Steggie the Dinosaur
Wood-Lee International Art Handlers are often called in to do the impossible.
About a year ago we were contacted by the Cleveland Museum of Natural History to move a Dinosaur! Wow what a request. We were honored and excited to find out that it was the beloved “Steggie,” who needed some repairs and restoration work done offsite at a restoration company in Newbury, Ohio. But how to get Steggie from University Circle to Newbury?
Our first step was to go out to CMNH and measure the object to know how many men and what type of equipment. This job was put on hold however for several months. Then it was spring time in Cleveland…
We still had a problem as Steggie needed to be able to be moved around the studio at the restoration company in Newbury, Ohio. We ouldn’t just plant Steggie in one place.
So with a pencil and paper co-owner Woody Melton started to draw “Skates for Steggie,” allowing him to be pushed around the studio as the repairs and restorations were taking place.
After the drawings were done Woody drove the route to the Restoration Company to make sure that the Dinosaur on the trailer would not be too tall and get knocked off the trailer. (Yikes) We had to call Sunbelt Rental to rent a Boom which will help strap and lift Steggie onto the flatbed Trailer.
The big day came and our crew of Brian, Woody, Raul, Dan and Johnny were ready and excited to move Steggie. The crazy part was the audience, camera crews and staff from the Museum who all wanted to see Steggie move.
We had to first strap Steggie up and lift him in the air, while in the air we cut one post that seemed to be stuck. A terrifying moment to see a Dinosaur suspending in the air.
Now we were ready to move him. Slowly with guidance from our team we moved Steggie to the Flatbed truck and set him down on foam blocks to keep him even and steady. The marketing department of CMNH put a Go-Pro on him and off we went down the road with a Dino strapped in a trailer. The looks from people driving by were hilarious.
Once we arrived in Newbury, Ohio for the restoration the process repeated itself. We had a boom waiting for us and we strapped Steggie again. Once inside we placed Steggie on white foam skates so that they could paint him with ease.
The return was the same process all over again but in reverse. Steggie is now home again and looking mighty sharp.
Wood-Lee International Art Handlers
Telephone: 866-892-7619