Switch block lettering.

M

Mactriple

Hero member
Location
Wide Bay Queensland
I am trying to freshen up a pair of Aprilia switches with white lettering. Is there anyone in Australia that can paint the fine white letters. I certainly can't do it neatly. Its got me stuffed how the factory churned them out so neatly. Cheers
Ian
 
On the Laverda switches, I mask what I can around the lettering, and then use a fine tipped brush to fill in the letters with acrylic paint.  Then wipe off the excess paint as best I can and, when the lettering is dry, wipe off any smudges with water.  The acrylic paint, orange in my case, has held up very well.

 

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I've read but haven't tried, that you can use a pin to pick up a droplet of paint and deposit it in the recessed lettering.

Paul
 
Paul Marx said:
I've read but haven't tried, that you can use a pin to pick up a droplet of paint and deposit it in the recessed lettering.

Paul
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Yes I've used that method Paul,i usually take the tip off the pin with a bit of wet and dry first just to flatten it slightly,this allows you to move the paint a little.
Little tips are,don't apply too much paint at once,allow the natural indent to guide the paint,and try to wipe off any excess in one sweeping move,generally with a dampened cloth.
Hardest part is working with with tired eyes!........but can be very therapeutic and rewarding. :)
 
Using non fluffy paper towel with some solvent on it [not enough to squeeze out with pressure] works well. The idea is to wipe across the top surface without dipping into the well the paint is filling in. Cloth is usually too soft and dips into the paint. Industrial/institutional paper towels seem to work well.
 
Schurminater said:
Hardest part is working with with tired eyes!........
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Or old, weak eyes! These days I put my 'normal' glasses on top of my reading glasses for excellent magnification!!! I have no idea how really good craftspeoples can pinstripe with the 'naked' hand!
 
wdietz186 said:
Using non fluffy paper towel with some solvent on it [not enough to squeeze out with pressure] works well. The idea is to wipe across the top surface without dipping into the well the paint is filling in. Cloth is usually too soft and dips into the paint. Industrial/institutional paper towels seem to work well.
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I have seen professionals using this method, with it stretched tight over a small piece of hard material so it can't dip into the indent.
 
Go to an art supply store where you can select from a multitude of acrylic paint pens with tips of various sizes. Many different colors available and a bit of trial and error gets you a pen with a tip that fits the marking grooves perfectly, it lasts for ages and easy to freshen up. You still need a steady hand .
 
I found the videos on pad printing interesting (except for those naff wannabe comedians) but doesn't seem relevant to one-off jobs like switch block lettering. Doubt it would work with recessed lettering anyway.

Clean all the paint off the switches, making sure you get the paint out of the lettering recesses. Then paint everything black with a hard wearing enamel or epoxy paint (or powder coat if that's your preference). When the black has fully cured, use a water-based paint for the lettering, dabbing it into the recesses with a very fine artist's brush or a sharp toothpick. Gently wipe off any over-spill with a damp cloth. Wrap the cloth tightly around your finger so it doesn't dip into the letter recesses. If you make a total cock-up of it on your first try, simply wash all the water-based lettering paint off under the tap (before it dries), dry the switch block and start again. You'll get the technique pretty quickly.
 
Dellortoman said:
I found the videos on pad printing interesting (except for those naff wannabe comedians) but doesn't seem relevant to one-off jobs like switch block lettering. Doubt it would work with recessed lettering anyway.
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An old customer I had in Sydney made car badges and indicator stalks for Holden cars (when manufactured here in Australia)
Pad printing is how they did the indented indicator stalks. Pad printer had an intricate (for those days) indexing system.
My car is just pad printed stalks, no indents.
 
You'll get the technique pretty quickly.

Thanks Cam. Similar to Bill's suggestion. There 's so much lettering on these Aprilia switches that I believe it will be quite hard. Anyway I have quite a bit to do before tackling the blocks. Cheers
Ian
 
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