Do any of you folks here have a good method for painting raised lettering on a set of valve covers? I have a buddy with a set of 55 Mercury valve covers that he would like to highlight the raised lettering on, but neither of us knows a good method of doing it. I am hoping there is someone here that has done this with good results. Any and all help appreciated!

Picture of said valve cover below.

 

I can't wait to hear the answer on this one! Sorry never done one.

 

I have an idea, but I want better people to speak first.

 

First paint the letter area of the valve covers with the color you want the letters to be.... Then using a very fine artist paint brush, apply Vaseline only to the letters, next paint the valve covers with your color choice... Make sure the paint is dry between each step... After drying simply wipe off the Vaseline.... Takes a steady hand, but it works.... I have used this process on dash lettering with good success.... If you don't want to go through all that trouble, you can try just hand painting the letters with the artist brush and your choice of color for the letters........

 

My wife lettered my 55 covers free hand. Other than having a very steady hand the type of paint is very important. One Shot Lettering enamel works very good, flows off the brush smoothly and dries hard. If you don't have that steady hand a sign painter can do this no problem.Here is the first picture I came across, not the best but you get the idea.... Tedd

 

If you don't have success with curzn's suggestions, find an artist or sign painter to do them for you. Fortunately Fusick has decals available for the valve covers on my 54. Believe it or not but the factory actually used a roller on the original 54-55 valve covers. Some of them looked pretty sloppy.

 

This is actually what I was thinking, but the sign painter idea is a good one. Any more ideas guys?

 

My idea was to use a metal roller that you had rigged guides on the top and bottom sides of the valve cover to control the height off the face, then make one pass and done.

 

Another good one! Keep em coming guys!

 

Okay you gave up part of what i was thinking!LOL We in the aircraft use stamp part mark i am thinking a guy could swap paint for ink or vise verse-ah !JMO

 

Could always try a technique that seems to work well on license plates. Paint the lettering colour first, then the base colour. Sand the lettering to expose the lettering colour, then clearcoat.

Check out the technique here: http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/s...ad.php?t=87382

 

When I had my 74 Cutlass Supreme, I painted the Oldsmobile logo on my valve covers by using a masking tape and tape it completely over the top of the valve cover. I use a small ball peen hammer and lightly tap it on the edges of the letters until the tape cuts making an outline of the letters. When it cuts, just peel the tape off and then all you have is an exposed letters of the logo.

 

This looks like a good idea too! Thanks

 

That is great if the letters are recessed, but the ones I'm talking about are raised. Thanks for the input though!

 

Yes, the valves covers that I did were "raised" letters.

 

Find somebody that can free hand. After numerous tries on my Chevy valve covers I finally sent them to a guy that does pin striping. $120 and they look perfect.

 

I did masking tape stencil cut with a razor then spray painted for my air cleaner. It was a pain but came out nice.

 

That did come out nice!

 

Excellent topic by the way. I am on the cusp of doing this very operation. I started by doing a rubbing of the lettering on a piece of paper. My plan is to have a graphics shop scan the page, digitize it and have my lettering cut in a heat resistant vinyl, colour of my choosing.