Painting grill letters ..the easy way!

[oem4me]

Did a quick search on this, and to my surprise I found nothing. Maybe because it's too easy? Or everybody already knows?
In any case, after staring at a blah grill for the year or so since buying my '66 Custom Camper, I finally gave it the front-end detail it has so badly needed. The job was so fast and easy, and came out so well, I feel stupid for not having done it sooner.
Now, normally I would not re-touch an authentically aged survivor part like this, but I'm thinking this grill was re-plated at some point by a previous owner, so no sacrilege there.
I'll try to keep it simple so you can follow along.

This will apply to a bright aluminum grill, but with a basic understanding of various paints and solvents, it should be nearly as easy for a painted grill.

You will need:
A piece of cardboard
Spray paint of choice. - don't use junk. I used Duplicolor acrylic enamel, semi-gloss black
An appropriate solvent for that paint. quicker drying is better. I used Acetone.
An old T-shirt or other nap-less, lint-free rag. NOT terry cloth!
A block of wood 1x3x6 ish. I used a paint stick and a rubber sanding block, but a plain wood block would be just as good, if not better.
A pump or spray bottle
Thats it.

Ok, let's get started.
First, clean the grill. Remove all wax, oil, and traces of old paint. Carb cleaner and a tooth brush works fast for removing paint.


Next, cut a rough mask for a single letter out of any stiff paper or thin cardboard you find laying around. Tape will make the hole smaller if you cut the hole too big to start.


Now spray the paint. I did mine one letter at a time for simplicity. Spray light even coats until the whole letter is covered. No runs or heavy pools. If you are struggling at this point, you might want to consider another hobby, or hire the job out. Ha ha, just kidding.


Let the paint dry a bit.


While the paint is drying, cut the T-shirt into several 1 foot long x 6 inch wide strips. Fold a strip in half (double layer) and tightly wrap it around the wood block, pinching and stretching the material from behind with your hand to maintain a wrinkle free face. This is by far the most critical aspect of this job, as loose material or wrinkles will ruin the result. If you can't hold even tension with your hand, then staple the darn rag on there (backside). In the picture I used a paint stick, but a block would be better.


Next take a spray bottle with your chosen solvent and wet the face of the rag/block. Immediately get to wiping the excess paint surrounding the letters off the grill, leaving color in the recess. Again, I did one-at-a-time to maintain simplicity and control. When the rag gets loaded with paint, turn to a clean part and reapply. Clean rag and clean solvent = clean results.