I did a test run yesterday with a recent plate. I tried a stamping process and was very disappointed. I think the only way to make it look good is to come up with some orignal-style equipment. My budget isn't that big! I tried a stamp and a flat plate wipe-on, and both looked pretty bad.
I had good luck with a wipe-off technique! I sprayed the entire plate surface, then used a wipe to remove the paint from the high spots on the numbers/letters. If I need to do a restoration on my new/old tags, I'm going with this technique. It yielded a very clean, professional look. This is very similar to Huck's technique.
My correct color scheme is black background with white letters. After prepping the metal, I plan to paint it all white with appliance epoxy paint. I will let it dry/cure for a good week in the sunshine before painting with black enamel. When the black is still wet, I'll wipe off the high spots to reveal the white. If the black starts to dry too quickly, I can add a little solvent to the wipe. The white epoxy should be unaffected by a gentle solvent. If disaster strikes and I remove some of the white, then I can touch that up. Granted, all of this is in case restoration is even needed. I'll let the tax folks clue me into that situation.
Regarding GETTING plates, I watched eBay and saw that there were recent sales of '58 Texas plates for less than $10. This blew me away, because probably like you, I've seen swap meet prices in the $200 range. I threw caution to the wind, put in a bid, and won a SET of '58 FARM TRUCK plates for $10.51. I recommend to anyone wanting to get YOM plates to watch eBay. I'm pleasantly surprised at the good quality and low prices there!
Denny, I see there is a set of
1950 Illinois truck B plates for sale on eBay right now! The item has no bids, still sitting at $9.95 with 5 hours left. I hope you see this post before it is too late. If you miss this one, there is still
a second set for sale with 6 days left. Maybe one of these fit your needs. Then, you too can deal with "license plate painting suggestions"!
Bill
