I just finished applying a nice semi-gloss black to my C-160 dash. How do most of you paint the lettering, free style with a brush or is there another (better) way?

There used to be a thread on here about this, but I can't find it. Anyhow, I use Dupli-Color # NG FM 341 Scratch Fix 2in1. It's a Ford color, Silver Frost.
It has a brush, and a roller tip. I use the roller tip. It's a pressure sensitive thing. Push down to dispense some paint, and the roller ball spreads it around. Did both of the other 160's like that, and it worked pretty well.

They were apparently "ink rolled" when produced, Karl. If you have access to a small rubber-coated roller, you could probably do it the same way. (Office Depot or Staples, maybe? )
We used a special ink when stenciling unit numbers on our trailers where I used to work, but I'd guess that it could be done with enamel paint applied sparingly to the surface of the roller.
I painted the dash on my tricycle tractor with two coats of Testors white enamel model paint applied with a small angled brush. I don't think it turned out bad, but it's not nearly as "crisp" as the original method.

Here's the pic I was looking for:

Another thought, what if I spray paint the lettering area white, let it dry, then paint black over that and let that dry. Then with 1200 grit or so, sand off the black? wondering how that would work? Probably shouldn't have painted the new dash yet...

Not sure if that would work without rounding off the letters. Try it on the old dash ?
I'm assuming you're not putting the aftermarket lighter back in

My thoughts are that method "should" work, but keep in mind that any chips you get on the black surface in the future would show up as the white underneath. Probably easier to fix chips that way though since you could color them in with either a Sharpie or a paint marker. You could always seal it with clear after you scrape off your lettering?

While I sat there painting dash letters last summer, I thought about how cool it would be to send one out to be chrome plated. Then just paint the whole thing black and carefully wipe the tops of the letters and symbols off.

Here's the picture of mine:

Those are raised letters right? A few old modelers tricks ( you can read ALL the letters on the instruments of my 1/24 scale models, and it even works on the Thunderbird script.) One is called dry brushing. Lightly dip your brush into the color you want your letters to be, unthinned paint works best. Dab off almost all the wet paint onto a paper towel. Now paint the letters using light strokes that just transfer the paint to the surface. At first you'll think "my god, I'm not getting hardly any paint on the letters.", but a few coats and your done. Be careful though, as you can coat the sides of the letters if you try to go too fast and jab the brush against the letters too hard.

Another trick when the lettering is raised as much as these are. After painting the background color, black in this case, coat the entire area around all the lettering with water based glue such as Elmer's glue all (I've seen it done with liquid soap too.). After the glue has dried, wrap a tightly woven but thin peice of cloth such as an old handkercheif, (or you can use Kraft paper, even a paper match stick.) around a paint paddle, get it damp, and lightly scrub the glue off the tops of the letters. Q-tips don't work well as they tend to draw wetted glue up into them and redeposit it back onto the surface. Elmers re-softens with just a little water and a few minutes exposure, try not to squeeze water off the cloth so it doesn't uncover the edges of the letters. You might have to repeat this step a couple times. When the sides of the letters are covered well enough in glue and the tops are clean, flow on some paint with a good brush. After the paint has dried simply wash the remaining glue off the dash and you're done.

Scale model shops sell what is called chroming foil. It is a VERY thin sheet of bright aluminum foil with adhesive on one side. It is very good for simulating chrome on model cars, and is equally as good for masking intricate details.
After painting the background, cover the whole area with a peice of foil and burnish it down as good as you can without tearing it. Using a hardwood block lightly sand through the raised surfaces of the foil with a fine grit sandpaper. Paint your lettering the color you want it. After it dries, simply pull off the foil masking and you're done.

If you were going to paint the letter color first, mask off the faces of the letters and then spray the black, plain old "Scotch transparent tape" leaves a very crisp line along flat surfaces, And releases cleanly, especially when warmed slightly, or wetted with alcohol. But you have to trim around each individual letter with an x-acto knife. It does not stretch around curves very well.

Some one mentioned "ink rollering" That is most likely exactly how it was done in the factory. But keep in mind that the paint used for this process is a whole lot thicker than what you are used to. It also takes very little on the roller to transfer it to the lettering without squeezing some down around them. A little practice would be in order if you try this. A similar process uses lightly fluted metal rollers. The paint is thinned just enough for it to flow into and be picked up by the flutes and is transferred to the letter surface. VERY LIGHT TOUCH with this method, and once you start a stroke, DON"T HESITATE!

If you want museum quality and can stand the cost, this one is great! Using rtv mold making compound, make a mold of your panel's face as if you were going to cast a new one. After the mold has dried and been removed from the panel, use an eydropper to fill the cavities of the lettering with a thinned paint in your letter color and allow it to dry. Pour in enough casting resin or liquid plastic to cast yourself a new dash panel. The paint will be fused to the faces of the letters when you remove it from the mold.

Unraised letters are a breeze. Spray the whole area with the letter color and let it dry. Lay out the lettering with dry transfers. Spray your background color and let it dry. Burnish Scotch tape onto the dry transfers and pull them off. Go look for more lettering you need done, 'cause this way's too easy.

No picture until I'm done, but I am using the dry brush method and so far it is looking pretty good. I'm at the point now where I am going to let it all dry completely then tomorrow I will put on the finish coat and take a picture before installing.

Thank you for all the ideas!

Here is the 85% finished picture. I'm going to wait for it to dry, then give it another dry painting.

Looks great Karl !
Brittany will be pleased....

Karl--one question for you--and not directly painting--HOW do you remove the
t-shaped knobs on the ends of the throttle/choke cables-then re-install and get them to stay?

Just musin' away down in Virginia......

The knobs just pulled right off and they were in good enough condition to re-install without any issues. These knobs are actually a second set, Eldon had replaced the original cracked set with these. The originals are cracked badly and I doubt they would stay on.

I was looking at the eBay knobs when Eldon pointed out that they are not the same knobs, and he's right, they are much more rounded than the originals, but I suppose that they would be better than nothing

All I can say is WoW! Nice job Carl! I have over 10 tractors to refurb and all are in need of this!

Duke