Hanging a Mobile

Guidelines for hanging a mobile are currently being revised.

Measuring a Mobile

Guidelines for measuring a mobile are currently being revised.

General Guidelines for Restoration of Monumental Sculpture

The following procedures are the current guidelines recommended by the Calder Foundation for the restoration of painted surfaces on monumental sculptures by Alexander Calder. These suggestions do not apply to smaller sculptures made of sheet metal or wire, only for monumental works fabricated from steel plate.

For restoration, the entire sculpture should be completely disassembled by hand, taking care to mate the nuts and bolts. (A 3/4" plywood board, with a hole for each bolt, is a good way to keep the nuts and bolts mated, and a way to protect them from getting abraded or damaging their threads). In the case of a large sculpture that necessitates a crane for lifting an element or section, clean nylon straps or slings should be used. Clamps or "dogs" used by steel fabricators bite into the metal causing permanent marks and are not acceptable.

Carefully sand the surface paint down to smooth stable paint substrate or to the primer layer. For a complete restoration, paint can be removed with the use of a chemical stripper down to the base metal. Never remove paint by an abrasive method such as sand blasting or grinding, which removes and damages the metal. Please contact us regarding the treatment of degraded metal.

Spray-apply the sub-primer paint to each separate element of the sculpture including the nuts and bolts. (Mask the threads of the bolts, or paint them on the bolt boards described previously, so that the threads don't get gummed-up with paint). A brush application may be acceptable if the paint can be put on uniformly, although this method usually gives a wide variation in film thickness. Take care that all under-cuts and holes get completely covered. Spray-apply the primer paint and topcoat. Follow the manufacturer's guidelines for application and cure time.

Chase and tap the bolts so that they mate smoothly. Completely reassemble the sculpture. At each point of connection there are steel plates being bolted in contact. These areas need to be sealed against the infiltration of moisture. Apply a small amount of clear paintable silicon caulk to the top and side edges of the contact plate, leaving the bottom open for drainage and circulation. Make sure that the caulk is invisible. Use the least amount possible so that the caulk does not squeeze out and fill the seams, altering the geometry of the joint's profile. Caulk should also be applied to each bolt hole sparingly.

Spray-apply the finish paint in one final top-coat. The goal is to achieve a flat neutral surface without streaks or mars. Generally, finish paint applied with brushes or rollers does not achieve a proper surface.

For works that are often disassembled for traveling, we recommend the use of thin nylon or Teflon washers (see supply below) under each nut and bolt head which keeps the painted surface around the bolt holes from becoming scraped. These washers should be thin enough, about 3 mils., so that they do not noticeably set the nut and bolt heads away from the surface of the steel plate. The diameter of the washers should be slightly smaller than the dimension of the nut and bolt heads so that they are not visible when assembled.

The placement of a sculpture can drastically affect its condition. Tree droppings, excessive moisture or dampness, salt air, wind, etc. are some of the issues to be considered. Improper foundation, or none at all, can cause great damage to the sculpture. Additionally, some works were not intended or constructed to be exhibited outside. Consult with us regarding these questions when siting a sculpture.

3 Recommended Paint Systems:

Sub-primer:

Sherwin-Williams Zinc Clad II, no. B69V3

used with B6911 zinc dust inorganic zinc-rich

or

Rust-Oleum VOC inorganic no. V-5686

Keeler & Long Co-polymerized Silicone-Alkyd Enamel in flat finish,

NO.P3

Topcoat:

Keeler & Long Co-polymerized Silicone-Alkyd Enamel in flat finish,

NO.P3

Primer:

Tnemec F.C. Typoxy Series 27

Topcoat:

Tnemec Endura-Shield Series 175

Clearcoat:

Tnemec Endura Clear Series 76 (flat finish)

Sub-primer:

Sherwin-Williams Zinc Clad II, no. B69V3

used with B6911 zinc dust inorganic zinc-rich

or

Rust-Oleum VOC inorganic no. V-5686

Primer:

Rust-Oleum Industrial Enamel High-Performance Acrylic

no. 5269 (red) or no. 5281 (grey)

Topcoat:

Rust-O-Leum Industrial Enamel High-Performance Acrylic

Paint Supply Companies:

Keeler & Long, Inc (800) 238-8596

Tnemec (800) 848-4841

Sherwin Williams (800) 331-7979

Rust-Oleum (800) 323-3584, technical service (847) 816-2248

Nylon washers are available from:

McMaster-Carr Supply Co.

New Brunswick, NJ

(732) 329-3200