Profiles in SUCCESS Coatings and Collaboration Industry Joins Forces to Restore Historic Tanks By Susan Boyd, Vulcan t’s not often that industry competitors put aside bidding wars and vying for common business to Painters, Inc. and work together, deploying their talents and resources for the common good. Such was the case Pamela Simmons, JPCL when it came to restoring seven historic military tanks for the National Armor and Cavalry Heritage Photos courtesy of Cory Allen, Foundation. The restored tanks will be displayed on a walking trail, on land given by the United Susan Boyd and David Boyd States Army for a new National Armor and Cavalry Museum at Ft. Benning, Ga. I The Foundation, a number of whose board members are retired generals, has a multiphase plan for construction of a future museum and intends to build it with private funds. The museum will house the Army’s immense collection of armor and cavalry vehicles, smaller artifacts and records dating back 200 years. The Armor collection was brought to Ft. Benning from Ft. Knox through the Department of Defense’s Base Realignment and Closing (BRAC) program. Collaboration Working under the leadership of Vulcan Painters, Inc. CEO David Boyd, companies across the country par- ticipated in an industry-wide volunteer effort to restore the tanks. As the contractors involved talked to col- leagues about the job, more suppliers began to donate supplies. Steve Krolak of Mohawk Garnet Inc. drove from Minnesota to Ft. Benning to help set up the abrasive cleaning operation. Representatives of coating manufacturers Beth Ann Pearson from The Sherwin-Williams Company and Mike Reed of US Coatings both traveled to the job site. Andy Steinman of Corrosion Special- ties, Inc. made several trips to the job site with donated equipment and abrasives. Other companies and organizations contributed blast pots and blast media, safety glasses, gloves, ear plugs, sand paper, scrap- ers and wire brushes. Crews flew or drove from all over the country; members of the Abhe & Svoboda, Inc. team, alone, came from North Carolina, California, Minnesota and Louisiana. Other crews came from Florida, Georgia and Mis- souri. Many crew members had personal connections to the military. “It’s quite an honor and we’re excited to be part of it,” said Shawn Eagan, project manager of Coatings Unlimited, Inc. in St. Louis. Don Holle of 40 JPCL April 2015 / paintsquare.com Abhe & Svoboda in Minnesota recalled that his late father-in-law was Painting was to begin August 1, 2014, leaving only about three tank commander of an M48A3 model used by the U.S. Marine weeks to get tank colors matched, manufactured and shipped Corps. “We had the opportunity to pick a tank and I said, ‘Let’s take to the site. All of the coating materials were donated by the this one (the M48) and give him a little tribute.’” manufacturers. “I’m a Navy vet and did a tour in Afghanistan, so this hits close to home for me,” said Josh Range of Thomas Industrial Coatings. The Coatings “That’s why I’m here.” Of the seven tanks to be painted, two tanks, the M60A3 Patton Cory Allen of Vulcan Painters describes his connection to the pro- main battle tank and the Sheridan M551, received a camouflage ject. “In 1944, my dad landed on Utah Beach and fought on the pattern in a flat finish using the Federal Standard 595C color sys- front lines at the Battle of the Bulge in the 81st mortar battalion tem and applied in the Woodland camouflage pattern. The tank with the Third Army, commanded by General George Patton. My camouflage coatings were matched and provided in chemical agent- dad later became an instructor at Ft. Benning as an Army Reserve resistant coating (CARC) polyurethane materials. officer.” The M3 Bradley was finished completely in a flat green color, Arthur L. (Len) Dyer III, director of the Armor and Cavalry Museum also provided in a CARC polyurethane material. The other four and its restoration shop on Sand Hill at Ft. Benning, with his assis- tanks; the M48 Patton, M114 Command and Reconnaissance tant Frank Albano, lent a Sullair 250 compressor and a forklift to Carrier, the M113 Armored Personnel Carrier and the M26 the project, and also helped with shipping containers and storage. Pershing; were finished in a gloss Vietnam green shade. This color They provided machines to move the tanks into and out of the con- was difficult to identify, because it had been replaced during revi- tainment spaces. sions of the Federal Standards color 595C color system. The oldest tank color to match was that of the M26 Pershing, The Scope which was specified as a Korean gloss green. The shade was an ob- The scope included identifying and procuring all volunteer labor and solete color which no manufacturers could match, so the Museum donated materials. Key issues encompassed making decisions on accepted a substitute, the gloss Vietnam green, available in oil-based insurance (it was decided that painters would be covered under coating. The Armor Museum had specified oil based coating, be- each contractor’s own insurance); securing a location to do the cause this was the authentic coating material used on the tanks. painting; determining how best to clean and blast the tanks; identify- ing possible surface contaminants; deciding on the type and setup The Location of containment; locating specs for the coatings that were originally At the Armor and Cavalry Museum restoration shop, the first objective applied to the vehicles dating back to the 1940s; finding manufac- was to build two containments: one to hold all of the water used to turers who could produce the paint quickly; initiating publicity to get pressure wash tanks so that it could be stored and disposed of by the the word out about the project so that contractors could volunteer Army, and a second for abrasive blast-cleaning, including lead abate- and suppliers could donate equipment and materials; and planning a ment. schedule flexible enough to allow multiple contractors’ crews to wedge this volunteer work between their paid work. The Setup On April 2, 2014, Paintsquare News ran the first article about During the week of July 21, Vulcan project manager Cory Allen as- the project and Boyd began contacting contractors and suppliers sembled equipment and materials onsite. He and Vulcan’s industrial with further information. At that time, Dyer decided which of the superintendent John Jenkins, oversaw erection of the containments, several hundred tanks in the collection would be used as outdoor ensuring that the workspace would be ready as contractors arrived. monuments and Boyd returned to Ft. Benning to photograph those chosen. A document displaying photos and a brief history of each The Execution tank and cavalry vehicle, all of which represent different periods The M114 Command and Reconnaissance Carrier – of service dating back to World War II, was sent to interested con- Vulcan Painters, Inc. tractors and by July 1 each of the vehicles had been claimed by As the crews arrived Allen gave an orientation on the project, companies willing to send crews to paint them at the contractors’ safety, the vehicle to which they were assigned, waste collection expense. procedures and other project parameters. The first tank into the www.paintsquare.com / JPCL April 2015 41 ProfilesinSuccess The M48 Patton tank before painting (top). Shawn Landowski (middle) (Above photos) Reggie Clements of Vulcan Painters, Inc. sprays and Shawn and Zach the M114 Command and Reconnaissance Carrier. Prachar (bottom), both of Abhe and Svoboda, Inc., prime the M48. pressure-washing containment was the M114 Command and Recon- naissance Carrier. The smallest of the vehicles, it was pressure- washed and painted by Vulcan. The M48 Patton – Abhe & Svoboda, Inc. The second vehicle, the M48 Patton medium tank, was positioned in the blast booth for Abhe & Svoboda of Jordan, Minn., to start sur- face preparation the first week of August. The crew arrived Monday, August 4 to abrasive blast-clean the M48 in closed containment. 42 JPCL April 2015 / paintsquare.com Click our Reader e-Card at paintsquare.com/ric ProfilesinSuccess With temperatures reaching above 90 F outside, readings for ambient conditions inside the containment were recorded at 111 degrees and the temperature on the surface of the steel tank at 114 degrees. The M60A3 – Main Industries, Inc. After the pressure-washing area was cleaned, and water vacuumed up and stored, the third tank, the M60A3 was pushed into the wash area The M60A3 in the process of restoration (Top) and finished (below). 44 JPCL April 2015 / paintsquare.com ForFor protectingprotecting yoyourur assetsassets in eextremextreme condconditions…itionons… TrustTTrrusst the ProvenPPrrroovveen PerformancePPeerrfffoorrmmancee off PolyurethanePPolyurethaane CoatingsCoattings From thethhe inventors of polyurethane,poolyurethane, Bayerr continuesc to innovateinnovvate with PolyasparticPolyaspartic UrethaneUrethane TechnologyTTeeechnology CENTRAL VIRGINIA BRIDGEE PPAINTED WITH BBAYERAAYYER POPOLYASPARTICLLYYYAASPARTICS URETHANE TECHNOLTECHNOLOGYLOGY EXCELLENT CORROSION RESISTANCE SUPERIOR EDGE RETENTION BRIDGE LOCATED WEST OF LEXINGTON, VIRGINIA ON I-64 OVER SIMPSON CREEK Tough,TToough, durabdurableble polyaspartic coatings Bayer’sBaayyer’s PolyasparticPolyasparticc UrethaneUrethane TechnologyTTeechnologgy built on BaBayeryeer tectechnology:hnology: • Quick Quick tthroughput hrouughput ddue ue ttoo ffast ast ddrying rying reduces paintingreduces painting costcost and comcomplexityplexity byy pprovidingroviding • Three-coat Three-coat pperformance erformance iin n two-coats three-coatthree-coat performanceperffoormaance in two-coats.two-coats. AfterAftet r a • PolyuretPolyurethanehaneha level level weatherability • Excellent corrosionc resistance decadedecade of sservice,ervice, thethhe ssteelteel bbridgeridge picturedpictureed iiss • Superior eedgedgedg retention • High filfilmm bbuild (6-10 milmils)ss)) showingshowing lessless thanthan 1%1% rusting.rusting. 412-777-3412-777-3983983 BayBayerer MaterialScienceMaterialScienence [email protected]@bayer.com Click our Reader e-Card at paintsquare.com/ric ProfilesinSuccess Masking the camo pattern on the M60A3 (left).