Staff writer
Renovation to the four faces of the Marion County Courthouse clock tower is rapidly approaching completion.
The last leg of the project started Monday with the west- facing clock dial when David Seay of Regulator Time Company and his team removed the temporary plywood cover from the opening and installed both the iron quarter sections and the glass face.
Seay said each iron quarter section weighs approximately 60 lbs.
“The glass is a different story,” Seay said. “Each quarter section weighs about 35 pounds but the center section is about 50 pounds.”
Seay and his team labeled the sections of each clock face because all four dials were originally handmade to fit each specific opening, which meant that every piece needed to go back exactly where it was before.
“There was a small situation with the dial that involved us having to remove the 9 10 11 12 section back out of the hole,” Seay said. “The bolt holes didn’t line up with the glass.”
Seay said the exterior of the glass portions were sandblasted to give clock faces a frosted appearance akin to look the tower had when it was originally constructed.
“It is not quite as light as the Plexiglas we removed,” Seay said. “But the faces will appear whiter during the day and have more of a glow at night.”
The half-inch glass Seay is installing will also be more sturdy that the than the Plexiglas he removed.
“It shouldn’t flex at all,” Seay said. “If it happens to break because of a bird or debris hitting it, the glass won’t fall apart.”
Seay estimated that it should take about a day to install each clock face.
He hopes have the project completed by Thursday or Friday, weather permitting.