The Workshop Lewes

Fine gold is so soft that only very thick rings work. This one is very thick – welded at the back – so it only has gold in it.

I was given a beautiful 19th century mechanical box to repair. This is a video of its mechanism which makes the bird tweet melodiously.

If you have any ornate automata like this that you need repaired, please contact us.

Bird box automaton, 2 of 3 from TheWorkshopLewes on Vimeo.

Bird box automaton, 3 of 3 from TheWorkshopLewes on Vimeo.

Starting with a square diamond, the shank gradually transforms to end with a section formed around a triangluar diamond.

I made up a steel punch and hammered it all around the shank to make it look like two cords lying side by side.

I gave this a little twist, so it looks as if it’s enjoying itself.