RE: painting vintage license plates

[William Harrison <bbjt3@xxxxxxxxx>]

Fellow 62 to 65 guys....
I can't count the number of times that I have done the krylon enamel paint and then sprayed with krylon clear coat and had the paint blister. Doh!!!
Thanks for enlightening me about that problem, just never figured out that enamel and lacquer were incompatible. I'll never let my wife about this as my "smartability" will take a big hit..
Later
Bill Harrison
65 Coronet 2 dr post

--- On Thu, 3/17/11, Dan McCormack <mcwheels@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

> From: Dan McCormack <mcwheels@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> Subject: RE: painting vintage license plates
> To: 1962to1965mopars@xxxxxxxxxx
> Date: Thursday, March 17, 2011, 10:46 AM
> 
> Thanks Jim, I can always use a good laugh and I'm always
> glad to find out there's other people besides me that have
> these trial and error disasters. Third time is a charm isn't
> always true is it. LOL
> 
> First let me say that yes we are allowed in NY to register
> a vintage car with Year of Manufacture plates but..... They
> have to be a matched pair (if 2 plates were used in that
> year) of original unrestored plates. They are not allowed to
> be repainted. That being said my story starts with me buying
> a pair of 1936 NY plates for my 36 Plymouth at Hershey for
> $45.00. After I got home I had a friend of mine who's a
> police dispatcher run the number. (I get by with a little
> help from my friends) He found out that the number was
> already in use on a 69 Chevy owned by some 85 year old woman
> I so couldn't use them. Damn old lady probably's had the
> number since 1936. LOL Anyway I found another matched set on
> eBay that were much better condition than the first set. I
> had my friend run the number before I bid on them this time
> and got them for $14.00.
> 
> Here's what I did:
> 1. Cleaned dirt off plates and took picture to send to DMV
> in Albany. (before repainting)
> 
> 2. Used fine steel wool to scuff up old paint and remove
> small rust spots.
> 
> 3. Wiped off plates with lacquer thinner.
> 
> 4. Sprayed plates with Rustoleum Satin Black and let dry.
> 
> 5. Gave plates to a friend of mine who's a sign painter.
> (Again I get by with a little help from my friends)
> 
> 6. He painted the letters back on with a brush and one shot
> yellow paint. (the same paint used by pinstripers) 
> 
> 7. Got plates back in 2 weeks. (Can't rush a friend who's
> doing you a favor for nothing) The plates look totally
> original.
> 
> Two things in closing, Krylon clear coat is a lacquer based
> product so that's why it ate up the Krylon enamel. (been
> there done that LOL) 
> 
> Also I've since found out that if you want to check if a
> number is in use (at least in NY) and you don't have a
> police dispatcher friend you can go the NY DMV website.
> There is place on the website where you can type in a number
> for a vanity plate to see if it's available. It won't tell
> you who has the number but it will tell you if that number
> is in use or not.
> 
> Dan, 
> NY  36
> 8D 90-23
> 
> 
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Jim Altemose [mailto:jaltemoose@xxxxxxxxx]
> 
> Sent: Wednesday, March 16, 2011 1:56 PM
> To: 1962to1965mopars
> Subject: OT: painting vintage license plates
> 
> 
> Hopefully this isn't too off-topic.  I'm sure some of
> you may try to
> restore vintage license plates for your car.  Maybe
> this can save you
> some trouble.  In NY I'd guess it's the same as much
> of the country in
> that you can register a real vintage plate if it's the
> correct year
> for the car and not in current use.
> 
> There's guys on the Web you can find to do it for about $75
> per plate,
> which may well be worth it.  I'm too stubborn and
> ignorant to think I
> can't do everything myself.  It took my dumb a$$ five
> tries to get it
> right, but they finally came out real nice.
> 
> Here's what worked:
> 1. Paint remover to take off majority of paint. 
> Blasting cabinet for the rest.
> 
> 2. Sprayed base-coat primer using white Rustoleum metal
> primer.
> 
> 3. Sprayed letter color 12 coats with Krylon
> Indoor/Outdoor.  Why
> Krylon?  They had the right color.
> 
> 4. Sprayed 12 coats of Rustoleum Clear Enamel to thicken
> and protect
> layer.  Why?  KRYLON CLEAR COAT RUINS KRYLON
> PAINT.  More on that
> later.
> 
> 5. Sprayed 4 coats (or enough to cover) of Krylon
> Indoor/Outdoor
> background color.
> 
> 6. Very gently sanded off letters and edge with 900 grit
> emory.  Used
> a tiny square with my finger tip.  Took about 1/2 hour
> per letter.
> Touched up where necessary.
> 
> 7. Sprayed 12 coats of Rustoleum Clear Enamel to finish.
> 
> I'm very pleased with the final results.
> 
> 
> In case you want to learn from my mistakes, here's what
> didn't work.
> 
> 1. Similar sanding method as above, but with a block. 
> Letters weren't
> as uniform height as you'd think.  Got to metal
> quickly.  Strip it
> again, start over.
> 
> 2. Spray on background.  Roll on letters with a small
> detail roller.
> Impossible to get full coverage without splatter and
> without getting
> down edges of letters.  Strip it, start over.
> 
> 3. Spray on background.  Hand paint with a fine
> brush.  You better be
> Bob F'n Ross.  Very hard to not get edges.  Don't
> sneeze, burp or
> fart.  Start over.
> 
> 4. Back to sanding method.  Sprayed on Krylon letter
> color.  Then
> sprayed on Krylon Clear Coat.  Gee, you'd think it
> would say somewhere
> on the can they're incompatible.  Paint got sticky and
> bubbled up in
> spots like it was paint remover.  Boy that one put me
> in a bad mood.
> 
> Hit on the correct combo of Rustoleum and Krylon after
> trial and error
> on scrap plates.  It all sticks real good.
> 
> I never tried masking tape or vaseline; they might have
> been next.
> 
> 
> A word about color selection.  I couldn't find the
> right letter color
> in any stores, so had to go on line.  Rustoleum didn't
> have anything
> close.  Krylon had a whole bunch, but they were 1/4
> inch sample
> swatches.  I'm handy with computers and Photoshop, so
> I brought into
> Photoshop jpg images from the Web of the license
> plates.  Then I was
> able to select a Photoshop pen with the same color from the
> swatches.
> I could then paint right over the letters on the plates and
> compare
> the colors.  Worked well for me.
> 
> Anyway, that's my story.  I hope I can save someone
> some of the hours
> I lost drinking beer and listening to music and watching
> paint dry.
> Actually, I guess it wasn't so bad.
> 
> - Jim
> Jim Altemose, Long Island, NY
> '63 Polara 500 (Max Wedge)
> '63 Polara 500 (383)
> '65 Belvedere I (Street Wedge)
> '71 Bronco
> 
> 
> ----
> Please address private mail -- mail of interest to only one
> person -- directly to that person.  I.e., send
> parts/car transactions and negotiations as well as other
> personal messages only to the intended recipient, not to the
> Clubhouse public address. This practice will protect your
> privacy, reduce the total volume of mail and fine tune the
> content signal to Mopar topic.  Thanks!
> 
> 1962 to 1965 Mopar Clubhouse Discussion Guidelines:
> http://www.1962to1965mopar.ornocar.org/mletiq.html and
> http://www.1962to1965mopar.ornocar.com/general_disclaimer.html.
> 
> 
> 
> 
>