Dash lettering

P3Steve
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Dash lettering

Post by P3Steve » Fri Jan 28, 2011 4:10 pm

Just repainted the dash centre section on the P3. Someone had done it long ago so the lettering has long been lost (so had the chrome edge) I was going to make up some water slide transfers on the pc for the lettering for the switches but was wondering has any one done this before if so what is the type face and font size for the lettering?

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paul williams
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Re: Dash lettering

Post by paul williams » Sat Jan 29, 2011 10:43 am

I have thought of doing the same for the p4 dash. I cant help with the font or size but if we were able to produce a sheet it would be a great thing to add to the web site.

Paul

Paul Williams
1929 2litre Saloon
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P3Steve
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Re: Dash lettering

Post by P3Steve » Sat Jan 29, 2011 1:07 pm

I'm sure some one did do this a few years back but I cant remember who or when but if any one knows perhaps they could give us a name or contact number, who knows they might still have the program on there PC

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47p2
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Re: Dash lettering

Post by 47p2 » Sat Jan 29, 2011 9:58 pm

I've heard of some owners using Letraset transfers

P3Steve
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Re: Dash lettering

Post by P3Steve » Mon Jan 31, 2011 8:16 am

47p2 wrote:I've heard of some owners using Letraset transfers
Now that's a good idea and it gets round the problem that most home printers dont have white ink, so I think it might be worth trying to first spray a blank sheet of transfer paper with the same black as the dash then making up the words with letraset before cutting them out as close to the letters as posable and then water sliding them onto the dash. Doing it in the printer I thought of spraying a sheet of transfer paper matt white then using ms words to make "speech" box's and colouring the letters white but the box infills black but its hard to tell how the ink in a printer would react to painted transfer paper so your idea seems so much simpler. Theres a craft shop near me that dose letraset the letter size I can soon work out looking at the space available and I can see what type style they do and pick the nearest one to the pictures I have of dash lettering

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47p2
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Re: Dash lettering

Post by 47p2 » Mon Jan 31, 2011 10:41 am

Keep us informed of the progress

P3Steve
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Re: Dash lettering

Post by P3Steve » Mon Jan 31, 2011 11:59 am

Been down to my local branch of Staples and tried a few other place including a craft shop and it seem no one stocks Letraset any more so it looks like I need to get some off the web site you gave me. The type face is a plain type which looks like the one known as "Helvetica Med Cond" as seen on the web. using a set of calipers it looks like the letter hight is 3mm so I might see what they can do for me. I'll let you lnow how I get on.
Steve

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Re: Dash lettering

Post by lakesrally » Wed Mar 30, 2011 7:27 pm

I did the lettering on my P3 many years ago using dry transfers and I am very pleased with the results. I am not sure now that they were Letraset but I may still have the sheet lurking somewhere at home. Unfortunately I am not at home at the moment.

P3Steve
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Re: Dash lettering

Post by P3Steve » Fri Apr 01, 2011 7:04 am

Didn't manage to find any letraset in the shops but near me is a very big model warerhouse who normaly mail order but let the public in too and they do sheets and sheets of transfers for model kits and they hed a sheet of transfers that were for Royal Navy model aircraft but had rows of letters all the right size, not had a chance to have a go yet as the dash is back out while I work on the clock (fitting a modern clock motor to the original face but thats another story) but will be having a go soon.

P3Steve
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Re: Dash lettering

Post by P3Steve » Sat Apr 02, 2011 6:36 pm

Spent a tedious afternoon cutting out 3mm water slide letters out of a sheet of decals then using tweezers and a pin and sliding them into position on the dash of the P3 but have to report that it was well worth the effort as they look excellent, the size seem just right but its a devil of a job to get all the letters to line up and be spaced just right so you need to be patient and have a very steady hand. When there dry I will lightly seal them with a bit of laquer (I'll do some tests first but as I used a rattle can of black paint on the dash its self I'll try a car laquer on a sample bit first) The sheet is one of a range made by a company called Microscale Modeldecal and are distributed only through H G Hannant Ltd Harbour Road, Oulton Broad, Lowestoft, Suffolk, NR32 3LZ and cost £4 a sheet but there are enough to do the dash twice over. If any one wants a sheet I can get one for you and post it to you or you can go to Hannants direct their number, 01502 517444 email sales@hannants.co.uk and the decal sheet you need is set No. 48B 1:72 scale letters and numerals for post war British aircraft.

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