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I'm having my 46 Clipper deluxe hubcaps replated. Upon return I will need to paint the center areas. I'm looking for some guidance and tips so the job will look like original. I've been practicing freehand on a spare and it looks like crap. Can someone help? thanks

Others may have better tips, but mine seem to look good and hold up for about 10 years, here's how I do it.

For the center, I clean with solvent that leaves no residue, e.g. acetone, but first I use a tiny piece of emery on the end of a pencil eraser to cut the gloss of the chrome plating a bit. I mask, and then try to flood the area with a very slow-driving enamel, of late I've been using Cook & Dunn's "Flame Red" or Benjamin Moore's "Brilliant red". For the black I again clean with acetone, use a slow-drying enamel, and use a tiny brush to go around the letters, finishing off with a rubber block to wipe the high spots, and then a bit of thinner on a Q-tip for any final adjustments.

For the red hex, you can also buy them in either plain paper or reflective paper decals or pressure-sensitive paper, still leaves the black to contend with. The reflective red paper center was a legit factory accessory kit I believe, though I can't say for which years.

Hope you find this helpful.

Any idea how it was done at the factory (or manufacturer if they outsourced it)? Just curious.

Who is/was selling the red center sections-I thought it was a Packardclub item but could not find it

The Packard Club is still selling the red hexagons. Go to the Packard Club website www.packardclub.org and click on Online Store. Then click on Decals. There are two sizes of hexagons. Measure yours before you order. I understand they are available elsewhere but I will let whoever knows where else address that.
Ken

The Packard Club has been out of the larger red hexes
(1 -15/16) for quite some time. They list them, but when you click on it, it comes up "sorry, can't find item". I recently ordered them from Max Merritt for the same price ($10 for 4)and they work great!
They look just like they have been painted but with real crisp edges, not too shiny, or reflective,either.

Another option is to just call a local sign painter or pinstriper in your area. I am sure they would do a good job and it shouldn't cost that much.

Painting the hexagon is not the problem. My shaky hand just wont do the job on the black colored areas. Anybody have some additional tricks? What do the restorers do? If there is a way to do a professional looking job, I'd like to paint the hubcaps myself! Thanks for reply!

The senior red hex is not to difficult, but I have to do a set of clipper ships wheel hubcaps. any suggestions????

One method I and others have had success with when the painted area is below the chrome is to carefully mask off as much as possible then use spray paint over all including the exposed chrome.

It will take some experimentation and probably a few tries to get conditions just right but essentially, let the paint dry to slightly tacky then wipe the excess off the raised chrome with lacquer thinner leaving just the paint in the recessed areas.

To wipe, use a dampened but not soaking wet cloth stretched over a hard object (wood) so just a minimum of cloth is able to get into the recession so cloth stays above the paint.

The trials will be to determine just how tacky to let the paint get and just how damp & thick the cloth needs to be. Too dry a paint will be hard to remove, too wet will run and too much lacquer thinner will squeeze and run onto the paint.

I have not tried it, but some have mentioned lightly wiping the chrome with a waxed rag similar to that used for the lacquer thinner first. You would have to be careful not to apply so much that it gets into the area paint will be in. It might work as the wax is supposed to prevent the paint from sticking to the raised chrome making removal easier.