“Books of a Feather” by Dixie Friend Gay

    • Mosaic

Fall 2022

The original steel feathers of the far right bird (red) that had been removed were beyond repair and were replaced with newly fabricated stainless steel feathers matching the original design. They were approved by the artist and now included a support rod. The post hole located on the forehead of the bird was cleaned using a machine powered stainless steel wire brush then filed down using a rotary sander to prepare the surface for welding. The new feathers were attached by inserting the support rods through the post hole, then welded together while covering the surrounding area with a welding blanket to prevent any damage to the sculpture from slag discharge. Once secure, the feathers were bowed back to match the original intent of the artist.

All three birds were then cleaned and rinsed. Areas of calcification on the center bird found along the steel legs and around the undersides of the body were treated using a calcium dissolving agent and scrubbed using stainless steel brushes, followed by a rinsing with fresh water. Areas with heavy amounts of calcification were treated using a drill with a plastic brush attachment. Tiles that developed a hazy film from rainwater run-off were polished.

The grout of the sculptures were treated with an artist-approved color enhancing sealer applied using paint brushes to protect from any water seepage. After sealing, any missing grout around tiles was refilled using a new siliconized grout that matched the color. Finally, the top feathers on the middle bird were sanded and painted with a hunter green semi-gloss enamel.

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