DODGE Tailgate Lettering

[grey beard]

I surely could use some good ideas on the issue of painting tailgate letters. Bunn's book sez make 'em all silver on the addendum inside my front cover, but all his pics surely look white to me. Think I like white better, myself anyhow.

Has anyone tried a hard roller for this job? Did anyone try doing the job freehand with a brush? I know there are some painted tailgates in our midst. Sure wish someone would give me an elegant answer for this one.

Thanks for your time.

[Dale Uhrich]

I will have a lettering company do my truck name this week with the same stuff they do signs with.

[pflaming]

You might consider painting the letters, let them thoroughly dry, tape over them then with masking tape. Then very carefully with a very sharp exacto knife remove the excess tape so the letters are covered. Now paint the gate when that paint is very dry remove the tape. or reverse the process paint the gate cut out the letters and paint them. That is what I did on my hubcaps.

[greg g]

Dave I did mine as I have done license plates in the past. I painted the letters with about 5 coats of the color I wanted, then I rolled on the field color, after each coat of filed color I cleaned it off with a rag with thinner, to reveal the letter color below. I will give it a coat of clear to finish. Since I am going for a matte finish, I was not to finiky. And I had a few more letters with my orphan project.

[grey beard]

Grekg,

Looks good to me.

[woodscavenger]

Is that your truck, or your personalized nickname?

[Don Coatney]

Is that your truck, or your personalized nickname?

Good one! Why didnt I think of that.

[woodscavenger]

Well, I did cuz that's my nickname at home!!! Hahahahahah

[MBF]

Be happy it wasn't an I N T E R N A T I O N A L:D (for a couple of reasons) Mike

[greg g]

apparently your scroll right buttons are not responding. But I have always said the you don't need this big a hammer to drive a carpet tack.

[grey beard]

My brother restored a 48 Ford pickup. He sprayed white lacquer - 5 coats - over his tailgate script, then painted the whole thing green. When everything was dry, he block sanded the script lettering just enough to bring the white up. Looks perfect.

I'd try to do the same on my own tailgate but can't for several reasons. First, the lettering is much larger than the small, focused Ford script. Secondly, my own gate is too rough on the lettering surfaces to get it all just perfect, as he did.

Guess I just need to find someone who can paint the letters freehand. All that cutting out of masking tape would cut into the paint, and to get it all the same on each letter edge would take a lot of fine motor skills. Was just hoping to find a better way . . . oh well.

[pflaming]

Greybeard:

Taping and exacto cutting is not that difficult. I got a good 'thin' grade of masking tape so that I could finger press the edges very tight and so I could really feel the edge of the letter(s). Then i took a good sharp point ball point pen and very carefully followed the letter's edge. THEN I used the blade. It followed the pen groove very nicely and gave me a nice clean edge. Try it on one letter and use a kid's water based paint. You may surprise yourself. If you don't like the results just wash off the paint.

In the thumbnails the second cap had not yet been polished. Wanted to see if there was a difference, it cleaned up like the one on the left. I am very pleased with the results.

PF

[grey beard]

Paul,

Your hub cap paint job looks very nice. I'm impressed. If nothing better comes along the horizon, I'll try your method.

I like your origie pickup hub caps. My own are from a Dodge auto and are not correct for a pickup. Mebby some day I'll find a set like yours.

Thanks for sharing

[Jim Shepard]

I had a pin-stripe guy do mine. I figured their hands are steadier than mine. I did the silver color and it turned out rally nice. I think it looks better than white...

[YourPowderCoating.com]

I had a pin-stripe guy do mine. I figured their hands are steadier than mine. I did the silver color and it turned out rally nice. I think it looks better than white...

I would like to see it,

I have Magic Kustoms as a biz partner and he has wicked striping/paint talent (I do all the powder work, he slings paint), I'm thinking, since mines not a resto like factory, I would like to do a 2 color, body of the letters one color and pinstripe around them w/ a contrasting color.

My truck is black w/ silver metal flake accents, like grill, hood ornament, headlight rings, door handles, tank fill pipe, and the fats and skinnys are also done in gloss black w/ a heavy silver flake lip.

[Jim Shepard]

I would like to see it,

I have Magic Kustoms as a biz partner and he has wicked striping/paint talent (I do all the powder work, he slings paint), I'm thinking, since mines not a resto like factory, I would like to do a 2 color, body of the letters one color and pinstripe around them w/ a contrasting color.

My truck is black w/ silver metal flake accents, like grill, hood ornament, headlight rings, door handles, tank fill pipe, and the fats and skinnys are also done in gloss black w/ a heavy silver flake lip.

http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c141/shephatchery/lettering.jpg

Here it is... a little dirty.

[Merle Coggins]

http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c141/shephatchery/lettering.jpg

Here it is... a little dirty.

A little dirty? Where?????? I can practically see myself in that shine.

Looks good Jim.

[greg g]

I see 3 or 4 water spots, was it a dewey morning??????

[Reg Evans]

That sure is a straight hunk of metal. Is it a repop or did you have a great body man?

[YourPowderCoating.com]

http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c141/shephatchery/lettering.jpg

Here it is... a little dirty.

very very nicely done, very crisp and clean.

[Jim Shepard]

That sure is a straight hunk of metal. Is it a repop or did you have a great body man?

As far as I know it's original. It was pretty straight to begin with and, yes, I had a great body man. His real work, though, was on the rear fenders - they were pretty dinged up.