Restoring license plates

[mrtexas]

I tried painting the background first and then rolling on the number paint like they were originally made. It didn't work well for me.

My 2nd try is to first spray on the number color, then clear, then the background, then sand off the background color from the numbers. However, I still sand thru the number color in some spots. I'm touching up with an artist's brush before resanding and respraying clear. I'm using rattle can paint. I bought 10 sets cheaply of various Texas 1949 - 1967 plates that need painting and have a 31 and 28 to do as well.

I'm coming to the conclusion that the guys who charge to restore plates must be spraying the background and manually brushing on the numbers or using my second method and using automotive base/clear that is really hard to sand thru.

Anyone know for sure?

[jim1932]

my maryland plates I bought look to be hand painted on the letters and numbers

[Milton]

"I tried painting the background first and then rolling on the number paint like they were originally made. It didn't work well for me."

The roller must be firm. Like a wood dowel with a sheet wrapped around it a couple of times. No knap allowed.

[Mike V. Florida]

Here is what I did. Resore the plate metal, prime and paint the raised number color. Once dry, place a sheet of contact paper over the whole plate and rub down on the raised letters. I took an exacto knife and cut around the letters leaving about 1/16 to 1/8 inch hanging off the letters. I then took the base color and tilting the plate while spraying under the hang off and the rest of the plate.

While the plate is tacky I remove the contact paper and spray clear on the plate to smooth the lines. You can use pin stripe tape for the raised edges of a plate.

[quickchange]

My method is a little crude but works for me, spray number colour 1st, Bake in oven while wife is away, Im useing spray cans, Then spray background colour , when dry or almost, Take cloth dipped in thinners & wipe the numbers & edges of plate. reveals the baked number colour , I have done a lot this way & results are better than my spelling,( who gives a rats arse if some of us can,t spell), Derek from a wet cooler NZ.

[bobgreco]

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I recently did a set of 1929 plates and had fairly good luck with applying the number paint with a rubber grouting float using it like a mini-printing press. The trick is to not use a lot of paint. I had to touch up a few areas with a model brush, but the overall results were pretty good.

The attached photo shows the plate before I touched it up with a model brush. I had to fix of few corners and edges.

[Aerocraft]

I have done a number of sets of plates for my own cars. After working the metal and filling as required, I prime them with one of the PPG DP series primer colors. I then mix PPG Concept to the correct background color and spray the plates with several coats. When dry, using One Shot, I hand letter the numbers with a brush. That step is actually very easy since mistakes can be wiped off. Gar Williams

[Ray in La Mesa]

Originally Posted by quickchange

My method is a little crude but works for me, spray number colour 1st, Bake in oven while wife is away, Im useing spray cans, Then spray background colour , when dry or almost, Take cloth dipped in thinners & wipe the numbers & edges of plate. reveals the baked number colour , I have done a lot this way & results are better than my spelling,( who gives a rats arse if some of us can,t spell), Derek from a wet cooler NZ.

I did exactly the same thing yesterday (well, almost) I painted the number color and put the plate in the oven to bake but inadvertantly turned the dial to 350, guess I thought I was baking cookies. I came back when I smelled the paint and had burt the color right ought of the paint! Back to the sandblaster & rattle can.

[jimalabam]

You are exactly correct in your stated assumptions...

[FL&WVMIKE]

I have seen some beautifully restored plates, done by applying the number color first, very heavily, then putting on the background color. Then you use rubbing compound to remove the background color from the numbers. Some professionals use this method.
MIKE

[glenn in camino]

When I restore plates, I spray the backround color first, let it dry for a few days, and then hand paint the numbers. I use One Shot enamel, mixed to the right color, for the numbers. I thin the enamel and use a rulling pen to do all the straight lines first. Then I fill in between the lines with an artists brush. I've found that thinning the enamel somewhat lets it flow out and eliminate brush marks. I have a pretty steady hand for painting the curved numbers. I'm not a pro. I just paint plates for myself and a few friends. I think the roller method may work if your plates are really flat, but most old plates are at least a little bent.

[2manycars]

I tried the roller method, using a "brayer" from the art store. I found it difficult to do a good job. If the number paint is thick, it leaves little wisps of paint as the roller leaves the plate, and if too thin, it does not cover well. I now do it the hard way, with an artist's brush. It takes me about a half hour to number each plate.

[donQ]

I've tried a few techniques and found that the best one for me is to paint the background first and let it dry for a few days. I then use thin striping tape around the raised portion of the numbers and then use blue painter's tape over the back ground and then mist on several coats using a spray can of the number color. Don't put the nimber color on too thick at once .It might bleed under the tape.
Donq

[Kevin in NJ]

30 years ago I tried to do the roll method to roll on the paint. It failed miserably.

Since then I talked to a guy who restored plates for a living.

The secret to rolling is a flat glass. You roll out the paint to be real thin. Then with a larger diameter hard rubber roller you roll across. Do not worry about making it in one pass. If you look at original plates they are often not done in one pass. You can see the seam.

This process is like what is done on a printing press. You will see the ink is spread very thin so only the tops of the type get the ink. You also do not want the ink building up in the type.

Hope this helps.

[mrtexas]

My latest idea is to let a sign painter do it. I found one old timer here who still hand letter signs.

[wardkew]

Here Here to MrTexas. Not as much personal satisfaction as doing it myself, but the plates look lots better than my multiple aborted efforts.

[mrtexas]

Here is the result of the sign painter's work at $20 a plate:



I was somewhat disappointed by all the brush marks but most disappeared after spraying with clear.

Next step is to buy some One Shot enamel and try my hand at it myself. I've kind of caught the license plate collecting bug after buying 10 Texas pairs from a friend, 1949-1967. I've also bought a bunch on fee bay including a 1917!

[Mikeinnj]

How were the numbers applied originally by the various States ? I know WHO they had making the plates......

[mrtexas]

Originally Posted by Mikeinnj

How were the numbers applied originally by the various States ? I know WHO they had making the plates......

They were rolled on with a machine.

[hotrodart]

Originally Posted by Kevin in NJ

30 years ago I tried to do the roll method to roll on the paint. It failed miserably.

Since then I talked to a guy who restored plates for a living.

The secret to rolling is a flat glass. You roll out the paint to be real thin. Then with a larger diameter hard rubber roller you roll across. Do not worry about making it in one pass. If you look at original plates they are often not done in one pass. You can see the seam.

This process is like what is done on a printing press. You will see the ink is spread very thin so only the tops of the type get the ink. You also do not want the ink building up in the type.

Hope this helps.

I used rattle can paint and One Shot with a roller also.......

[mrtexas]

Originally Posted by hotrodart

I used rattle can paint and One Shot with a roller also.......

Can you show me a picture of your roller?

[Pepsi Mechanic]

You'll never guess how I did mine ... I cleaned them and painted the proper colour with a spray can ( 28 ontario plates are an Old Catipilar Yellow ) and are you ready for the black numbers and lettering ......... I used a Black magic marker ... easy to do and weather proof ... the pictures don't do them justice (the numbers look edgy but they are not ) they really did turn out nice. And cost all of $6.00

[Chris Haynes]

A small 4" foam paint roller is great for painting the numbers and letters.

[TMB]

The professional painters deserve what they charge if you do not have the time or patience. I spray painted my 29 Michigan plate first in gloss black. Then hand painted the numbers with a good quality artist brush the width of the letters. I also built a floating hand rest 1/4" over the plate large enough to allow me to move the plate around and keep my hand steady. You can't really tell from a distance.

[RonC]

Here's how they painted the plates in the 30's
I think you need quicktime to view this video

http://www.efootage.com/play-stock-f...ctoryfactories

Here's another:

http://www.thoughtequity.com/video/clip/49304023_002.do

[Rainmaker Ron]

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26 responces and no one hit on the easy way to do it yourself! Am I the only old timer left that remembers all the tricks? Paint the background color as usual then use a Q-Tip or medical swab and one shot paint to do the numbers. It is easier than you might imagine to do a reasonable job.
Rainmaker Ron

[ken ct]

Spray background color,then when completly dry,use a paint pen [like a magic marker] only contain real paint. Very easy to control on the #. Model shops carry them. ken ct. Lots of color choices too.

[30ccpickup]

Originally Posted by RonC

Here's how they painted the plates in the 30's
I think you need quicktime to view this video

http://www.efootage.com/play-stock-f...ctoryfactories

Here's another:

http://www.thoughtequity.com/video/clip/49304023_002.do

It seems like it would be possible to build a device to paint plates similar to the original method. When looking at RonC’s video, the paint roller rides on wheels distributing even pressure between the rollers mat and the numbers on the plate. It looks like the template presses down and applies pressure to all sides of the plate forcing it to lay flat. In addition, with two rollers and two swipes, the plate receives four coats of paint. I assume the type of roller mat would play in the final finish.

[RonC]

How can you tell they receive 4 coats? Could they be painting 2 duplicate plates maybe 2 times each?

[Merlin]

Originally Posted by Pepsi Mechanic

I used a Black magic marker ... easy to do and weather proof .

Looks good but the magic marker will fade.

[Robert]

I just finished a VERY rough 1928 Georgia Dealer tag. After I glass beaded the tag- two quarter size spots were completely missing from the tag,it had about 500 pinholes,along with"10,000" pits, and half of the rolled edge was missing. I painted the tag with rust converter acid. Then I made up the missing rolled edge with heavy copper wire and JB Quick(using clothes pins to hold it in position). After this, I covered the front of the tag with masking tape (it took a while to get it into every crook and bend). Next, I covered the back side of the tag with fiberglass resin and mat. After it set up, I removed the masking tape. All the holes were now filled in with the resin. I scuffed the back with 600 grit sandpaper and started putting down several coats of high build lacquer "rattle can" primer. I didn't concern myself too much about the smoothness of the back side. I primed and sanded the front side and filled the larger pits and crevises using the JB Quick(a razor blade and wet fingers work well). I repeated this MANY times using 320 the 600 grit sandpaper. I had a good idea of the correct color of the body of the tag and had PPG mix it and put it in a spray can. The down side of using a spray can is that there is no hardener in the paint (I let it dry in direct sunlight for about a week). The up side to using the spray can is cost(no additional purchase of hardener and reducer for such a small job) and a ready supply of touch up paint that has a long shelf life. After the paint hardened, I CAREFULLY scuffed the letters with a very small piece of 1000 grit paper to give the lettering paint a good grip. The art supply store suggested that I buy a multipak of camel hair brushes and a small can of ONE SHOT lettering paint-which I did. I'd never lettered anything that I needed to be this particular with so I practiced on an unused tag (I'm sure everyone has several of these). After my lettering ability became respectible (I found that using one hand to steady the other worked well for me), I lettered my project tag. It turned out GREAT. While the tag now weighs as much as 3 tags due to the fiberglass and filling primer,it was worth the effort due to its rarity. I hope my "homebrewed" method will help.

[hotrodart]

Originally Posted by mrtexas

Can you show me a picture of your roller?

Here is the roller I used....got it at a "box store"....very tight knap.....

[Louis]

I saw two 1931 GA. restored tag's last mo. at a car swap meet, they both had a price tag of $250 ea..... The vender said that the GA 31 was one of the harder one's to find any more.
I remember a few years ago some venders were asking from $100 to $150 for them.

[ken ct]

Originally Posted by Merlin

Looks good but the magic marker will fade.

Thats why use a paint pen [real paint] / they look like a magic marker pen and about the same size . ken ct. It dosn't fade. Also striped my bumpers with one.

[Pepsi Mechanic]

Originally Posted by ken ct

Thats why use a paint pen [real paint] / they look like a magic marker pen and about the same size . ken ct. It dosn't fade. Also striped my bumpers with one.

Never thought of a paint pen ... fortunately the truck is never driven on the road and does parades and car shows .. hopefully the marker will hold up for a while .. I can alway redo in future ... thanks for the idea

[Coyote 82]

Any YouTube videos on this process?

[Gunmetal blue2]

Have any of you tried rolling the paint on the numbers with the plate upside down?

[whirnot]

I used a combination. I tried multiple nap rollers and rubber ones. Not much luck, I spray painted the background and let it dry for a few days. Then I use the paint pen for the smaller letters and an artist brush for the larger. I found the key to painting the large numbers was to thin the paint to cover well, but still flow nicely and lay it on pretty heavy, to have a nice edge. Be aggresive with the edge, if it isn't straight, a rag wrapped around your finger and dipped in thinner makes a clean edge as you can follow the letter contour.


Another thing was to only paint every other letter at a sitting. That way you can cup one hand inside the other for real stability. I found moving the plate around so I could always be painting right to left or left to right the best, up and down tends to be harder.

The finished color looks red because it is on a red floor but it is the correct Maroon.

[whirnot]

And can you find the relationship between the first three numbers and the last? BTW this is a fun project.

[jm29henry]

I have tried something just a little bit different .I paint the back side and let it dry good .Then I purchase a model car paint markers its firmer and easer to handle for me and paint the numbers it takes a couple of coats .I LET THAT DRY TO .Then I just spray a coat of tester model paint clear over the plate it works well for me and have sold several at swap meet the are all hold up well and still get compliments years later.

[SkipShift]

My method;

Sandblast
Primer
Sand
Paint base color
Paint letters
Clearcoat

I use a vinyl cutter and make letter stencils. Made these letters for the license plate frame the same way. All paint, I usually use House of Kolor basecoat/clearcoat.

[P.S.]

I had some 1931 Y.O.M. plates restored for the Tudor by Ziffel in Valley Springs. He sandblasted them and did some "body work" on them, then primed and powder coated. He did the numbers color first and baked, then did background and simply wiped the black away from the numbers before baking. He even matched the sheen of the original plates. They look absolutely PERFECT! Total for both plates -$125.

DMV here in California will give you hassles with if you submit repainted plates for Y.O.M. and they frown on repaired or clear coated plates as well. They inspected my plates and swore they were completely original! Fooled everyone they were done so well. They look fabulous on the Tudor.

[BlueSunoco]

[QUOTE=P.S.;822435]I had some 1931 Y.O.M. plates restored for the Tudor by ZIFFEL in Valley Springs.

Arnold or Fred?? Sorry couldn't resist

[Barber31]

What would be the original sheen for plates produced back then and did it vary from state to state?

[joe plumber]

I have restored about 50 different plates.After bead blasting I apply 4 or 5 coats of primer ,then the back ground color and then I use a solid stick permanent marker that is solidified paint for high temperatures on the letters and numbers , let dry and apply clear coat . Paint pens don't go on smooth . Omo

[QGolden]

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How have you found out what the "official" colors are when you repaint/restore? Or do you just "eyeball" as close as you can, and presume the State doesn't really care due to the application.

[joe plumber]

Nebr. Has an online site which one can look up and it gives all the colors of the plates

[Wallace]

Me too. Metal work, then spray plates the background color and then use One Shot slowly allowing the color to flow with artist brush... usually slip of the hand on last number....wk

[Will Ziegler in LI NY]

[QUOTE=BlueSunoco;822457]

Originally Posted by P.S.

I had some 1931 Y.O.M. plates restored for the Tudor by ZIFFEL in Valley Springs.

Arnold or Fred?? Sorry couldn't resist

Arnold of course - he has the curly Q brush!

[THR1LL3R]

very informative,thanks

[RonC]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7jb8IvCaGdc

[mshmodela]

I believe I recall Mitch//Pa used these folks:

http://www.tagdr.com/

[Mitch//pa]

Originally Posted by mshmodela

I believe I recall Mitch//Pa used these folks:

http://www.tagdr.com/

yes
excellent work and service