Raising the roof.

After removing the copper sheet metal cladding from four sides of the cupola base, the support columns were cut loose from the main roof. The cupola had been secured to the roof with large nails driven through the wooden support framing into the main roof deck and rafters.
A framework of new lumber  was then bolted to the cupola framing and the whole structure was lifted by crane off the building and onto a waiting flat bed trailer.

Copper cupola damage.

A closer view of the top section of the cupola. Much of the damage occurred at the top of the cupola along the raised seam covers and ornamental fixtures. The ornaments, or crockets, likely blew off and were lost and not replaced. Subsequent roofers covered the seams with copper sheet metal strips and fastened them in place with steel screws and framing nails.

Cleaning the cupola.

The size of the cupola made it necessary to work on the structure in the drive of my house as it was much too tall to place in the warehouse.
The ornamental spire was already loose and had been removed prior to  transport to minimize accidental damage. The side louvers have been removed along with the copper ornamental columns. Eighty years of pigeon droppings and nesting now had to be scraped out and the whole structure was power washed.

Crimped copper roof panels.

After the old copper was removed we found areas of decking near the bottom edge of the roof that had been damaged from leaks in the seams and had begun to rot. There were also a few rafters that needed additional repairs and the deteriorated roof boards were removed and replaced.
New copper drip edging and crimped copper sheet metal (the copper sheet was run through a crimping machine that adds slight ridges for additional strength) was fabricated and installed to fit the separate dome sections.

Copper roof skirt.

Close up picture of the lower edge of the dome roof. Sometimes called a flared edge or a skirt, it creates a larger overhang to protect the structure below.
The lower roof edges take a lot of abuse from the weather, they were stiffened by running the crimps vertically and then lock seamed and soldered. The copper seam is folded together and hammered flat, then the solder is "sweated" through the seam, and finished with a beaded layer of solder.
The curved roof panel seams are bent up vertically off the roof, one side folded up and over the other, then secured with copper rivets.

Soldered roof panels and seam caps.

Roof panels soldered and round seam caps installed. After the lower flared edges are soldered at the corners, the roof panels are installed, locked to the lower edging and soldered. The panels vertical seams have been bent up and locked together at the corners and then riveted. A round / tubular seam cap is now hand fabricated out of sheet copper. Flat sheet metal strips are hammered and formed into a circular tube then stretched to conform to the dome roof radius curves. These seam covers are secured to the panel ribs with stainless steel screws and will then be reinforced by soldering small sections of the cover to the roof. The covers are then capped at the ends with stamped copper tube fittings soldered to the copper tubes.

Copper Cupola Crockets

Ornamental stamped copper crockets installed on seam caps. In gothic architecture these roof ornaments were often carved from wood and stone and would decorate the angles and peaks of churches and large buildings. The original crockets on this cupola were stamped from copper sheet. Many of the originals were either blown off the roof and lost, or, too badly weather beaten to repair. New crockets that were a very close match to the originals were obtained from the W.F. Norman Company and installed. The mounts were cut to fit the seam caps and then fastened with stainless steel screws and soldered.