Restorations
Josh: Intro copy goes here regarding all restoration work and specifics regarding this grouping of work, such as…
We restore historic statues, cast items for architectural renovations, offer moldmaking, casting, welding, sandblasting, finishing, and re-patina.
PATINA
David Henderson
Upper Iowa University | Fayette, Iowa
In the early ’90s, Max-Cast replicated this heroic scale 1902 statue of David Henderson, speaker of the U.S. House, for Upper Iowa University. When workers cleaned the brickwork on the library there, they spilled TSP on it making for black streaks on its original verdigris patina.
Upper Iowa decided a warm brown patina would suit the statue better, so once the stained green was removed, a ferric patina was applied.
Chief Keokuk
Keokuk, Iowa
MISSING PARTS
General Samuel Curtis
Keokuk, Iowa
Gen. Samuel Curtis commanded Federal troops at the battle of Pea Ridge, AR. He also served as mayor of Keokuk, IA. The equestrian monument dates from the beginning of the last century and has suffered from vandalism and neglect.
Bit and reins were gone as well as the saber’s scabbard, stirrups and leathers. Water had condensed, pooled and frozen in the two raised legs, deforming and cracking the bronze.
Missing parts were cast or fabricated, cracks welded shut, weep holes added and corrosion removed before the piece was finally given its fresh new ferric nitrate patina.
Once all that was done, it was hauled back to Keokuk and where we helped reinstall it. While there, we refinished and re-patinaed the piece’s plaques.
Spirit of the American Doughboy
Appleton, Wisconsin
Spirit of the American Doughboy was a cast zinc commercial statue installed in 1936 in Appleton, WI. It was hit by a car, badly damaged and poorly repaired. Concrete was poured into its legs leading to further freeze-thaw damage. Its copper plating made for severe pitting due to electrolysis . It took a lot of wax and bronze work to get this soldier looking his best.
Installing the finished bronze replica in Appleton.
On the left, zinc original staggering on ill restored legs. Shiny new bronze WWI soldier strides through barbed wire.
Nile Kinnick
Nile Kinnick, University of Iowa | Iowa City, Iowa
We noticed this heroic statue swaying in the wind when we were cleaning and re-waxing it. The U of Iowa Engineering people were notified and they had Max-Cast reinforce the base with 3/8″ silicon bronze plate. The thin plate it stood on would eventually have fatigued and cracked. A potentially nasty incident was headed off.
REPAIRING BROKEN PARTS
BRONZE DISEASE
- Patinas See Henderson Upper Iowa U. & Chief Keokuk, Keokuk, IA
- Missing parts: See Civil War statues missing rifles, reins, sabre, stirrups etc on Gen Curtis
- Repairing broken parts; I’ll try to dig up pictures of various busted statues. and smaller stuff we’ve repaired (Little Water boy in Iowa Falls) (Derecho smashed GAR statue in Marion)
- Bronze disease: something we have yet to deal with. very insidious on going chemical reaction mostly in tin bronze not applicable to silicon bronze, the alloy we use.