2015

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Winter weather always presents an excuse for distraction, particularly when the cold limits the removal of gloves.
Pictured here is a broken sixteen foot cast-iron column from a post Civil War iron storefront from St. louis.
Dean was at Becker Metals and they dumped an entire container of iron columns.
One storefront was late 1870's two dimensional Eastlake and nothing to write home about- especially if one already has a dozen.
It was pretty well broken up anyway. In the midst of this wreckage were two columns and a lentil.
The broken column is pictured above awaiting repair.

Fortunately it was a clean break and will nickel weld back together.
Prior to welding, a ten foot piece of allthread draws it back together. A piece can be seen in the background.
Dean was going to give this to Bruce at American Timber since it was such an exquisite example of 1860's early cast-iron.
On a whim, Dean measured the front entry.
With the lentil sitting on top of the colums, it fit both in height and width with a sixteenth of an inch to spare in either direction.
More FedEx from the gods.

Dean wire-brushed the intact column down to bare metal.

Here he has painted it in the midst of another round of snow.

Here's the painter they sent over from the hall, but without much motivation.

Here is a close up of the fluted Corinthian column with acanthus leaf capital.

And here it is sealed against the elements- again with more snow. (Nice contrast)

After the underwindow panel was installed, the window frame itself was rested in place so side panels could be fitted and affixed.
This 400 series stainless was miserable stuff to cut and even worse to drill.
If a drill was put to the stainless, it was so hard the point wouldn't grab, but would skitter around like a hog on ice.
Dean, very wisely at that point, took a center punch and put a dimple in the stainless for the drill to seat.
The drill seated and spun...and spun...and spun until it turned to mush.
Dean then got a solid carbide bit and tried that. It shattered. That's $40 down the tubes.
Unbeknownst to Dean, hitting the steel with a punch "work-hardened" it. In effect, forging it.
Thus making it so hard, it was "non-machineable" in machinist's parlance.
The trick was to start it with a tiny drill that was properly pointed and then graduate to a larger drill. Miserable stuff. But forever.

The side strips were then installed and then it was lag bolted with stainless bolts and washers all the way around.

Here is a completed panel (before cleaning obviously) with one window installed.

Here is a completed panel (before cleaning also) with two windows installed.
Dean installed the windows in a rush because it looked so good and was so gratifying.
However, he soon began to worry about dropping things from on high and have them rattle all the way to the ground.
Perhaps catch a pane of glass on the way down and undo a good week's work (plus cost a lot of money).
After that, he elected to leave windows out until the scaffold comes down.

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