Lettering for BC348

[ve6pg]

..Hey...I am restoring a '348..really requires a paint job..ok..where can i find a letter set, for labeling the various controls?..

  tim..
..sk..

[KA0HCP]

http://www.radiodaze.com/category/206.aspx

Radio Daze has generic word sets in water-slide decals, and they can make up custom decals, I believe.

[Pete, WA2CWA]

Dymo labels for that 70's sexy look:



Then there's the long standing stuff that's been around for years by Datak:
http://www.minute-man.com/acatalog/DATAMARK____153____Dry_Transfer_Letters_bu_Datak.html

[KA3EKH]

Most BC-348 receivers I have seen have raised lettering on the panel, what I have done before is remove the front panel, about a week’s worth of work and then clean real well, spray the thing black, let it dry a couple days and then take fine grain sand paper and lightly remove the paint from the raised lettering. You’re on your own as far as trying to reproduce that dam crinkle paint job. I have a web page I did on the receivers at:

http://staff.salisbury.edu/~rafantini/bc348modifications.htm

But you can tell from the pictures that I have not mastered the art of painting them myself.

[ve6pg]

..this one has the lettering "painted" on...my .348-L had raised, this "N", does not..

..sk..

[KA3EKH]

How bad dose it look? After all they are like seventy years old so you don’t want it to look new. The raised letters are yet another reason why I like the “Q” series over the old style with the grid caps. You doing this as all original?

[Todd, KA1KAQ]

My R model is engraved after the panel was painted, yielding nice silvery lettering. Unfortunately, it doesn't lend itself well to repainting as a number of pre-war Super Pro owners have discovered.

The problem will be getting anything to adhere well to the wrinkle finish if that's what you're using to repaint with. Labels or decals will only stick to the high areas of the wrinkles, allowing air and dirt underneath over time which will work them loose.

[ve6pg]

hmm...well, it does look rough..likely because it was never primed..these receivers of course were built by various companies...i have a Q, that also has painted on lettering...so, depending on who built it, under license, likely did not care about cosmetics...then again, many '348's never survived more than a few flown missions, so who cared?..
..sk..

[KA3EKH]

I think the old paint job has some character that a freshly painted one may lack, the knob was from a donor set and looks new compared to the rest of the receiver. Maybe you will have to do a silk screen approach, but if you make a stencil set imagine there are several people who would want to buy a copy from you. Apart from the ARC-5 stuff the BC-348 is maybe the most popular WW2 receiver.

[W3GMS]

..Hey...I am restoring a '348..really requires a paint job..ok..where can i find a letter set, for labeling the various controls?..

  tim..
..sk..

Hi Tim,
You may want to give this a try for a real basket case panel:

Strip it to bare metal and clean it very well. 

Use a good spray primer.  I like the etching primers from East Wood Auto supply.

After the primer dries and you lightly sand it with 200 grit paper, spray it with a flat white paint or whatever color you want the letters to be.

After that, apply the wax dry transfers and make sure they are fast against the panel.  This will keep the wrinkle paint from going where the transfer letters are. 

Spray the panel with your favorite wrinkle paint. 

Once the paint dries, remove the transfer wax letters.

The wrinkle paint should not adhere to the wax letters so the wax should come off relatively easy.  If the panel is truly dry you may be able to use some soap and water to assist getting the wax letters off.

When the wax is removed, you should have your white letters exposed.
 
Have fun....

Joe, W3GMS