Raised letter paint tips

You guys have any practical quick tips for painting crisp clean lines on uneven cast iron raised letters for transmissions, engines or even bench vises ? I've tried different methods but still not happy with the way the SM420 is turning out for my 50 Chevy project. I've painted all my life and don't believe in taping certain things, but I'm struggling with imperfect raised iron.

Even though I've painted all my life I still have a lot to learn obviously. Any tricks are appreciated

This is what the transmission looked like before I started on it if anyone was curious. After removing the 15lbs of dirt and grease and going through the internals it cleaned up ok.

​why not use the tape ? Wayne

That is a beautiful detailed transmission. Did they come like that from the factory?

Crisp clean lines on uneven cast iron would look about as fake as could be don't you think? That is assuming the letters were ever painted in the first place, very unlikely. If you insist on putting lipstick on a pig you might first file or grind the letters so they have sharp edges.

That is a beautiful detailed transmission. Did they come like that from the factory?

LOL, those are the kind of responses I thought I would get

Crisp clean lines on uneven cast iron would look about as fake as could be don't you think? That is assuming the letters were ever painted in the first place, very unlikely. If you insist on putting lipstick on a pig you might first file or grind the letters so they have sharp edges.

So your suggestion is to grind the edges of the letters to a razor sharp point ? So does that mean you would tape the letters or use a pinstripe brush ?

Just looking for the best method, it isn't a show truck (obviously) but you may judge it from your chair if you like.. Hey I admit I'm not a senior master judge nor do I own a 31 Model A Tudor (like the rest of the world) but I do like my trucks the way I like them, even if they do have lipstick

Been a while since the pig analogy reared its head ! Wayne

So your suggestion is to grind the edges of the letters to a razor sharp point ? So does that mean you would tape the letters or use a pinstripe brush ?

Just looking for the best method, it isn't a show truck (obviously) but you may judge it from your chair if you like.. Hey I admit I'm not a senior master judge nor do I own a 31 Model A Tudor (like the rest of the world) but I do like my trucks the way I like them, even if they do have lipstick

Who is going to see it or know it's there ?

Wayne

I wasn't dissing your vehicle. It's yours, do as you like. We would grind the letters so there was a relatively sharp edge for the paint to follow and use a pinstripe brush or tape and spray, depending on how steady my painter's hand was that day. Likely a brush would do a better job since the porosity of cast iron would make establishing a sharp paint line very difficult.

Who is going to see it or know it's there ?

Wayne

I just wanted to add a few details that I think would create a clean classic look. No one will see it, I just think it's a neat touch personally (obviously most will have a different opinion and that's ok). I'm not into the primadonna judging aspect of vehicles like a lot of guys are and have no intention in entering this vehicle for any contests, I just want to drive it and enjoy it with my own touch to it then maybe pass it on to my grandson.

The truck is mostly original equipment but I just wanted to add a few things to it that I like in the color scheme. It's a triple black package with whitewalls no accessories or customization (no chopped top or frame work) so I'm just going for a clean look. I'll also have a few small areas of white pinstripe on the wheels and some subtle contrasting body lines.

I was simply asking for tips. As I mentioned I don't want to use tape for certain things, I guess I'm old school in some of my methods still and hard to break but there has to be a better brush method than I've used. I've tried using several types of brushes.

Yes I know a lot of the bench vises didn't have painted letters either but I enjoy restoring them and simply looking for a cleaner more precise outcome.

I wasn't dissing your vehicle. It's yours, do as you like. We would grind the letters so there was a relatively sharp edge for the paint to follow and use a pinstripe brush or tape and spray, depending on how steady my painter's hand was that day. Likely a brush would do a better job since the porosity of cast iron would make establishing a sharp paint line very difficult.

Yeah I've tried a Dremel tool in order to grind some of the imperfections out but the damn thing tends to bounce around on the dimples in the cast. As you know, some of the numbers like 3 8 letters like A and B tend to fill in at the center with the iron. Those are the ones that I am really struggling with.

I'll try and stay away from the coffee for a few days and see if that helps...

I like it..............Use a rubber inking roller and roll the paint on the raised letters...............Bob

I was about to say what Bob just said--he must have posted as I was logging in. I've had good luck with a hard rubber roller on things like license plates and emblems. It'll take a few coats to get a uniform finish since the roller doesn't hold a lot of paint, but if you use light pressure and just make one pass at a time, you can get pretty tidy results without the shaky brush look of hand-painted stuff.

I personally like the highly detailed look you're going for. It's not totally correct, but it really does pop when you open the hood.

I have to admit to "highlighting" lettering on various non automotive antiques that weren't meant to be seen by the public.

Ah yes,,, the hard rubber roller trick. Don't know why I didn't think of that

Thanks guys, I'll give it a go

I have used a product from a craft shop called "Rub en Buff ". It is the consistency of paste wax and comes in only a few colors. I put it on with my finger only hitting the high spots, then cover it with clear paint. Here is a sample on a 1890's oil painting frame

I have thought about this on valve covers and some body trim.

Where would one find a small hard rubber roller?

Hobby stores or online. Rubber is not all that hard. They are made for applying printing ink or paint to raised surfaces...............Bob

Put a double layer of cloth over the tip of your finger. An old T shirt or similar rag. Pour a spot of paint on a hard surface. An old magazine or catalog with slick paper is good, the paint won't soak in. Dab the finger on the paint then dab on the lettering.

I have done this on an old black painted cast iron stove to highlight the raised designs in gold and it looked great.

With a little practice you can get a real nice effect. If you mess up, wipe off with a rag and thinners and start again.

Details make a car much cooler. Doesn't matter who sees it. Attention to detail and craftsmanship make a good car a great car. I love the roller idea! I use 1shot lettering enamel on things like that.

You can also try paint pens they come in various widths and are available at your local hardware store. I've used those and also the rubber roller with india ink and then clear over it.

When I had access to printing ink I used Opaque White ink with a rubber roller and had great results.

I second the paint pen idea. It do piano restoration, and use them on the cast iron plate lettering. They come in black, white, gold, silver and other colors.

Phil

I just used my silver paint pen to do the new raised letters of my new WALKER radiator that I had made for our 1935 Buick.

Works great, not stock, but it looks wonderful.

How does DETAIL make it COOLER, I thought that's what air conditioners & radiators were for?

Dale in Indy hehe

How would I make it "Hipper" then?

If the rest of the vehicle is not 100 % why channel your energy to this part of the car. To me making the rest of the car perfect before you work on the not seen parts is cool ! Wayne

I vote for letting him take the offered suggestions, and do whatever he likes with the tranny.

This isn't the FIRST time someone has detailed a part not seen.

Dale in Indy

Even though I am overweight, I still get my hair cut.

Not a good analogy but you might buy a hat instead ! ( lol )

Maybe the guy just likes to make things pretty. Nothing wrong with that. Personally I'd put that tranny in my living room until I needed it....................Bob

I have painted a lot of small scale, detailed items in my day. Nothing works better than fine paint brushes and a steady hand. Brace you wrists and your hands won't drift. If the white goes too far, then touch up with the black until you have the look you want.

We are talking about a few drops of paint, a bit of rag, and maybe 5 minutes time. If you want this level of detailing it is best done before the part is installed in the car. I see no reason not to do it, if it makes you happy.

Even though its not stock, details like this catch my attention. In a sea of 55-56-57 chevys, Mustangs and Model As some small details catch my eye and make me take a second look at a car. I can see a perfectly restored Grand national winning mustang and think "big deal" and not give it a second look where I will see a small detail like a bit of paint and I will take another look and see if there are any more details that I find interesting. Maybe I have this opinion because I actually restore cars and do almost all the work my self instead of paying someone else to work on it for me. I would much rather look at a car restored completely by an owner with all original parts instead of something restored out of a catalog filled with new reproduction parts. I hope I don't step on any toes with my opinions here.

I like the idea of highlighting raised casting marks with contrasting paint color. It's different and looks good. I've used high density foam rollers to do this, and have found that several passes with a light coat work best for me. I've not used them, but I think the recommended rubber inking rollers would work even better. I have a Crosley engine that has the casting marks high lighted, and this sort of thing seems to be more common within the Crosley community.

Just my $0.02,

Grog

Just a variation on the roller theme, but if you go to the $1 store, you can find disposable ones for interior house painting really cheap. Just look for the ones with very short bristles. The secret is to use something like One-shot so you get good coverage in one or two coats. If you want to get really anal, take some med. thickness gasket material and tap it into place with a ballpeen hammer. Peal away the mangled high part and blast it with an airbrush. I've wasted more time and money on sillier ventures.

Someday I predict some of the readers of this thread will highlight the raised letters on their transmissions or vices. That's the reward for sharing

on this forum. Now I'll have to check my big vices for raised letters.

The red highlighting on the raised castings marks on the gray painted cast iron Crosley block is actually correct, I have found evidence of the gray and red on original blocks. It wasn't perfectly applied but it was there.

I like the paint pen idea, I will try that on my next block.

Even though I am overweight, I still get my hair cut.

LOL, that's beautiful. Glad I wasn't taking a swig while I was reading...

Thanks for all the pointers gents. I like all the different ideas and curious enough to try them all now on different pieces.

Sand the surface of the rubber roller an it holds a bit more material, but still not enough to get too heavy. 400 grit should work, a little bit of slow dry solvent helps too. You need to get your own mojo on for what consistency works for you which is 1/2 the fun of jobs like this. Go for it...