June 3, 2016 at 4:03 p.m.
Hodag gets claws back in elaborate pedicure
Local sculptor steps in to fix iconic monster statue
Hodag gets claws back in elaborate pedicure
Local sculptor Chuck Williams reattached four claws to the Hodag statue, which sits in front of the Rhinelander Area Chamber of Commerce, Thursday morning, then came back Friday to finish blending the repairs into the existing statue.
The statue was vandalized by Jordan Henk of Rhinelander and Evan Christiansen of Madison at around 3 a.m. Dec. 15, 2015 after Christiansen's band played a concert at a local nightspot.
Bob Clow, the chamber's executive director, said the statue was moved to the front of the building from its original placement in the rear in 1999. Chamber records indicate the statue was designed by Tracy Goberville and sculpted by David Oswald of Sparta, between 1998 and '99.
Clow said he contacted Oswald about coming up and doing the repair work, but Williams volunteered his time and services.
"He (Oswald) is in southwestern Wisconsin and in semi-retirement," Clow said. "It would have been an expensive process for us to have him do it. He was actually quite glad that he didn't have to come up and do it, because he would have had to do it in a two-day trip. We would have had to predict far in advance what the weather was going to be like. Chuck being local, we've been trading phone calls. He came out a week ago, we matched the claws, making sure that they fit nicely, which ones go where, and (assessed) what it would take to reattach them."
Williams said it appears to him that the statue is foam over a metal frame that was then covered in fiberglass before it was painted. This meant the repair process would involve both epoxy and the type of spray foam homeowners use to seal cracks in concrete. It is a type of work Williams is familiar with as a sculptor.
"My background is theme parks and sculpture," he said. "I worked for Disney, so I knew I was uniquely qualified to volunteer and help repair the Hodag."
Williams said it is fortunate that police were able to recover the claws, which made the repair process easier.
"They were clean breaks, and the police were able to recover the four original claws, so we are appreciative of that," he said. "To try to match it (new claws) would have been a lot more difficult than replacing the ones that were broken off."
It would have been particularly difficult to match the color, size and shape of the original claws with the replacement pieces, he said.
"Just using the originals and retro-fitting them in is going to be much easier," he said.
Clow said that was a primary concern.
"The whole statue has aged a bit. It's been in the sun, it's been in the weather," Clow said. "You won't have four claws that are new that are fake aged; they're matching the rest of them."
Henk and Christiansen were originally charged with theft of movable property under $2,500 and criminal damage to property. They each pled no contest to the latter charge and were given deferred entry of judgment agreements, Henk at a hearing on March 29 and Christiansen on May 24. If they do not get into any more legal trouble for a year, the charges will be dismissed. If the agreement is revoked due to additional criminal acts, Judge Michael Bloom can sentence them to up to nine months in jail and fine them up to $10,000.
The repair process involved Williams drilling a hole in both the claw and the foot of the statue where a perforated metal bar would fit.
"Then I'm going to shoot foam into the holes to bond it all back together again," Williams said. "Then I'm going to use an epoxy resin to seal up the crack from the outside."
From there, the monster received a manicure, seams were sanded flush, and the area painted to further hide the seam.
The foam used cures in an hour while the epoxy required 24 hours to dry. That necessitated a return visit Friday for the final work.
"You have to wait for your materials to cure up because until the epoxy firms up, you really can't sand it flush and make it disappear," Williams said.
The December incident wasn't the first time the Hodag statue had been damaged. In 2012, someone broke off a claw and graffiti was spray-painted on it.
Clow said he was glad the chamber could support a local artist.
"He's supporting us, actually," Clow said. "But we're getting him some exposure, and we'll be thanking him all over the place."
For his part, Williams was just glad to play a role in Hodag lore.
"I just love the fact that we have a local monster," he said. "I had to help the guy."
Jamie Taylor may be reached at jtaylor@ lakelandtimes.com.
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