool -
3. Oh, for the days when you could buy good stripper, the kind that would remove skin. These days everything is waterbased and it did not touch some of the varnish after four hours. Two days of gentle scraper work got rid of it, but I was careful to not take it back too far and still retain some of the battle scars -
4. Back on the bar for sanding -
5. Oil based stain, mid Teak -
6. My worst fears were realised. In rotating the wheel while coating one of the handles seemed loose. A gentle waggle and off it came. The fix was to glue in some 15mm dowel. Good as new -
7. Shining up the brass -
8. Three coats of gloss yacht varnish, black enamel on the central boss and she's all done -
A most enjoyable project, I was honoured to be asked and the museum curators were pleased with it. I wonder what next year will bring?
I was asked by the Hull Maritime Museum to restore the ship's wheel, so here we go -
1. The wheel before restoration
2. I was nervous of the structural integrity of the spoke handles as it's almost a hundred years old. The wheel was therefore suspended on a steel bar between two tables to minimise handling. Liquid stripper was used and scrubbed off with coarse wire wool -
3. Oh, for the days when you could buy good stripper, the kind that would remove skin. These days everything is waterbased and it did not touch some of the varnish after four hours. Two days of gentle scraper work got rid of it, but I was careful to not take it back too far and still retain some of the battle scars -
4. Back on the bar for sanding -
5. Oil based stain, mid Teak -
6. My worst fears were realised. In rotating the wheel while coating one of the handles seemed loose. A gentle waggle and off it came. The fix was to glue in some 15mm dowel. Good as new -
7. Shining up the brass -
8. Three coats of gloss yacht varnish, black enamel on the central boss and she's all done -
A most enjoyable project, I was honoured to be asked and the museum curators were pleased with it. I wonder what next year will bring?