The flame

Preheating done, the flame moves slowly across its target, boiling like a tornado: the process is like painting, but instead of applying, its withdrawing.

Licking into all the nooks and crannies,the damaged peeling from the surface, consuming all the dross: leaving an alligator skin charr behind. 

The beauty is underneath: sure it can be left like that, the charr is a protective skin.

But clean them up, give them a brush - what beauties are within!

Give them a drink of oil, thinned to the right amount, with added driers: slap the stuff about:

Be amazed as the hardwood drinks it in; rub off the excess:

restoration win.

Old beams, had their days of glory, so it seemed?

But here they are again, ready for work, with all their bumps from bruises; revived, for another flirt...

Looking rather fine; not a splinter out of place.

The smile on my face tells me they'll survive...

The flame giving them new life.