Today the clock was delivered to its home for the next three months whilst restoration takes place. The shipments of parts dismantled last week arrived palletised and sheathed in bubble-wrap. The first task was to strip off the wrapping to check that all of the parts were present and make an assessment of condition.
The Cobweb Water Wheel arrives.
Corrosion on the Water Wheel.
Sixteen Butterflies but not all survive.
During the morning visits were made to a powder coating company to discuss the practicalities of colour-coating the main structural frame and Cobweb Water Wheel and the best waterproof treatment to be carried out in advance of coating. It was decided that galvanising remained the most likely treatment for the frame following the fabrication work to restore its missing parts but that zinc plating would be the most appropriate way to protect the more delicate structure of the Water Wheel.
Powder coating booth with water curtain.
The second shipment of parts included the main frame which was delivered directly to the blasters to allow the stripping of the frame back to bare metal. Whilst there it was realised that the circular steel disc that supported the central control box hadn't been repainted and still sported its original green paint. Samples were taken to allow identification of the exact colour for the powder coating and paint finishes.
The main structural frame.
Evidence of the original colour.
A meeting of the volunteers was arranged for the late afternoon and sections of the clock were assigned to each. By taking 'ownership' of elements of the clock the volunteers can carry out restoration work separately with processes such as soda blasting orchestrated by the Project Coordinator John Cox. Pete Dexter stripped out the central control box so that it could receive its blasting and painting treatment whilst the control gear received attention.
The Control Box is stripped.
And control gear taken apart for attention.
The base of the Sunflower on its bench.
The sunflower petals are going to be taken apart for thorough cleaning and repainting of the steel brackets. The copper petals will be soda-blasted and polished before re-assembly and the whole will receive a spray lacquer coating to preserve their lustre.
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