Civil War Canon

The Civil War Canon in Arsenal Park in the Lawrenceville neighborhood of Pittsburgh, PA was extremely degraded and likely had never been restored. An inscription on the canon reads: “IX IN SHELL GUN Richmond 1855 Fired 1681 rounds”.  The black alkyd paint layer on the cast steel canon was graffitied, degraded, flaking and abraded.  The bore of the cannon was packed with garbage and debris. The masonry carriage beneath was also dirty, crumbling and stained with biological growth, atmospheric soiling and mortar efflorescence.  

Working on-site, the metal surface was prepared by sandblasting with an air-abrasion unit. Medium grained, angular silica was used to clean the metal and the stone and impart sufficient blast profile for application of industrial coats and sealants.  

A two-part, water-based, zinc-rich industrial primer formulated for partially prepped steel was applied by HVLP sprayer.  After priming, several coats of semi-gloss black, aliphatic urethane were applied by HVLP sprayer.  The bore of the canon was cleared of debris and coated with the industrial paint system. The stone carriage was sealed with saturating coats of a silane-based masonry hardener/sealant.

Client:  Office of Public Art and Civic Design of the City of Pittsburgh