Dome’s historic fabric,” Abriata said. Once completed, the parts are shipped back to D.C. to be rein- stalled on the Dome. Among the Capitol Domes cast
iron features are 288 balusters in the boiler plate balcony, 72 80-lb. decorative acorns, and 36 grape clus- ters. Structurally, the Dome features 36 hollow cast iron columns set 10 degrees apart around the 360-degree circle and 12 iron columns in the “Tholos” section. Fourteen overlap- ping cast-iron plates make up one section of the curved cupola of the Dome. For the cracked cast iron plates,
workers are using “Dutchman” and “lock-and-stitch” techniques to repair on-site. More than 12,800 in. of cracked iron will be repaired. In the lock-and-stitch technique, work- ers drill the cracks and install special pins and a locking mechanism. As the pins are tightened, the cast iron plates are pulled—or stitched— together. In the Dutchman tech- nique, damaged areas are removed and filled in with new material.
Up to 14 layers of paint, some of which was lead-based, covered the U.S. Capitol Dome and hid detailed features of the ornamentation. After removing the paint, workers will re-apply three new layers to the architecture.
Before any repairs were made,
workers removed up to 14 layers of paint—some of which was lead- based. After the repairs are com- plete, 1,215 gallons of paint will be used to repaint the Dome. The final
top coat color is “Dome White.” Restoration of the Dome’s exte-
rior is scheduled to be completed this winter and should provide another 50 years of protection from the elements.
Some of the basket-ball sized decorative acorns needed to be recast. Thirty-six of these acorns face-up on the Dome, 36 face down. June 2015 MODERN CASTING | 27
Photo provided by: Architect of the Capitol
Photo provided by: Architect of the Capitol
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