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Repainting Hawker’s Bridge
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CATCH and Wincanton Town Council arrange to re-paint Hawker’s Bridge…
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…as this main approach into the town was clearly in need of a fresh coat of paint.
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The first task is to strip off the old paintwork…
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…and get down to clean metal in preparation.
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Even with the aid of a generator to operate power tools…
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This is a long and arduous job in itself …
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…requiring a lot of volunteer manpower.
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A harness and safety equipment is required for working on the outside of the bridge, lest anyone fall in the Cale!
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Breathing in paint and metal dust is also harmful, hence the need for protective masks.
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It ended up requiring two evenings of work, but eventually…
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The bare metal frame is exposed, ready for the new paint job.
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Although bare metal can be attractive, it also corrodes, and will need heavy duty paint to protect it from the elements.
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For some reason, although the colour of choice for the bridge is jet black …
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…the undercoat which is required is a vivid red.
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On the morning of 16th July, CATCH, Council members, and volunteers assemble.
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The information stand is on display for interested passers by …
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…and road traffic is asked to take care on the bridge.
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Good quality paint means it covers well and quickly…
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…but it’s a large bridge, and railings on both sides need painting.
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So the more people turn up to help the better!
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Some parts of it require awkward positioning…
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…and some of the rear part is only accessible from the outside parapet.
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Thankfully, we still have a harness. Safety first!
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The morning progresses and gradually the metal turns red…
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Slow but steady progress.
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Warm weather helps, as the paint will dry more quickly.
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And it makes the job less onerous if you don’t have to wear raincoats!
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The undercoat is complete.
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Time for some refreshments while it dries!
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And so the job of applying topcoat begins…
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….turning the bridge slowly from red to black.
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Thanks to the many people who turned out to help, the job is finished within one day…
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…and the final result is, in fact, rather impressive.
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We just need to protect people from the paint until it dries.
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Congratulations everybody! A job well done!
