How to paint lettering onto electric controls

[Guest]

Just got these back from the powder coater and got them back together. I am wondering if anyone knows what method I should use to put the red paint back over the letters. I was thinking I would rough up the surface inside the lettering with a pick of some sort so the paint has something to adhere to. What I'm not sure about, is what paint I should use, and how to apply it to the lettering.

[SocialAnomaly99]

This is what they look like all put together.

[rustybronco]

Mr Chuck Hahn has the technique down pat. Basically it consists of putting white paint in the lettering an 'wiping' the excess paint off with an extremely clean thumb lightly applied as to not remove all the paint from the lettering.

[SocialAnomaly99]

This sounds like it has terrible potential to smear paint all over my freshly painted parts. Is there any videos on this technique or any other methods for this application?

[tkent02]

Its easy, but practice with water colors first.

Those switches look nice.

[Scratcher09]

+1 on the wiping technique. I've done it many times. I use One Shot striping enamel. It's pretty durable for something like this. I use a needle and gently rough up indented surface. It doesn't need a lot because the indent protects it from getting rubbed. Then I wipe it with solvent before painting. I paint with a small brush and don't worry about getting it too perfect. Then I use a t-shirt pulled tightly over my thumb and wipe it so that all the paint that doesn't belong there comes off. It works best if you can get it in one swipe. You could have a rag with solvent ready just I case it makes a mess. Worse thing that can happen is you wipe it all off and start over.

[azr]

Thanks for the tips guys. Ive been wondering how to do this properly.

[SVSooke]

+1 on the wiping technique. I've done it many times. I use One Shot striping enamel. It's pretty durable for something like this. I use a needle and gently rough up indented surface. It doesn't need a lot because the indent protects it from getting rubbed. Then I wipe it with solvent before painting. I paint with a small brush and don't worry about getting it too perfect. Then I use a t-shirt pulled tightly over my thumb and wipe it so that all the paint that doesn't belong there comes off. It works best if you can get it in one swipe. You could have a rag with solvent ready just I case it makes a mess. Worse thing that can happen is you wipe it all off and start over.

Pretty much the way I did mine to

[chuck hahn]

Use Testors enamel model paint and wipe with the finger in a rolling motion so the paint rolls up and off. Next use Qtips and some Purple Power to gently wipe off the ghosting thats gonna happen. Dip the Qtip in and shake excess out and clean the area around the letters.

Dont dilly dally around either. apply the paint as lightly as is needed to fill the trenches, wipe, and clean before it sets. Have some laquer thinner handy and clean your finger between each application so theres no cross contamination.

[Allie]

YES! Gonna try this!

[Fjbj40]

I use a Sharpie paint pen with a fine tip. If you have steady hands there will be no wiping. If I have to wipe I use isopropyl alcohol, won't attack the black paint but will remove the fresh sharpie paint.

Daryl

[chuck hahn]

I suggest you practice on a set that has been stripped down to bare metal. Get the technique down then paint the black and do the lettering.

[chuck hahn]

Video as requested

This is a basic video and the process is very simple. Trick is to not let the paint set up too much. I could have waited about 2 minutes in the video before wiping it, but I didnt want to have a 4 minute long video.

You need to let it set up a bit so that when you wipe it theres plenty still stuck in the lettering ditches so its nice and bright.

And no the purple power wont harm the powder coating. Dip in the Qtip ( shake out the excess liquid ) and wipe the ghosting away. Then wipe the area with a Tshirt rag to make it all nice and pretty again. Set it aside for a few hours to let the paint cure well.

Click on the link and it should redirect to the video.....

http://s1148.photobucket.com/user/chuckhahn1/media/Project1000C014.mp4.html