Restoration of License Plate

[kingrudy]

I am restoring a license plate and I have hit a road block. The plate is a North Carolina plate from 1940. The plate was in fair condition to start with and so I soaked it in Evapo Rust and that removed the light surface rust and to my surprise what little paint that was left on the plate. I lightly sanded it with 320 wet sandpaper and applied the first coat of primer and that revealed a couple of small blemishes. More wet sanding and another two coats of primer (Rustoleum oil based auto primer) and this started to look pretty good at this point, so I used two coats of silver Rustoleum. Now I want to use a brush to do the numbers and letters, but I can't find an oil based Maroon paint for the lettering. I have tried ebay, Hobby Lobby and Sherwin Williams. Does anyone know where I can obtain this paint? Below is what I started with. 

The first pic is the plate purchased off ebay. I found out that you really don't know what you have until it is cleaned up and primed. Second pic is the plate in Evapo-Rust for 24 hours, next pic is out of the Evapo-Rust (All rust gone and most of paint) Sand some spots with 320 wet. Next three coats of Rustoleum oil based auto primer (slight dent shows up between 4 and 6 and at the top at screw holes, but I'm OK with that. Next to last and last pic are Rustoleum Silver in three coats. That's all for now, I ordered the Maroon One shot and that shoule come this week. 

Edited June 9, 2022 by kingrudy (see edit history)

[trimacar]

Your best bet is OneShot enamel, 1SHOT, goes on great, self levels, takes a long time to dry but that allows you to fix mistakes…lettering a plate takes patience, originally it was done with a pad machine which gave great results…

[kingrudy]

This product is available on ebay and I was going to go this route, but my question is can you use a regular run of the mill paint thinner, or do you have to use the one shot reducer?

[nickelroadster]

Even though it is more expensive you may be avoiding other problems by using the thinner that is matched to the paint.

[trimacar]

8 hours ago, nickelroadster said:

Even though it is more expensive you may be avoiding other problems by using the thinner that is matched to the paint.

That's correct, but if you're brush painting, you won't need to thin the paint much if at all.  It does go on a little heavy, but if you're careful that allows you to get a pretty good line on the letters and numbers...have fun!

[kingrudy]

Thanks for all of the advice. I have a couple of plates that I can practice on and I think that I try to use the paint without the thinner first.

[rocketraider]

Small GOOD QUALITY artist's brushes. Hobby Lobby or Michaels usually has such. They may also have a small pad roller which would work for this. 

 

Pics when you're done!🙂

[Gary_Ash]

I have wondered if a rubber roller (brayer) would work for painting the tops of license plate letters using 1-Shot paint. In principle, many states do not allow repainting of license plates, but who is going to enforce this?

[kingrudy]

When I lived in California they allowed plates to be used (YOM) that were in good condition or restored as long as the numbers on the plate were not in use. North Carolina allows you to use any plate as long as you have a NC plate in the car. 

Edited June 6, 2022 by kingrudy (see edit history)

[kingrudy]

I have a plan work on the lettering as soon as the Maroon arrives. I believe that I have seen every post on YouTube regarding the restoration of a license plate. Some are helpful and many show you what not to waste your money on. 

Edited June 9, 2022 by kingrudy (see edit history)

[Frank DuVal]

Does the Directions of the One-Shot still say use Kerosene? That's all I used back in the 80's. I used it to brush on pinstripes. 

 

One-Shot is available at most real art stores.😉

 

Hmm, SDS of the two One Shot specific reducers show Naptha as the main ingredient. SDS of Kerosene shows Kerosine as the main (100%) ingredient. So, did PPG change the formula for One Shot, or just want to sell a reducer? I'd try a small capful of color with some Kerosene in it. You can tell right away if things are not reducing correctly. As I recall, it just took drops of Kerosene to thin to striping consistency.

Edited June 11, 2022 by Frank DuVal (see edit history)

[JFranklin]

Use what the manufacturer calls for. That said I have found that any solvent I have used works. I have used standard paint thinner rather than reducer on most enamels (on machinery). Laquer thinner with catalized enamel when cold weather spraying. I for one like to experiment. I painted my front door on the house by mistake, mixing an unlabeled pint of enamel and a pint of lacquer, thinning with enamel reducer. What I ended up with was a very pleasing matte finish that has lasted over 10 years without a blemish. Unless you are very careful don't spray lacquer over enamel. I have done it, but you need to be ready for disaster if not done right. Go figure. 

Edited June 11, 2022 by JFranklin (see edit history)

[Walt G]

Pin Stripers use or used to use one shot for pin stripes on cars, wheels, monograms on doors etc. I taught art for over 35 years, had available to me all kinds of assorted paints from water base to lacquer to enamel. I use one shot and am using it now to restore a vintage toy. The biggest "mistake" is using a cheap bristol brush- then you blame the paint because you didn't have a correct flat ( not pointy - round) brush. Something about 3/8 or 1/2 inch work best. No need to thin. It flattens/flows  out and you do not see the brush hair lines. Clean up your brush with a decent thinner. One shot is not cheap! But it is very tough/ durable  and long lasting - ALLOW A LOT OF TIME TO SET/DRY. Double what it says on the can, do not press your finger in it to see if it is dry - you will leave a finger print! !!!!!!  Better to let it dry in a place that does not see a lot of activity so dust then floats around and lands in tacky paint.

Sorry if this seems like a lecture but remember I was a teacher! Be a good lad or lassy and listen to your teacher! ( or you will have to start over, there is no quick fix if you goof up)  Experiment on a scrap piece to see how well the paint flows ( best practice piece is a piece of masonite, primed , sanded. then use the one shot on it as the surface will be as about as close to what you want and will paint.

You don't need a huge can of paint. Buy smallest or medium size then if you need more buy more. Go to a quality art store for ART SUPPLIES not some children's craft store - they will not have it. This is not a kids paint, ( fumes etc) so it will not be in the 'craft project of the week' section.

[trimacar]

2 hours ago, Walt G said:

but it is very tough/ durable  and long lasting - ALLOW A LOT OF TIME TO SET/DRY. Double what it says on the can

I agree with this, it's great paint but takes a long time to dry.  Impatience is not a virtue with 1SHOT....

[Frank DuVal]

11 hours ago, JFranklin said:

Use what the manufacturer calls for.

I agree. Back in the late 80s the One Shot can said to use Kerosene. That's why I wondered what PPG changed when they bought them in 2012.

[kingrudy]

On 6/11/2022 at 12:59 AM, Frank DuVal said:

Does the Directions of the One-Shot still say use Kerosene? That's all I used back in the 80's. I used it to brush on pinstripes. 

 

One-Shot is available at most real art stores.😉

 

Hmm, SDS of the two One Shot specific reducers show Naptha as the main ingredient. SDS of Kerosene shows Kerosine as the main (100%) ingredient. So, did PPG change the formula for One Shot, or just want to sell a reducer? I'd try a small capful of color with some Kerosene in it. You can tell right away if things are not reducing correctly. As I recall, it just took drops of Kerosene to thin to striping consistency.

No mention of what to use for the reducer on the label, but warning label of quite thorough. I will try the kerosene with a very small amount. Monday will be a trip to the art store for brushes.  

[kingrudy]

20 hours ago, Walt G said:

Pin Stripers use or used to use one shot for pin stripes on cars, wheels, monograms on doors etc. I taught art for over 35 years, had available to me all kinds of assorted paints from water base to lacquer to enamel. I use one shot and am using it now to restore a vintage toy. The biggest "mistake" is using a cheap bristol brush- then you blame the paint because you didn't have a correct flat ( not pointy - round) brush. Something about 3/8 or 1/2 inch work best. No need to thin. It flattens/flows  out and you do not see the brush hair lines. Clean up your brush with a decent thinner. One shot is not cheap! But it is very tough/ durable  and long lasting - ALLOW A LOT OF TIME TO SET/DRY. Double what it says on the can, do not press your finger in it to see if it is dry - you will leave a finger print! !!!!!!  Better to let it dry in a place that does not see a lot of activity so dust then floats around and lands in tacky paint.

Sorry if this seems like a lecture but remember I was a teacher! Be a good lad or lassy and listen to your teacher! ( or you will have to start over, there is no quick fix if you goof up)  Experiment on a scrap piece to see how well the paint flows ( best practice piece is a piece of masonite, primed , sanded. then use the one shot on it as the surface will be as about as close to what you want and will paint.

You don't need a huge can of paint. Buy smallest or medium size then if you need more buy more. Go to a quality art store for ART SUPPLIES not some children's craft store - they will not have it. This is not a kids paint, ( fumes etc) so it will not be in the 'craft project of the week' section.

Thanks for the information, I will try it on another (scrap) plate and stay away from the reducer to begin with. 

[Walt G]

Mike

Like anything what you paint will come out great if the surface you are working on is perfect, just like of you were restoring a fender on a car. It is all in the preparation. It will take a while to get used to how much paint to put on to flow correctly and see the brush hair marks disappear and not put to much on and then it "puddles" and will crack in the center of that puddle when totally dry. Yes, experiment .

I am always happy to share how or what with most everyone - be it something like this, sung a spray gun to paint lacquer, share a period image or photo etc. we all are a bunch of guys and gals who just take great satisfaction in history and preservation and the eye appeal of fine objects.

Walt

[wborh37]

Bama Red will work just fine.

 

Cheers, 

 

Will 

[kingrudy]

I put this aside for awhile, as I was not sure how to proceed with the painting of the letters and the color was hard to find. The right color IMO was the Sign Painters 1 shot maroon. This is the first attempt.  Not happy with this as it is good from afar, but far from good. Small paint smudge below the zero and the paint is too thick (need thinner) on the letters, but the background silver looks good to me. I think that I'll try to wet sand the letter, spray the silver again, then thin the maroon and try painting the maroon again. I've been fighting the wiring on the car and lately found a leak on the radiator. Both solved.

Edited June 7, 2023 by kingrudy (see edit history)

[rocketraider]

I think it looks very nice.👍NC had some great license plate designs thru the 1940s, then standardization came along. 

 

Gotta remember prison labor was used to make license plates, so they were far from perfect when made.

[Rusty_OToole]

On 6/4/2022 at 8:27 PM, Gary_Ash said:

I have wondered if a rubber roller (brayer) would work for painting the tops of license plate letters using 1-Shot paint. In principle, many states do not allow repainting of license plates, but who is going to enforce this?

That is how they were made in the first place but an awkward job if you are only doing one.

 

If I were painting a license plate I would start by giving it 3 good coats of the lettering color using a spray can or touch up gun. When it was good and dry I would give it a couple of light coats of the background color.  Then polish away the top color from the lettering using fine rubbing compound or polishing compound on a rag wrapped tight around a finger tip. If you go too heavy with the background color you might have to lightly sand it off with fine wet or dry paper, like 600 or 800.

[kingrudy]

3 hours ago, rocketraider said:

I think it looks very nice.👍NC had some great license plate designs thru the 1940s, then standardization came along. 

 

Gotta remember prison labor was used to make license plates, so they were far from perfect when made.

Thanks Glenn,

I was not satisfied with the even flow of the maroon, so I'm going to try a new approach. Good enough is not good enough. The plate is marinating in the secret sauce and I will begin again tomorrow. 

[Walt G]

One Shot has its own thinner that you can buy , I would stick with their own product and not substitute anything else. When I use it I do not thin it and it had no issue flowing

or being to thick,. You have to use a really good quality brush and clean the brush out well after each use.

[kingrudy]

14 hours ago, Rusty_OToole said:

That is how they were made in the first place but an awkward job if you are only doing one.

 

If I were painting a license plate I would start by giving it 3 good coats of the lettering color using a spray can or touch up gun. When it was good and dry I would give it a couple of light coats of the background color.  Then polish away the top color from the lettering using fine rubbing compound or polishing compound on a rag wrapped tight around a finger tip. If you go too heavy with the background color you might have to lightly sand it off with fine wet or dry paper, like 600 or 800.

Problem is the maroon. I tried to find this in a rattle can and was not able to find the right color. I don't have a compressor, or a paint sprayer. I have viewed about every site on you tube and a few were very good with excellent results done by brush. I have put a lot of thought into this and before I start attempt #2 I will read all of the tips on this post one more time. The biggest problem is the raised letters and numbers that slightly beveled. Trying to paint only the raised portion and not the bevel. 

[Tom Boehm]

If you don't have a compressor / sprayer you could use a Preval Kit. That would be perfect for a small object like a license plate. Basically it is like a spray can that you can put your own paint in. They are available at Home Depot and hardware stores. Not expensive.      www.preval.com.    

[Frank DuVal]

Back in the 80s and 90s when I was painting pinstripes on collision damaged cars I use Sign Painter's One Shot and the directions said to thin with Kerosene. I did and it worked great! I was using Mack sword striping brushes. I never did more than that, like the pinstriping guys who show up at Rat Rod shows!😁

 

Maybe the formula changed, or they just want to sell their brand of thinner. I'm sure their brand works well with their product!

 

Remember, the first cars were brush painted! They got good results at the time.  Before DeVilbiss got started.

Edited June 8, 2023 by Frank DuVal (see edit history)

[JACK M]

Is this plate already assigned to a car?

I restored a set of plates several years ago and the state rejected them as they have to be original plates.

Lesson learned, get them assigned to the car then restore them.

From here yours look pretty good. Make em to perfect and you won't want to put them on a car where they will be out in the elements.

[drhach]

I use mineral spirits to thin One Shot. You don't mix it with the paint though. I keep a separate cop of mineral spirits and a portion of straight paint. Load the brush with paint and then dip the tip of the brush in the mineral spirits. The wet out the brush on a sheet of magazine paper. You'll feel when the brush stops dragging. You'll also feel when you've gone too far and it gets sloppy. 

 

Also, to reduce dry time, you can add a product called "Japan Drier". It won't take much and if you do go too far with it, you'll start to lose the glossy finish and it will turn flat. 

 

The paint formula has changed. They used to use lead in the paint. They can't do that anymore. It was called "one Shot" because you got coverage in "One Shot". No need to do multiple coats. The lead was a significant factor in that. 

 

[kingrudy]

9 hours ago, JACK M said:

Is this plate already assigned to a car?

I restored a set of plates several years ago and the state rejected them as they have to be original plates.

Lesson learned, get them assigned to the car then restore them.

From here yours look pretty good. Make em to perfect and you won't want to put them on a car where they will be out in the elements.

California had the same standards. You could use the YOM (year of manufacturer) as long as the plate was in good condition (front and back of car) and the numbers were not in use. North Carolina requires that you have one of the current plates in the car, but are not fussy about what plate you put on the car. 

Edited June 9, 2023 by kingrudy (see edit history)

[Frank DuVal]

Here in VA we just assign the YOM plate to the car, no other plates need to be bought for the car! No other plates need to be carried in the car.

[Matt Harwood]

I have a plate I want to restore but I'm worried about painting the letters. I'm going to take the plate to the sign shop we use and have them scan it and then cut me some vinyl decals that match the letters exactly. Then I can just peel and stick (I hope). The trick will be getting the scale exactly right, but I'm sure the sign shop can manage that without any problem. 

 

 

Edited June 9, 2023 by Matt Harwood (see edit history)

[rocketraider]

12 hours ago, Frank DuVal said:

Here in VA we just assign the YOM plate to the car, no other plates need to be bought for the car! No other plates need to be carried in the car.

The VA legislature went after farm use plates last year. I've told a couple folks to hang on, because some legislator's gonna see dollar signs and come after antique plates again in another money grab.

 

If VADMV would only do their job and screen AV plate applications, most of the antique (for that matter farm use) plate abuse would go away. And AACA folks wouldn't have to go to Richmond as often to fight for them.

 

NC does things a bit differently. Their antique/YOM plates don't get near as many perks as we do in VA. Exempting all vehicles 35 years and older from safety and emissions inspections is probably the biggest break they get, but plate renewal is tied into the inspection system. That can complicate what should be a simple process.

 

You can't tell me that beautiful 1940 NC plate won't make people smile when they see it motorvating along.😎

[EmTee]

I have had good luck finding decent YOM plates for my cars and just touching-up bare or rusted spots with Testors hobby enamel and a brush.  Then I spray the entire plate with a rattle-can clear coat.  They come out looking virtually new, but not over-restored.  I also used photos of the as-bought plates (before touch-ups) to send to the DMV...

[kingrudy]

12 hours ago, Matt Harwood said:

I have a plate I want to restore but I'm worried about painting the letters. I'm going to take the plate to the sign shop we use and have them scan it and then cut me some vinyl decals that match the letters exactly. Then I can just peel and stick (I hope). The trick will be getting the scale exactly right, but I'm sure the sign shop can manage that without any problem. 

 

 

I like that approach, the N. C. plate would be easier if they had not used the unusual font that they chose (very few straight edges). Good luck with the plate Matt. I would like to see how it turns out. 

[kingrudy]

I am seriously thinking that the best approach is to start over. Remove all paint, prime, paint background and then letters. Any suggestions for paint remover?

[Tom Boehm]

Any hardware store paint remover should take off one or two coats on sheet metal. 

[Barney Eaton]

That is a lot of discussion............  I did some plates a few years back and the consensus was to paint the plate first with 

the color of the letters.    Then paint the background and while still wet, wipe the background color off the letters and that

reviles the letter color.  Then you can finish by buffing the letters to remove any smudges etc.

My dad would use a block (like a rubber stamp) with several layers of cloth on the front.  dampened the cloth with the letter color

and then "stamp" the raised letters with the home made block. 

[Hubert_25-25]

I followed this procedure that I found on the internet.  The key is to put a clear coat between the two colors.  You wet sand the color that is over the letters.  Then clear the whole thing.  What I did wrong on my first attempt was I did not spray enough clear between the 2 colors.  I sanded thru that clear, and you do not want to do that.  That is why he recommends 5 coats of clear between.  It makes a professional looking plate.    

 

License Plate Restoration (From the internet)

 

I had a couple of pairs of plates that were in nice condition, but they had a few nicks and dings in them. The county tax office said that for the plates to be approved, that I had to touch them up. I decided to totally repaint them and this is the process that worked the best and looks awesome:

 

Here is the plate I started with:

 

http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f88/tommyzees/licenseplate.jpg

 

Regular paint remover makes quick work of stripping the old paint off:

 

http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f88/tommyzees/licenseplate001.jpg

 

A wire brush gets all the old paint off:

 

http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f88/tommyzees/licenseplate005.jpg

 

http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f88/tommyzees/licenseplate007.jpg

 

http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f88/tommyzees/licenseplate008.jpg

 

Small dings can be worked out with a hammer and dolly. Filler may be needed on bigger dents. I used polyester primer to prime the plates:

All dents must be hammered out.  Use a small punch set. 

 

http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f88/tommyzees/licenseplate010.jpg

 

http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f88/tommyzees/licenseplate009.jpg

 

We now need to paint the plate. 2 coats primer.  The numbers and letters are white so I painted the whole plate white with catalyzed urethane: 2 coats

 

http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f88/tommyzees/licenseplate011.jpg

 

When the paint is dry, I applied 5 coats of clear over the white:

 

http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f88/tommyzees/licenseplate012.jpg

 

When the clear was dry, I applied two coats of black basecoat over the clear:

 

http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f88/tommyzees/licenseplate013.jpg

 

The next thing to do is to very carefully sand through the black base coat to reveal the white numerals underneath. I use a sanding pad and 1200 grit sandpaper with lots of water:

 

http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f88/tommyzees/licenseplate016.jpg

 

Since we applied 5 coats of clear, there is no chance of sanding through to the white underneath. Start with one numeral at a time until the edges are as nice as you want them:

I used 400 and 1000 sandpaper.  A nice kit is ”Micro Autozip – First finish#9800-036.  Use 400 until you are seeing some white, then switch to 1000.  Pull the paper over the top coat rather than scratching it.  Stay off the corners. 

 

http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f88/tommyzees/licenseplate015.jpg

 

http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f88/tommyzees/licenseplate017.jpg

 

http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f88/tommyzees/licenseplate018.jpg

 

http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f88/tommyzees/licenseplate019.jpg

 

When all the numerals are to your liking, you can apply a couple of coats of catalyzed clear over the whole thing. The clear will bring out the shine in the black and the white and protect the whole plate:

 

I used automotive paint because it is catalyzed and dries quickly.  Duplicolor spray is a good choice because of the color selection and it dries hard-not gummy like some enamels so it sands well.  Duplicolor may be lacquer based.  VHT Epoxy is good paint as well, but colors are limited.

[Gary_Ash]

We were in Auburn, NY this past week, visited the William Henry Seward house, he of buying Alaska fame.  He was also involved in local prison activities and we found a photo of the Auburn prison producing license plates in the 1960s.  To me, it looks like they had an inked roller coating the top layer.