Another reason is that it conserves on wood, the third reason for the hollow body is it prevents checking and cracking, which is inevitable in a solid wood body. The finishing process begins with two heavy coats of primer, hand sanding between each coat, then two more coats of acrylic enamel. To finish off the painting, two more coats of color are added. The final step includes any gold leafing, and finally, the jewels are set in place. The carousel animal has become extremely popular as people try to preserve a piece of history.
Customers display the animals in different parts of their homes.
Fred and Dave also do carved and gold-leafed signs for the home or business. They have expanded into carved pieces for the home such as mantles, bedheads and wall hangings. Their work has even been extended to include restoration work on antique pieces.