Thanks for your input Courtney.
To response to your "thought", I have been in possession of the item for several decades now, during which time it has simply lurked in a dark corner of my shed.
Years ago, I saw a similar item which had been cleaned up, polished to a beautiful finish and mounted on a block of solid beech wood. It looked fantastic !
Rather that having it continue its sad little existence in the back of my shed, I thought I would follow suit.
The prospect of it gracing a shelf in my living room and the possibility of the conversations raised by it's presence were the reasons I chose to "vandalise" the item.
I of course, take issue with the term "vandalise"
El G.