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Pig In A Poke Turns Into A Diamond In The Rough, A Large Coticule Restoration

timwcic

"Look what I found"
This project started like most of my acquisition, at the flea market. Finding a BBW at the market is not uncommon, but finding a 11 x 3, well that does not happen everyday. Now to put it to use, where am I going to find a unbonded Coticule of the same size. That will be tough at the market. I didn’t want it to gather dust so I did something I almost never do, went shopping on EBay. Searched around all the stuff and found this 11 x 2.75 inch mounted in a paddle. It appeared to be in rough shape but priced like prime beef. Luckily the seller agreed it had various issues and worked with me, accepting a price so if the whole protect went sideways, my pain would be minimal. Unpacked upon arrival and looking over this rock, thinking this doesn’t look to bad. Got it out of the paddle and discovered it is bonded to a purplish BBW. What looked to be cracked and out of alignment, was in much better condition than thought. All is solid and just needs a good cleaning and lapping. I does have a wallow that need to go. It would not need to be rebonded to the BBW at all. I think it was bonded with natural resin and was showing signs of a rough life. Filled in some voids on the side with epoxy. The manganese lines needed a drink of CA glue. Now the worst part, lapping. At the ends, 30 mm and 25 in the center. It took some work, it is uncommonly hard, but under all the funk is a Les Lat/hybrid beauty. Finished off at a 24 mm thickness. The surface under blade has a velvet smooth, low grit feedback. Definitely a razor quality finisher. Need to use more, but I will enjoy this stone. Now that it all done, I still have a large BBW to put to use

What I had to start with

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timwcic

"Look what I found"
You always do a bang up job with regards to salvaging and making good again problem and seemingly forgotten stones.
Really well done!!

Thank you. It will live to hone again. I was expecting a big, broken mess. It was a pleasant surprise discovering it just needed a cleaning and tune up
 

timwcic

"Look what I found"
Brilliant work TIM!!!! Wonderful looking stone!

Beautiful stone. Like everyone I was watching it (think I sent the link to david too), but with the apparent crack, wasn't going to take the chance. Nice work.

Thank you both the comments. I first started looking at it when I got the big BBW to epoxy the broken pieces on top of. Glad it did not come to it. The price was holding up the project. Thinking as you, the price was high for what looked like a mess. Glad I did not cause a international incident with the negotiations on price. Offer, counter offer, counter-counter, counter- counter-counter and so on until we were both worn out but smiling. When I find some time this winter and a worthy piece of wood, I am going to make a box for it patterned after the mythical Bausch & Lomb ten inch Thuri with a five inch rub stone. That will be a fun project
 
I saw that stone too and thought o myself its more than I want to take on trying to bring it back to life and the metamorphosis is night and day from start to finish! Its a beauty now and I congratulate you!
 
Great job @timwcic! I was just looking at your restoration job on that giant 13" llyn idwal and sitting in awe. I've been trying to find info on them since I broke mine out yesterday. You turned a rock into a gem in both instances, right fine craftsmanship sir.
 

timwcic

"Look what I found"
I saw that stone too and thought o myself its more than I want to take on trying to bring it back to life and the metamorphosis is night and day from start to finish! Its a beauty now and I congratulate you!

Great job @timwcic! I was just looking at your restoration job on that giant 13" llyn idwal and sitting in awe. I've been trying to find info on them since I broke mine out yesterday. You turned a rock into a gem in both instances, right fine craftsmanship sir.

Again, a big thank you to both of you. I am really happy to be its caretaker for a while until I pass it on

I remember the day I rescued the LI. I almost did not buy. I was tried and cranky, did not want to carry the weight at the end of the day. As a walked away, the green color was bouncing around in my head until I went back and put it in my bag. Glad I did. It in my bakers dozen of favorite finishers
 
Again, a big thank you to both of you. I am really happy to be its caretaker for a while until I pass it on

I remember the day I rescued the LI. I almost did not buy. I was tried and cranky, did not want to carry the weight at the end of the day. As a walked away, the green color was bouncing around in my head until I went back and put it in my bag. Glad I did. It in my bakers dozen of favorite finishers

Green is my favorite color and color of m my wife's eyes(kinda, hazel) so any pretty green stone gets my attention. Mine was silver backed by black and the box was literally crumbling(hardwood too) so the stone, or at least the box, was really old. I was completely underwhelmed when I first tried it. I was using the same torque I would were I using a very well smoothed out hard ark. It seems my stone likes a feather touch as opposed to a Swedish massage, but with that feather touch it's very fast. It behaved as if I leaned into an india stone too much with an already pristine edge. Anyway I do love seeing your flea market finds and the artisanship of your restorations, your threads with your step by step help a lot(also helps me some in a professional capacity too so, damn). I find the problem with playing the mystery stone game is that when you really score great it just means that a search for a labelled whatever-it-is has began. Either way, fun times....
 
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