Things are on schedule with the Lincoln Statue. We are getting closer to installing it on the grounds of the Dayton VA.
Sculptor Mike Major says that the statue is now at the foundry, Coopermill Bronzeworks, in Zanesville. Here’s Mike’s update about what will happen next: “We are on schedule for completing the statue in March or early April. The chair will be cast first and it is in the “shell” stage at this time. This involves dipping the wax rendition of the many parts of the chair in ceramic (silicone ceramic). There will be numerous dipping steps for each piece with drying time in between layers. Next the wax is burnt out and the molten bronze (2,000 degrees) is poured into the ceramic void. The shell is removed and the bronze is cleaned. The pieces will all be welded together to make the bronze chair. The figure of Lincoln will follow the same steps with about 15 different parts of the figure. Casting in smaller segments makes the project more manageable since the molten bronze is poured out of crucibles that hold 250 pounds or less, handled typically by two or three people. The final sculpture will weigh over 1,000 pounds.
