The horse in between

Between projects and in stolen hours I've been working on something for myself. Last year I went to France with this idea that I would go to a flea market and find a 100-150-year-old toy horse at a reasonable price, and I would come home with a big stupid grin on my face. Bwah ha ha ha ha. Not.

What I found were merchants anticipating my arrival and the three horses I managed to find were so ridiculously expensive that I was stunned. And they weren't even the type of horse I wanted.

I wanted the horse shown below.

This old playground horse was the best horse I found. For several thousand dollars he could have been mine. I would have been over-joyed to bring this horse home. But alas.......

Much to my surprise, this old playground horse appeared on ebay. Should I do it? Hmmmmmm

Back home in Oregon I looked briefly on ebay, France's ebay, as well as Denmark's for a horse. But seriously? People were so (shock!) dishonest! My Made-in-Bali rocking horse was being touted as a 'Victorian antique' and listed from $999 to $3500. 

My Made-in-Bali rocking horse........ hmmmmmm.......... what if.............. I bet I could.........? And so I did.

The wheels were turning and I couldn't stop myself. I was imagining my horse getting older and older!

I was winging it. First I sprayed it white. Then I sprayed it black. Then I painted over it with Paris Grey chalk paint. Next time I'll paint after the carving is done.

Once the paint had dried, and armed with a mini belt sander and mini re-cip saw, I went to work. That crazy, carved mane was first. I sanded down as far as I could, then it was time for the saw. heh heh heh. Chunks flew everywhere. Big chunks! For being tiny, those tools have some real power.

There was almost two inches of wood to remove. I just kept at it with my mini-recip saw until the blades gave out. They kept bending, I kept straightening them out, over and over until they just pooped oit.

Almost there. I had to use a small triangle sander around the face. And in tight spots I used my mini belt sander. Have you seen them? They look like a Sander-on-a-Stick. Love that thing.

When I sanded the platform I found unexpected aqua paint.

 

Finally the wooden mane is gone. (I can't believe how much work that was!) I cut a trench down the back of the neck to hold the new mane.

For the new mane I used actual mane from my mini horses. This whole process wasn't as easy as I'd hoped. I had glue all over the mane and my fingers. it was a gooey mess. This old horse came close to having dreadlocks.

The circle is to remind you how much carving had to be removed so you can be awed by my tenacity!

I glued some burlap on and sanded it down to simulate the layers old horses have. I wasn't happy with the burlap, it was too prominent and made the horse look like a middle-ages war horse.

I tore most of it off.

Less is more. 

And, finally, the finished, deconstructed horse.

 

Before and after

Okay then. I now have my "antique" toy horse.

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