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HH56 wrote:

Quote:

I second that.

Not to hijack the thread here but does anyone know of a supplier that could make a plate of that particular graphical style?

I need one for an Antique Radio not a car. I have the artwork.

This builder plates appears to have been etched maybe, then plated and then painted.

And now back to your regularly scheduled program.

Jim

I don't personally know of one but doing a search for "custom engraved brass plate" brings up several companies that might be able to do something. Searching for "custom picture engraving" brings up several more with a different style. Caribbeandude sells the silk screen type so maybe he has a supplier that can do the older style.

MicroMark sells a small do it yourself photo etch kit where you place your artwork on a resist sheet via inkjet printer and then chemically etch that pattern to the plate. Downside to their kit is the size is limited and may be too small for the plate you need plus the kit price may be too high.

There is a different do it yourself approach used by another guyhttp://gasengine.farmcollector.com/Equipment/DIY-Brass-Nameplates.aspx needing a special plate that might work for you. His method is similar to the kit but uses some individual easily available materials commonly used in making printed circuit boards. The results of his electrical plate sure look good -- etched, multi color and quite professional.

The general term for the process to make etched metal plates is "chemical machining" and I sold chemicals and provided tech service to this industry back in the 60s thru the 80s. The earlier method was to apply an acid-resistant silk screen ink image of the areas that were to remain at surface height and then subject the piece to a fairly slow, controlled etching process, followed by removal of the silk screen ink and electroplating if desired. The normal etchant was ferric (sometimes called "iron") chloride of a fairly high concentration (about 1.4 specific gravity). The higher concentration etchant gave a slower and smoother etch. In later years the silk-screen imaging method was replaced with "photo resists" which were coated on the entire surface and then exposed thru a photographic negative of the image with subsequent development, followed by etching and finally removal of the photo resist. The etched decorative panels at the LBJ Library, though not of brass, were done in a similar manner.

Back on post #19, Tim Cole noted: Bob Turnquist had a mint original 39 twelve and the vin number was "George M Cohan"

Tim, I don't recall the personalized patent plate on the Cohan car but it did have a conventional VN samped on the patent plate, 1235-2113 and the thief-proof # is 476775.

Regarding the earlier question about when Packard starting using their own font with the "1" represented by the "I" and the rather unusual "9" and "6", from a quick study it appears that they began that in 1932 though not uniformly across the product line, I have a patent plate from an early Light Eight which still uses the conventional numerals. Not that any of this has anything to do with the alleged Capone car.