[Staowners] {Spam?} Re: {Spam?} Number plate lens

[Max King]

The "chrome' plating on plastics like Venezia hubcap emblems is done by a 
process of vacuum metalizing that deposits a thin layer of aluminum that 
shines like chrome -- when clearcoated (or back-coated by a fixative in the 
case of show-through embossing such as found in hubcap or steering wheel 
emblems) will give a durable finish.  Vacuum metalizing is usually beyond 
the reach of home hobbyists due to the high cost of equipment involved, but 
commercial operations can do it fairy cheaply for individual pieces.  One 
outfit that specializes in car emblems is

M&M Metalizing Sales (www.mmmetalizing.com).  I have not personally used 
their service so cannot vouch for them from experience.  However, they 
specialize in car emblems and their prices seem quite reasonable.  There 
are many others doing this work (look for people who chrome plate plastic, 
and Hemmings often has ads for these services).  Might be worth a 
try.  Good luck!

Cheers! --Max




At 01:29 PM 5/19/2007, David Reina wrote:
>I also bought a lens from Kip motors a few years ago I know they have
>at least two of the three styles made. At first they sent me the
>wrong one for my year car, but when they had the second mold finished
>they let me exchange it for the correct style.
>
>Also I agree with the evaluation of their paint job.  Not very good.
>I have told Bob who works there about my feelings regarding the
>paint.  I ended up stripping off the paint they had applied with a
>product called Goof Off.  It is sold in hardware stores to get drops
>of paint off a floor, etc.  I don't remember the order I painted the
>lens but I chose to go with a light dusting of white on the letter
>surfaces, (It lights up nicely) and a red translucent CandyColor
>brand lacquer for the backround behind the letters.  I am not sure
>how original this is but I am very happy with the final effect.  I
>remember it took all day to get it right.
>
>I have some broken originals which had a gray backround with the red
>maroon letters, but there is some talk of it once being offered with
>a white backround (or letters?)  with red letters.  The story goes
>that this ended up not being allowed in North America as no white
>lights were allowed on the back of the car except reverse.
>
>Also I turned new brass grommets for where the screw goes thru the
>lens and squeezed them with a ball bearing to expand them like the
>originals.  I think I remember these grommets as being sort of
>important as they acted as an internal stop for the plastic lens as
>the screw is tightened preventing the screw head from putting too
>much bend pressure on the hole.
>
>   Also I think there were some heat reflectors inside which would be
>important with the castings as the urethane they use has a much lower
>softening point than the original acrylic lens.  Finally to mount the
>chrome piece back onto the lens I used 4-40 stainless steel button
>head allen screws.  Aside from the tiny little allen wrench hole
>these screws look pretty much like the original rivets.
>
>   As far as the fit goes, I understand that there is always shrinkage
>whenever a mold is made from an original piece.  The only way
>nowadays to get around this issue when molding is to have the
>original part computer scanned and have the computer prototype
>growing system crank out a new mold pattern with the shrinkage
>factored in.
>
>If anybody had a technique for reapplying the chrome to the lens
>details please let me know.  I am trying to reproduce a hubcap emblem
>for the Sunbeam Venezia.  It was sculpted in reverse on the back of
>the badge and parts of the image were plated.
>
>Regards,
>
>David Reina
>
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>Staowners at sunbeamtalbot.info
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  Max King, Ph.D.
  Office of the Vice Provost for University Life
  University of Pennsylvania
  3611 Locust Walk
  Philadelphia, PA 19104-6222
  (215) 898-6081 (Phone)
  (215) 573-5611 (FAX)
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