Sherwin-Williams Automotive Finishes Corp. (SWAFC) Ultra basecoat, with a combination of its 930 and 947 clearcoats, was used to paint the new oversized Great Seal of the United States recently unveiled and displayed in Washington, D.C., during inauguration ceremonies for President Barack Obama at the Capital Hilton.
The seal, visible during news conferences and featured by MTV during the Youth Inaugural Ball (one of 10 inauguration balls held Jan. 20), was painted at Van Collision & Alteration (VCA), located in Milwaukee, Wis.
“Everyone in our shop was honored to be part of such a special project – it’s not often you get the opportunity to finish something of this importance,” said Yury Shneyder, VCA Owner. “It was a fast turnaround, and everyone in the shop worked around the clock to get it done on time to ship to Washington D.C.”
Shneyder added that Sherwin-Williams’ tech reps were on hand throughout the entire application to help match the color and clear gloss in accordance to the government and sign company’s specifications.
“The seal was made of unique foam composite, so we first had to be very careful about what solvents we used,” said Tony Brehart, the SWAFC technical representative who coordinated the project with fellow SWAFC rep Dave Gutteriez. “First we primed, then sanded all the flat areas, but had to leave some texture to still make it three-dimensional – particularly the star effects in the design. Then we filled in some minor imperfections, re-sanded and applied the color. After that we sprayed the first clear, then matte finish clear.”
VCA turned the project around in less than 48 hours and delivered the 7-foot tall seal back to the company that designed and fabricated it, Laser Cutting, Inc., also of Milwaukee. The seal was then shipped special delivery to the nation’s capital and made it in time to be part of the inaugural festivities.
For more information, visit www.sherwin-automotive.com or call (800) 798-5872.
