Nameplates

[motherhen]

How do you make them pretty?

I just really really stink at painting the crisp lettering on name plates, how do you all do it so good?

[motherhen]

[monsterjones]

Sometimes I airbrush the lettering, seal with dullcoat and then go back and fill
in the background with a brushing....

[motherhen]

Brushing always gets messy with me.......are you doing something special at all?

[monsterjones]

Brushing always gets messy with me.......are you doing something special at all?

Use a finer tipped brush and thin the paint using several thin coats helps.....

[Dinsdale]

Here's a tip I learned at the Model Base. Their site isn't around anymore, so I'll post it here.

This works best with raised letter nameplates. You can pick any colors you want, but let's assume for the demonstration that we want yellow letters and a black background.

1. Airbrush the yellow paint on the raised letters.

2. When the yellow paint is dry, seal it with several coats of spray lacquer. I like to use Testor's Gloss Cote. Allow lacquer to dry for at least a day.

3. Using an airbrush and acrylic paint, spray over the entire nameplate in a contrasting color (black), being sure to fill in all the little spaces between the letters. Let this dry (not too long), but DO NOT seal with lacquer.

4. Using a paper towel and some 99% isopropyl alcohol, put the towel over your finger and moisten it with alcohol. Gently wipe the raised surface of the letters to remove the second color (black). Use a gentle touch and keep repeating using a new section of the towel until the yellow letter surfaces appear clean. The alcohol will eat through the black acrylic paint, but the yellow paint is protected by the clear coat from step 2.

5. When you are happy with the results, seal with Testor's Dull Cote.

It may take a few tries before you get the hang of it. I've demonstrated this technique to the guys in my hobby club, and it's one they now use regularly.

Best wishes,

Paul

[That Batman Guy]

^^ That's how I do too. It takes acouple times before you get it right. But, it's pretty easy to learn.
Bob

[mikef12169]

try this.

Paint the entire name plate the color(s) you want the letters to be

Seal with semigloss. I use Model Master thinned 1/3 thru an airbrush. It MUST be semi gloss, dull coat or gloss will not work.

Thin the background color to the consistancy of milk and work as close as possible with a fine brush to the crevices. The semigloss causes a capillary reaction and will suck the paint in. Dont be afraid to lift and tilt the name plate to help the paint move.

After that i usually air brush the back gound color on and blends in great.

I just did my Psycho house name plate this way and it came out perfect.

Try it, you wont be sorry.

[motherhen]

Thank you for the help. I am off to try and paint the "Bell Ringer" of Notre Dame plate and the "Welcome to New Jersey" sign on Green Haze.....here we go.....

Bell Ringer, sheesh.......Disney sucks.

[Nalissa2]

Those are some great tips. Wish I had read it before I painted my Thing nameplate.

[kevtk135]

Here's a tip I learned at the Model Base. Their site isn't around anymore, so I'll post it here.

This works best with raised letter nameplates. You can pick any colors you want, but let's assume for the demonstration that we want yellow letters and a black background.

1. Airbrush the yellow paint on the raised letters.

2. When the yellow paint is dry, seal it with several coats of spray lacquer. I like to use Testor's Gloss Cote. Allow lacquer to dry for at least a day.

3. Using an airbrush and acrylic paint, spray over the entire nameplate in a contrasting color (black), being sure to fill in all the little spaces between the letters. Let this dry (not too long), but DO NOT seal with lacquer.

4. Using a paper towel and some 99% isopropyl alcohol, put the towel over your finger and moisten it with alcohol. Gently wipe the raised surface of the letters to remove the second color (black). Use a gentle touch and keep repeating using a new section of the towel until the yellow letter surfaces appear clean. The alcohol will eat through the black acrylic paint, but the yellow paint is protected by the clear coat from step 2.

5. When you are happy with the results, seal with Testor's Dull Cote.

It may take a few tries before you get the hang of it. I've demonstrated this technique to the guys in my hobby club, and it's one they now use regularly.

Best wishes,

Paul

Brilliant! Thanks.

[spawndude]

I've used "Fasmask" to paint over the letters before spraying the background color. 2-3 coats usually does it. When dry just peel it off.

You do have to be careful and not get the masking on areas that are to be the background color.

[monsterjones]

Here's a tip I learned at the Model Base. Their site isn't around anymore, so I'll post it here.

This works best with raised letter nameplates. You can pick any colors you want, but let's assume for the demonstration that we want yellow letters and a black background.

1. Airbrush the yellow paint on the raised letters.

2. When the yellow paint is dry, seal it with several coats of spray lacquer. I like to use Testor's Gloss Cote. Allow lacquer to dry for at least a day.

3. Using an airbrush and acrylic paint, spray over the entire nameplate in a contrasting color (black), being sure to fill in all the little spaces between the letters. Let this dry (not too long), but DO NOT seal with lacquer.

4. Using a paper towel and some 99% isopropyl alcohol, put the towel over your finger and moisten it with alcohol. Gently wipe the raised surface of the letters to remove the second color (black). Use a gentle touch and keep repeating using a new section of the towel until the yellow letter surfaces appear clean. The alcohol will eat through the black acrylic paint, but the yellow paint is protected by the clear coat from step 2.

5. When you are happy with the results, seal with Testor's Dull Cote.

It may take a few tries before you get the hang of it. I've demonstrated this technique to the guys in my hobby club, and it's one they now use regularly.

Best wishes,

Paul

Brilliant! Thanks.

I am gonna try this....(have to be careful when "erasing"/rubbing the black from the raised areas)...might make it much easier than painting in background with a fine brush.