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Restoring - General discussions that span across many different groups of years and models => Processes, Products & Techniques => Topic started by: midlife on October 14, 2017, 02:22:17 PM

Title: Fuse Box Lettering - How did they do it?
Post by: midlife on October 14, 2017, 02:22:17 PM
My question is how the fuse box letters are painted white with sunken letters.   There must be a quick way of dipping the fuse box face into paint such that the recessed letters retain the paint, but how do you get the paint off of the higher surface, leaving the paint in the recesses?

I'm scratching my head on this...
I don't think there were lots of folks using hypodermic needles full of white paint carefully painting the letters...
Title: Re: Fuse Box Lettering - How did they do it?
Post by: carlite65 on October 14, 2017, 03:30:57 PM
i've used a water based paint, laying the paint into the letters then wiping the face with water....have no idea how the factory did it.
Title: Re: Fuse Box Lettering - How did they do it?
Post by: 67gtasanjose on October 14, 2017, 04:13:26 PM
i've used a water based paint, laying the paint into the letters then wiping the face with water....have no idea how the factory did it.

i've used a water based paint, laying the paint into the letters then wiping the face with water....have no idea how the factory did it.

Similarly, I did mine with a light brushed on pass of white Testers model paint and cleaned off excess with a single layer toilet paper, not the thick-fluffy kind, dampened with lacquer thinner and came out perfect in my opinion.
Title: Re: Fuse Box Lettering - How did they do it?
Post by: jwc66k on October 14, 2017, 04:31:58 PM
When I worked in "Hi-Tech" in the 60's, we used a rubber "squeegee" like device to remove excessive paint from engraved lettering. That's about all I can remember.
Jim
Title: Re: Fuse Box Lettering - How did they do it?
Post by: Bob Gaines on October 14, 2017, 05:52:47 PM
Similarly, I did mine with a light brushed on pass of white Testers model paint and cleaned off excess with a single layer toilet paper, not the thick-fluffy kind, dampened with lacquer thinner and came out perfect in my opinion.
+1. Me too.
Title: Re: Fuse Box Lettering - How did they do it?
Post by: J_Speegle on October 14, 2017, 05:58:18 PM
Ran across a couple of people that were using Liquid Paper years ago, Guess it might not be a good choice if you lived in a humid climate

For those that are not old enough to remember the stuff  ::) This was correcting liquid to correct typing errors on paper when we use to use those things. Originally invented by the mother of one of the members of a famous  TV musical band of the 60's
Title: Re: Fuse Box Lettering - How did they do it?
Post by: midlife on October 14, 2017, 06:49:57 PM
Ran across a couple of people that were using Liquid Paper years ago, Guess it might not be a good choice if you lived in a humid climate

For those that are not old enough to remember the stuff  ::) This was correcting liquid to correct typing errors on paper when we use to use those things. Originally invented by the mother of one of the members of a famous  TV musical band of the 60's
Yup, the Monkees' Michael Nesmith.  The inventor was Bette Nesmith Graham.
Title: Re: Fuse Box Lettering - How did they do it?
Post by: Bossbill on October 14, 2017, 08:04:52 PM
Reconditioning my fuse box for me?  ;)
Title: Re: Fuse Box Lettering - How did they do it?
Post by: midlife on October 14, 2017, 09:00:00 PM
Reconditioning my fuse box for me?  ;)
No...there's not enough money in your bank account for me to do that!  Dammit, Jim, I'm a Doctor, not a painter! 

I'm just curious.

I thought that the manufacturers of the boxes would dip each one into a wet wax pan to just cover the surface, let dry.  Then dip it in a bit deeper pan of white paint, let dry,  Then apply a bit of heat or go back to the first pan to wet the wax and wash off.  If they did this, I would expect to see a bit of white paint into the fuse receptacles themselves, so that's not the way they did this.  I still think a huge workbench of school lunch ladies working carefully to apply white paint with needles is a more interesting image...

Silk screening?
Title: Re: Fuse Box Lettering - How did they do it?
Post by: drummingrocks on October 14, 2017, 09:20:06 PM
But if it was silk screened, would there still be a need for recessed letters?  Seems like the silk screening would wear off because the letters would be slightly raised from the surface of the box itself.
Title: Re: Fuse Box Lettering - How did they do it?
Post by: Bossbill on October 23, 2017, 09:33:26 PM
I now have many fuse boxes to experiment with.
I had one that had some rust stains on the interior from the fuse clips.
So I used that one and my original broken tab version for this experiment.
First stop is into the sink to remove all of the old grunge using Dawn and a toothbrush.

Here is what I used to clean the rust and polish the outside:
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4481/37633060040_583e4e5c3e.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/ZkvgCL)

That nets this:
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4475/37633075220_f9a6751f82.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/Zkvm9u) (https://flic.kr/p/Zkvm9u)

On the inside of the fuse area I used a small wooden stick to polish that area and remove rust:
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4505/37889877041_3d0b07cd00.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/ZJcwo6) (https://flic.kr/p/ZJcwo6)

A toothbrush removed the left over polish.

On to paint. I found some acrylic paint in the wife's studio along with a very small brush. I also found a patch of some linen. I wanted linen as it has almost no fuzzies on it. You need cloth that will not go into recessed paint area. Paper towels are also out.

Apply enough paint to go into the recessed area. That may take some daubing. No air bubbles should be present in the lettering areas:
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4469/37180131644_b98f642d05.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/YDtTNu) (https://flic.kr/p/YDtTNu)

I only let the paint sit 30 seconds or so before I applied a slightly wetter than damp linen to the top surface. It took a few passes and I ended up with this:
(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4470/37180140654_d35c000da4.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/YDtWtQ) (https://flic.kr/p/YDtWtQ)

It looks really sharp and takes only a few minutes.
Title: Re: Fuse Box Lettering - How did they do it?
Post by: midlife on October 23, 2017, 10:31:09 PM
Nice work!
Title: Re: Fuse Box Lettering - How did they do it?
Post by: Mike_B_SVT on October 25, 2017, 05:55:39 PM
Ok, at the risk of exposing my inner-geek...

https://youtu.be/6BYZNCn6WoE?t=17

Now "back in the day" we would use a wax crayon to fill in the lettering, then wipe the surface with a paper towel.  But I guess the "kids" nowadays use a Deco marker from the craft store.
Title: Re: Fuse Box Lettering - How did they do it?
Post by: midlife on October 25, 2017, 07:49:30 PM
Ok, at the risk of exposing my inner-geek...

https://youtu.be/6BYZNCn6WoE?t=17 (https://youtu.be/6BYZNCn6WoE?t=17)

Now "back in the day" we would use a wax crayon to fill in the lettering, then wipe the surface with a paper towel.  But I guess the "kids" nowadays use a Deco marker from the craft store.
Wow!  I think that's the way to do it in the future!  Nice find, Mike!!  Now...where's the nearest Hobby Lobby? DecoColor Paint Pens by Marvy.
Title: Re: Fuse Box Lettering - How did they do it?
Post by: BKnapp on October 26, 2017, 08:26:18 AM
Mike - awesome link. Thanks for sharing! I tried something similar on my heater controls, but that looks way easier.
Title: Re: Fuse Box Lettering - How did they do it?
Post by: Bossbill on October 26, 2017, 07:12:49 PM
Do note that these Deco pens are available in oil based or acrylic formula.
Oil would require a thinner -- acrylic is water based.

My wife has an extensive collection of paint brushes and paints for various hobbies.
I had dozens of brushes to pick from as well as dozens of paints.
I used a small hobby (like model car) brush and an acrylic paint.

If you have to buy something these look like a good deal. If I looked in a different drawer I might have found these!
Title: Re: Fuse Box Lettering - How did they do it?
Post by: suskeenwiske on December 28, 2017, 02:25:44 PM
A few things to note:

1) Oil Based works better on Chromed Metal Surfaces, such as Heater Control Knobs.

2) Be careful how much pressure you use to apply the paint. It prevents premature wear to the tip of the Marker and provides greater uniformity.

3) Sometimes it takes a couple of applications to get the results you need.

Ray
Title: Re: Fuse Box Lettering - How did they do it?
Post by: midlife on December 28, 2017, 02:49:11 PM
I played around with the ink process, and found that the majority of the early fuse boxes that I have have raised letters, not recessed letters.  I guess there were at least two suppliers during this time.
Title: Re: Fuse Box Lettering - How did they do it?
Post by: mtinkham on January 29, 2018, 01:45:36 PM
Is it possible that the factory did the marking and embossed lettering all in one operation....like hot stamping? It would be fast and could be automated. We do hot stamping here at work, but it is typically done on a raised surface. But, I would think that with the right set of dies, the operation could do both...just throwing it out there for consideration...