There's
no doubt that if you have to replace/refurbish some original number-plates, then
properly painted number-plates with 3½" high letters is the best we can hope
for.
However
that can cost a lot and as I found out if the sign writer has their own ideas on
how the letters/numbers should look - it's not very clever.
Therefore when I saw two members with new number-plates recently, my first
question was "who painted them for you?". The reply "They're stencils, we
painted them".
The
stencils are a thick paper or thin card with a 'low tack' backing to them and
are supplied already with the Letters and Numbers pre-cut out (there are small
tags to support the centre of a 'O' for example). The paper/card stencil has a
protective sheet over the low tack adhesive. The backing is removed and the
stencil lightly pressed onto the number plate then spray or hand paint the
numbers through the stencil, wait a brief period and remove (and dispose) of the
stencil.
Try to
use a light cream rather than white, it looks so much better. You will need one
stencil for EACH number plate, they are not reusable.
They are
available from 'Classic Transfers', PO Box 17, Wotton-Under-Edge, Glos. GL12
8YX. Tel: 01454 260 596.
My only
observation is that the 9 and 6 look the same, just one of them turned upside
down. As part of my early draughtsman training I seemed to have to do Roman
Lettering for weeks on end, so the proportions are ingrained, these stencils
look minutely wrong at times, the other letter I've seen, a 'D', didn’t look
100% right to me. However I shall be ordering up a set of stencils for one of my
cars, so they are not that bad.
For
those interested in the actual 1930 Regulations for Number-plate Letters and
Numerals,
see
Old Style Number
Plates
This article, written by Sandy Croall, originally appeared in CA7C Seven Focus
in May 2006 pp22-23.
