Bucket 'N' Chucket

Up until about four years ago, there used to be a garage next door to where I live and I got on great with the owner and the staff there. When they closed down, I had had my eye on a couple of the old galvanised fire buckets with fitted lids, which were kept out the back so I asked if I could have them as I thought that they might come in handy for something at some point. They have been in my garden shed for the last 4 years, untouched, then the other day I suddenly had an idea as to a use I could put one of them – a ‘bucket and chucket’ for an engine ‘ole. Not for mine however as I already have one.

And so I set about it’s transformation, spending one weekend in the shed armed with an old wood chisel, a section of old broken machine saw blade, a kitchen knife (which Dawn does not know about, well she didn’t) and emery cloth and wet and dry. It took forever to remove the years of red paint, as the garage undertook paint spraying they must have repainted them every year for the last 50 years! In places the paint must have been hundreds of layers thick amounting to a layer of at least 2mm in places. After scraping off then smoothing out it was simply a case of painting. I think the pictures are fairly self explanatory without any need for descriptions in any Depth.

Fire bucket as retrieved from garden shed still with hundreds of layers of red paint

Bucket after much scraping and a scrubbing and finally down to the actual galvanised bucket!

The lid with the backgrounds for the roses, daises and leaves

The finished lid. (The words speak for themselves)

The sky and sea base for the background of a castle.

The sun rising over the mountains, clouds and land mass.

Trees, grass and of cause red tarmac!

Castle foundations, brick walls and a bridge.

Doors, windows, roof and flag.

These final two shots show the finished 'bucket 'n' chucket' hopefully it will take pride of place in someone's engine 'ole. As I have not told the person concerned yet or had chance to give the bucket to them I will keep it a secret for the moment, as I have made sure there are no hints!