Replacing A Finial

Appearing in Spring 1974 issue of The Punch Press Published by the Sheet Metal Industry Fund of San Diego and Imperial Counties

Ace Sheet Metal Works of Lemon Grove completed a sheet metal project recently on a home located at 24th & J in San Diego, replacing a 26 copperloy or cornice metal finial weighing 20 pounds. The home owned by Rev. Robert Stevens was built in the first administration of President Grover Cleveland at a cost in those days of $5,000.00. To illustrate how times have changed since 1887, Charlie Foltz of Ace Sheet Metal Works noted that the current work took 67-1/2 and cost the owner approximately $800.00. Of course, records show that the rate for carpenters doing the original work was 45 cents an hour and the mechanics worked six days a week, ten hours each day.

Foltz fabricated the finial in his company shop with sheet metal mechanics using 26 galvanized new bonderized metal. The bearing on the weathervane was a boulder or shooter type marble.

For the confused, a finial is a terminal form at the top of a spire, gable, gatepost, pinnacle or other point of relative height.

Photos by Don Troxler