Raised Letter Dashboard Restoration Technique

[MikesRJ 552]

Wheel Horse B/C/D Tractor Dash Panel Restoration Tutorial

    How to properly restore a Tractor Dash Panel
 

Wheel Horse Dash Panel Restoration Tutorial
		Originally posted by: MikesRJ - 03/06/2010
	Click any picture in this article to view a larger version of the image
Restoring old tractors (garden type or full-size farming equipment) presents the restorer with many challenges. Not so different from automotive or aircraft restorations, certain little tricks-of-the-trade are learned along the way which every restorer should have in their basket of tricks. The older a restoration subject is, the harder at times it is to locate a suitable "show-quality" part to complete the restoration. Sometimes you simply don't have a choice but to restore the part you have in hand because a replacement just simply does not exist. This how-to presents one of those tricks. The best part about this particular restoration technique it that it can be used on any part made of plastic, PVC, vinyl, leather, cloth or wood. The images above are of the Dash Panel before it was removed from a Wheel Horse C-160 Tractor, and after this restoration process was performed. Yes, boys and girls, that is in fact the same dash panel shown in both pictures. Excellent results can be achieved if you remind yourself to be patient, take your time, and follow the process presented here. Practicing the method on anything with raised letters beforehand also greatly enhances your chances of success. Simply follow this process on a "scrap" item and you should be ready for the actual piece in no time.
PROCESS OVERVIEW:
As restoration quality and New Old-Stock (NOS) Wheel Horse Dash Panels are harder to come by, it becomes necessary to restore what you have rather than replace the part entirely. This page is dedicated specifically to the restoration of an otherwise "good condition" dash panel that has been time-weathered, and return it to its original luster. Before moving on to restore your tractor restoration Dash Plate, it is HIGHLY SUGGESTED that you read through this entire article and perhaps try this method on a spare or "sacrificial" part beforehand. You only have one chance to do it right on your final piece, and a million ways to do it wrong along the way. As a side-note: This process can be used with very little variation on any tractor part which is made of vinyl, plastic, PVC, cloth, leather, or rubber. The VHT line of products is extensively used in the automotive/aircraft restoration worlds for returning anything made of these materials back to near original appearance. See more details concerning VHT Vinyl Dye products at this website: http://www.vhtpaint.com
TOOLS REQUIRED:
1. Small bristle brush and Dawn Dish Detergent 2. 1/8" Metal punch and heating source (if making repairs) 3. 800 grit Wet/Dry Sand Paper 4. 0000 (fine) Steel Wool 5. Common Automotive Brake Fluid 6. Paper Towels 7. VHT Vinyl Dye, Gloss Jet Black (p/n: SP941) 8. Elmer's "Painter's" Opaque Paint Marker (fine & wide tip) 9. Dental Picks, Tooth Picks, and/or Exact-O Knife
PAINTING TECHNIQUE:
The white borders, letters, and symbols on the dash panels were originally manufactured using a screen printing roller technique. This method produces an extremely thin, opaque layer of material which is extremely strong and relatively long lasting. Since reproducing this technique is far more difficult for the "home restorer", the method presented here is relatively easy, and mimics the original process quite well. The technique I use is pretty straight forward and quite simple to do at home. In order to apply the thinnest coat of paint the tip of the paint marker should be as "dry" as possible, but still contain enough material to deposit on the surface. This technique is called "Dry Brushing" and is used by painters and modelers as a method for adding subtle details to whatever they are painting. For the purpose presented here we are using this method to apply the thinnest coat of material we can, in each successive pass over the surface. Once the paint marker is prepared for use per the package directions, the tip of the marker should be touched to a paper towel and dried off as much as possible before touching it to the part to be painted. When moving to the next paint area on your subject piece, re-load and re-dry the tip, then proceed. When painting with the white paint markers, insure the tip is about as wet as when using an artists "dry-brush" technique before touching it to the part. Apply the paint so it thinly "flows" over the surface, and use a paper towel to keep the tip "almost dry" of wet, runny paint between individual characters on the plate. Apply the paint with a very light touch in single passes only. Don't cover any more than a single pass at a time, building layer thickness with each additional coat. As always, follow the package directions for all of the products used in this process. When applying the paint, you are NOT wiping it onto the surface like a paint bush. You are also NOT trying to cover the surface completely in a single pass, rather you want to build successive layers, allowing each layer to completely dry, until an even and completely opaque coverage is achieved. If you attempt to wipe the paint onto the surface, you will produce "edge roll-over" and the paint will either bulge over the side edge of the surface, or run down the side, both of which conditions are undesirable. You should apply the paint in a very light tapping, or patting, manner where the tip is ever so lightly tapped onto the surface, moved over half of the width of the paint marker tip and tapped again; and the process continues from one end of the detail to the other. The only exception to this is when you are applying paint to long, continuous details such as the two border lines around the Dash Panel. These features should be lightly glided over using the dry brush method, from one end to the other end, and the tapping method is applied to finish the strokes at the very tips of these details. Aside from the method of application, the most important factor to keep in mind is that you are NOT trying to completely cover the underlying black dye color in a single pass. What you ARE trying to do is build-up multiple, very thin layers of paint until the white completely masks the black underneath. If done in this manner you are left with very sharp, crisp edges and an overall very thin opaque paint coverage of these raised dash panel details. The second most important aspect is that you insure your panel is well supported, i.e.: will not move during the painting process, while the heel of you painting hand is firmly planted on the work surface as you apply paint. This will insure the steadiest hand, and you will therefore have better control of the paint marker tip and where it touches while you apply the paint. Of third importance, as in any paint application process, starting off with a well prepared surface ALWAYS results in a higher quality final appearance. Complete and thorough cleaning, drying, repairs, and re-cleaning are all painstaking and necessary steps before applying any dye or paint to the surface. The instructions below go into greater detail where necessary, and if followed closely will result in a "better than new" looking part for your tractor restoration.
Step 1: Thoroughly Clean the Dash Panel			Here's where it started!
Once removed from the machine, the entire dash panel should be thoroughly cleaned of all dirt, grease, oil, and old marking paint on all sides. Automotive Brake Fluid is a good paint and marking ink softener, but care must be taken to insure the brake fluid does not "melt" the plastic. I normally test the brake fluid method on the back side of the part, or on any surface which will not be seen when the part is re-installed, in order to insure the brake fluid will not attack the plastic material. Use the brake fluid sparingly, and allow it to sit on the surface at least 1/2 hour, to "loosen" any foreign materials (paint, ink, or hard stains) from the surfaces. Then with a combination of 0000 steel wool (try not to scratch the plastic), gentry scraping using the edge of an exact-o knife, and/or dental picks and tooth picks, you can easily remove all of the unwanted debris. Once all of the foreign matter is removed, the plate should be thoroughly scrubbed with a small plastic bristle brush and Dawn Dish Detergent. This will remove any remaining oil and dirt from the plate, the corners, and the edges. Rinse with warm water and allow the piece to thoroughly dry before continuing. Once it is completely cleaned it should look similar to the image below.			Starting Point
Step 2: Repairing Surface Blemishes
This is the tricky part. If any surface blemishes exist, you need to make a choice whether to make a repair or leaving it as-is. Obviously, starting with a high quality unblemished panel is more desirable, but you may not have a choice but to use a "less than desirable" piece due to replacement part availability. Attempting to repair any surface issue may only result in a far worse appearance than leaving it alone. Choose wisely based on your abilities. Only one surface blemish was corrected on this example (the second "N" in "IGNITION"), the second blemish (the "wiggle" in upper left corner of the Electric Clutch "OFF" arrow-bracket) was left alone as it was too dangerous to attempt repair without further damage. The right side of the "N" was smashed down and the right "leg" of the "N" was partially split in two. A small round punch was used to "re-form" the letters edge by heating the punch tip to just below the melt point of the plastic, and "pushing" the letter back into shape. The split essentially closed up and re-bonded to the adjacent part. Care must be taken to not overheat the punch as you do not want to melt the plastic, only make it soft so it will "move". Once repairs are completed, re-clean the part as you did in Step 1.
Step 3: Restore Plastic Color and Shine
Many products exist which are designed to restore vinyl and plastic to their original luster. I have used many of them with varying results. VHT (A division of Dupli•Color, Inc., a Sherwin-Williams Company) produces a vinyl dye which comes in several colors, and in Gloss and Flat finishes. The product is NOT A PAINT, it truly is a dye designed for vinyl, plastic, cloth, leather, and wood. The vinyl dye, when applied to plastic, forms a polymer on the surface which actually transforms the plastic material surface into a new material matrix. I prefer the look of the hi-gloss finish as it makes plastic parts look more realistically like a "new part" than does the satin finished dye. VHT Vinyl Dye, Gloss Jet Black (p/n: SP941) in the 11 oz. aerosol was used to treat this Dash Panel, which only required a single, light coat to restore the dash panel to its original appearance. NOTE: Allow the dye to absorb and surface-dry at least 4 hours before proceeding to the white painting process.
Step 4: Applying the First Coat of White Paint
Applying the white paint is rather easy, but does require a little technique and a steady hand. For this step I used Elmer's "Painter's" Opaque Paint Markers (available in most craft and hobby shops). The markers come in several tip-sizes, I  used the fine and wide tips here, and is composed of an opaque acrylic paint. The acrylic paint bonds extremely well to the dyed plastic, and holds up to temperature variations and the weather quite well too. LARGE PANEL DETAILS: When using the paint markers, do not press down with any significant force while painting. The driest tip (artists "dry-brush" technique) and the lightest touch (the least amount of downward force) on the plastic produces the best results. Using the wide tipped marker, dry the tip on  paper towel and very lightly cover the large borders with a single pass. DO NOT go over them a second time, as doing so will leave "brush marks" in the paint. The result should be an almost see-through appearance of the white paint. Several coats will be necessary, so if the black shows through, leave it alone. Also, "paint" any large details on the face area; such as the choke symbol, large letters, rabbit and turtle; using the wide tip paint marker, but use the "PATTING" paint method described below for these smaller details. SMALL PANEL DETAILS: As before, you are applying a very thin coat, so make sure the marker tip is almost dry and apply only a very thin coat on the first pass. Using the fine-tip paint marker for lettering and small details, use a patting (or tapping) technique to apply paint to the tops of the letters. Begin at one end of the letter and overlap your taps, moving toward the other end of the letter. Don't wipe the paint on, PAT it on! Especially at the ends of the letters. This keeps the paint from "rolling over" the edges of the raised detail. Dry the tip on your paper towel frequently, and between every new detail painted. NOTE: Notice the black showing through the white in the image below. Keep the first coat VERY, VERY light.
Step 5: Apply Additional Coats of White Paint
ALLOW AT LEAST 4 HOURS BETWEEN COATS The application of paint continues as described in Step 4 until all of the painted areas are completely opaque and covered well. With each pass you will see the paint begin to almost "pool" on the top of the surface. As the paint dries it will flatten out to a nice even coat. The desired result is normally accomplished in just two to three coats of white paint. If you have blotchy or spotty coverage, you can use 800 grit wet-dry sand paper to lightly sand the white faces flat and even the paint coverage, then apply a final top coat after re-clean and dry the part. Make sure you allow the paint to dry thoroughly before sanding, and re-clean the part before applying the next coat of paint. Make sure all surfaces are evenly covered without brush strokes. The image below shows good coverage with very little over-painting or edge "rolling" after only two coats have been applied. Some letters and small details will need to be scraped and cleaned up prior to applying the last coat of white paint.
Step 6: Finishing Up
The final step in the process is to clean up any mistakes or over-painting (edge-rolling). This step is normally done BEFORE the last coat of white paint is applied, so that any scrape marks or edges can be covered on the final pass. I normally use dental picks, tooth picks and/or the tip of an Exact-O Knife to clean any edges which were over-painted or where errant paint has been deposited between letter lines. Any over-paint on the panels surface can be covered up by spraying some of the VHT dye into a small cup and using a fine tipped artists brush to "dry-brush" the paint drip into oblivion. Once the final coat of white marker paint has dried for at least 24 hours, crumble-up a piece of regular kitchen paper towel and buff all of the white painted details. The paper towel material is just course enough to polish the top surfaces and burnish the edges of the white details, giving your panel a "finished" look. The polishing will also remove any specs of dust which may have settled on the surface during drying time. Your piece will now be remarkably similar to an original new part, and is ready for installation on your pride and joy machine.
	The completed piece is now "Show-Ready" and looks like the images below.
My thanks go out to Bob Maynard ("RMaynard"on the Red-Square forum) for the use of his B-80 dash panel in the creation of this How-To. Bob mentioned somewhere on the bulletin board that he was in the market for a NOS Dash Panel for his B-80 restoration. He also mentioned that he had an old usable one in-hand, but did not think it was show-quality enough for his restoration. I offered to restore his old panel for this tutorial, with the thought that he could perhaps use the result on his B-80 should he not find a suitable replacement. I hope you enjoy the tutorial, and Bob; Thank You for allowing me to use your panel for this example.

 

  Edited June 28, 2015 by MikesRJ

[GT14 243]

Nice write up thanks.

[Cole J. 71]

Thanks this will help a lot with my charger 10 project

 

 

[ztnoo 2,298]

You commented "VHT is a division of Dupli•Color, Inc.".

In looking around for the VHT product you recommend in this thread, I ran across a DupliColor product sold at AutoZone.

Do you believe this is the same product you used only, retailed differently?

Dupli-Color/Gloss black vinyl & fabric coating

http://www.autozone.com/paint-and-body/paint-vinyl-and-fabric/dupli-color-gloss-black-vinyl-fabric-coating/645634_0_0/?checkfit=true

 

[MikesRJ 552]

Yes

[ztnoo 2,298]

I decided while I was in the midst of some other maintenance on my GT 14, to attempt the restoration method authored by MikesRJ.
I neglected to take any "before" pics of my dash panel and the hydro control panel prior to starting, but suffice to say they were dingy at best and in some instances on certain symbols and characters, the contrasting white printing was nearly worn off.
Since I wasn't restoring the tractor I wasn't concerned with getting results that would win a blue ribbon at a one foot distance.
I mainly wanted to see if I could just spruce things up and at least provide more contrast to the background and definition to the raised surfaces and improve the overall appearance without getting carried away with producing something which was flawless in appearance. My tractor is a "worker" not a trailer queen, so you have to draw the line somewhere.

I did opt to use the VHT product initially suggested after finding it available through an O' Reilly's auto parts store in a neighboring town.
Locating the suggested Elmer's "Painter's" Opaque Paint Marker prove to be much more problematic.
I looked for this product in several retail settings including Walmart and Hobby Lobby and finally gave up locating the specified brand.
I was amazed that Hobby Lobby didn't have this product, since they seem to have about everything thing else in the way of hobby and craft items, but they did have a product that appeared to be similar to the Elmer's, so I threw in the towel and rolled the dice. I wound up with three different size/tips of the same product by Sharpie because I was unsure what would work best and I didn't care to be running back to H.L. to get a different size until I hit on the "right" one. It's called Paint Peinture, but it said nothing about being opaque. It is an oil based product and it comes in many different colors, although for my purposes of course, I chose white/blanc.

To be honest, the suggestion of using automotive brake fluid concerned me a little and I decided to see if some things I had more familiarity with might loosen and remove the original layer of white printing.
I gave both panels a vigorous scrubbing in medium hot soapy water with a medium stiff bristle brush and also a used tooth brush for smaller details. That technique prove relatively successful, removing I would estimate about 60% of the printing. Maybe is was more a case of natural deterioration of the material used in the original printing than my methodology, but none the less it worked quite well. For the remainder of the process, I used a fairly high concentration of Simple Green in hot water and left it soaking overnight. I removed the panels the next morning and repeated my scrubbing process. That resulted in another approximately 35% of the original printing being removed. I repeated the process again, and virtually all but smallest and most difficult areas of printed matter remained. The bulk of those remaining where removed relatively easily with toothpicks, needles, and an Exacto knife. At some point, I figured it was good enough since the panels were going to get redyed again anyway. After thoroughly rinsing and drying, the panels were ready for the next step.

I first experimented spraying the back side of the panels to see what the results would be. Nothing seemed to be a problem, so I shot the front sides after the backs had dried. I gave each panel two coats of the vinyl dye and the result were very nice......and I don't consider myself a skilled painter. I then moved on to the printed surfaces with the Sharpie. Initially, the tips of the paint pens were dry and lacking much color. Then I discover the tip would move inward when depressed and release paint to wet the fiber tip. I quickly discovered the largest tip was much too large for anything....it just covered too much area and was not very controllable at all. Fortunately I made no huge errors with the large tip. I then attempted using the smallest tip, which was about the size of a very fine ball point pen. I quickly found it didn't deliver much in the way of material on the raised characters, and it was too small to span the high surface of the characters......it was too easy to slip off the edge. So my final option was the medium tip paint pen, and this seemed like the ideal compromise of delivering an adequate amount to paint for sufficient coverage, while being controllable as far as specific paint placement. It was an ongoing balance of keeping the tip wet enough to get decent coverage, yet being dry enough not to flow too much material. That had to be constantly adjusted between compressing the tip for more paint, to dabbing with a paper towel to dry it out enough to use. I seemed to have the best success with coverage when I could approach sections of letters at roughly right angles instead of inline. The dabbing technique proved to be most effective for lettering and characters, however the long straight or gently curved borders could be done in a continuous motion with the side of the tip much more effectively and quickly than dabbing. Working from the inside or middle of the area toward the outside prevents marring or smudging previously painted areas that may still be wet or tacky. I found it advantageous to work certain sections or areas, then come back to the panel later, rather than attempting to do the whole thing in one setting.

This proved to be one of the most tedious things I have done in a long, long time. I requires very good lighting be able to clearly see what you are doing. It also requires a very high level of concentration because it is extremely easy to mess things up with a momentary span of inattentiveness. The coverage I got was generally very good, but I did have to go back over some areas to insure complete coverage. My example is not up to show standards and it still needs a few areas touched up lightly, but overall, for being a "first timer", I'm very pleased with the results and the huge improvement in appearance. At 24-36", my panels look good enough for my "worker" usage, IMO.
The only thing I might have done differently, was maybe have used the satin vinyl paint instead of the gloss. On MikesRJ's dash example, the has a crinkle type finish which kind of breaks up the glossiness of the vinyl paint. The panels of the GT 14 are smooth however, and reflect the surface back at you more. I think if I had side by side example of the GT 14 panels, one done in gloss and one done in satin, I think I probably would have preferred the satin, because of the reflective nature of the smooth surfaces on my particular panels.
 
This is a very good instrumentation panel restoration procedure which works well with the suggested techniques and materials.
Just don't be in a hurry or get in a hurry when you tackle this operation, or you'll be less than happy with your results. If you get tired or inattentive, quit and take a break until you can return to the work relaxed.

 

 

Edited March 28, 2016 by ztnoo

[JPWH 6,092]

Looks like new!

[Marv 941]

Quick, Come do mine. Looks really good.

Marvin

[ztnoo 2,298]

I'd like to add an addendum to this thread.

If anyone is looking for and needing a GT 14 dash or shift plate panels, and are tired of searching eBay and going to countless meets to find them, you might check out Glen Pettit's repos.

I don't know Glen and we've never met and I know nothing of the quality of his offerings, but if you need one of these panels, Glen is an RS member and VENDOR, so its highly likely you are going to get what you are seeking and be treated fairly.

What I see looks very accurate to me visually as far as detail.

You will however have to follow the advice offered in this tread to finish the panels to original looking items.

_______________________________________________________________________________________

http://www.wheelhorseforum.com/topic/30563-05-dash-plates/

GT-14 Dash Panel and Shift Plate

 

 

 

Steve

 

 

Edited April 2, 2016 by ztnoo

[KC9KAS 4,741]

@ztnoo thank you for the information.

I have bought items from Glen and they are top notch, so you don't need to worry about that!

[AMC RULES 37,134]

I'd recommend, using caution, and testing in an inconspicious area first...

but, can attest the brake fluid works on most plastics. 

Very nice job on the dash.  

 

[MikesRJ 552]

Very nice. Makes me happy to see my instructional piece is still paying dividends.

[3WHDave 60]

I can tell any reader that this post is spot-on.  Thank you MikesRJ for all of the time it took to write-up this process, I have printed, 3-hole punched and place in my "big-binder of great reference information".  

[DBlackston 298]

Found this thread. I have all round hoods so no plastic dash panels to repair. 

 

I may have to go find a C-160 just so I can follow these amazing instructions!