RESTORATION STORIES

While no two projects are quite alike, here are examples of some examples of our favorite recent projects. You can see some of our capabilities in use.

Front Entrance Lanterns at John Marshall High School, Los Angeles

John Marshall High School was built in 1931 in the Los Feliz neighborhood of Los Angeles. Dozens of productions have used it as a shooting location, most famously the movies Raiders of the Lost Ark, Grease, and Sixteen Candles.

The 36" tall lanterns appear small here, but they are 20' in the air and the main tower is 5 stories tall.

There are two massive lanterns that flank the main entrance to the school. Each one is 100 pounds of bronze and glass. 36" tall and original to the school.

Once removed we assessed the structure and condition of the lanterns to assess the whole scope of the project.

The interior showed many signs of weather pushing dirt inside through broken panels and gaps in the frame.

The original construction method was soldering, but after nearly a century, the solder joints had failed and the roof was not weather tight. Here a small knife has no problem sinking into what should be a tight joint in the roof.

Here solder was peeled out as years of expansion and contraction in the LA sun caused it to no longer hold the roof together.

Many structural problems identified once glass panels removed. Note the open seams that were once solid.

Straightening and preparing to weld the roof panels.

The original method of assembly in 1931 was soldering but repaired were made using TIG welding with bronze, making the roof one solid piece.

One of the lights was missing the access door which allowed the bulb to be changed easily. Here we've cast a new door in silicon bronze using the one remaining original as a pattern.

New access door is trimmed on a mill to fit the opening.

Installation of the new access door.

Many tests of different chemical combinations to get the right color. Patina is dependent on the chemistry of the base metal.

Prep for patination includes sandblasting off all impurities down to bare bronze.

Preparing for patination.

Once the structural work is done, chemicals are applied that react with the bronze base metal, changing the color.

This project required matching old glass and replacing it with matching new glass to make the fixture watertight. We also converted the fixture to LED.

Reinstallation of the top finial once bolted onto the building.

A lift and a crew of four was required to put the lanterns back in place.

A huge 80' arm was required to lift the lanterns 20' in the air.

Filament Project Two

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Years of neglect and an inaccessable location caused damage and corrosion.

Preparing to weld the seams of the roof shut. Note empty joints missing original solder.

Installing the lanterns required a massive lift and multiple workers to bolt in place.

Here solder was peeled out as years of expansion and contraction in the LA sun caused it to no longer hold the roof together.