Serving New York For Over 25 Years
In April 2008, the New York Yankees and Skanska Construction Corporation hired Metal Man Restoration to restore two of baseball’s most storied tributes: the Babe Ruth Plaza and Lou Gehrig Plaza plaques. Cast in the mid-to-late 1940s to honor the Yankee legends, the bronze plaques are displayed at the Bronx County Courthouse and Babe Ruth Plaza. After decades on public display, they needed expert conservation to recover their original finish and detail.
When the plaques arrived at our shop, they were so caked in old paint, dirt, and grime that they were first mistaken for cast iron. A closer inspection revealed solid bronze beneath the buildup. That kind of obscuring layer is common with older outdoor bronze: airborne pollutants, well-meaning coats of paint, and ordinary weathering dull the surface and flatten the crisp lettering and relief that give a plaque its character.
The damage was not only cosmetic. One of the Lou Gehrig Plaza plaques was missing its bronze ball, and several pieces needed structural and cosmetic repair before any refinishing could begin.
Metal Man Restoration returned the plaques to their original statuary bronze finish and sealed them with a protective polyurethane clear coating. The work moved in stages, the same disciplined sequence we follow on historic bronze of any scale.
First, we carefully stripped away the old paint, grime, and failed coatings without abrading the underlying metal or the cast detail. With the bronze exposed, we completed the repairs the plaques required: welding, replacing hardware with original-style bronze bolts, and fabricating a new bronze baseball to replace the missing piece on the Lou Gehrig plaque.
Next came the finish. A statuary finish is not paint. It is a patina applied chemically to the bronze to develop a deep, even tone that reads as authentic and ages gracefully, exactly the look these plaques carried when they were first installed. To protect that finish outdoors, we sealed each plaque with a polyurethane clear coat that shields the metal from moisture, UV, and pollutants while keeping the bronze legible for visitors.
Properly refinished, repaired, and coated, the Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig plaques are protected against the elements and ready to stand as historic monuments for years to come.
At Metal Man Restoration LLC, we understand the importance of metal restoration projects.
That’s why we offer our customers the unique opportunity to Ask The Metal Man – our team of experienced craftspeople who are dedicated to answering any questions you may have about refinishing, painting and staining, polishing, plating, electroplating, chandelier/lighting restoration, and more.
Contact us today for more information! Let’s get your metal restoration project started – Ask The Metal Man now!
