63 cluster re-paint help

[Edward J.]

Guys I am looking for your tricks to repaint the cluster on my 63. It seems everytime I mask of the silver it takes some of the paint with it, I have been useing 3m painters tape. I have read some of the archives and saw the tube posting, I tryed that only to have the black bleed onto the silver. Wow what a pain.

Maybe some of you 63/64 guys can post your method that worked for you. I was thinking paper cups, but that would only work with gauges. spedo and tach are just to big. thanks for your input.

[Dan H.]

Re: 63 cluster re-paint help

Edward, I use paper formed into a cone for each gage size, taped together. Make sure the bottoms are even. The originals had a 'fuzzie' cut in line like the hood paint margin. Use an erasor to clean off the chrome lettering. Razor blade works on the bezel edges. Good luck,
Dan

[Michael G.]

Re: 63 cluster re-paint help

Dan has a good plan. I sprayed the gauge bezels with a semi flat silver, placed my "caps" over each gauge location, then sprayed the cluster face with a satin black. Like Dan indicated all gauge locations should be fuzzy where bezel meets cluster face.

[Cliff K.]

Re: 63 cluster re-paint help

Ed:
I made a paper template, cutting out holes for the gauge bezels. Masked off the gauge bezels and painted the black first. Then laid on the template and sprayed the silver last. That way you don't have to apply tape or anything else to the silver paint. Also used a spray paint adhesive that was available at the local parts store in the spray can paint section. It significantly helped the silver adhere to the chrome gauge bezels.
Cliff

[Joe M.]

Re: 63 cluster re-paint help

If I recall, I sprayed the silver first, left it dry overnight, used blue masking tape over the painted bezels and then sprayed black.Used a razor to clean off facing edge of bezels, best done while paint is fresh. You might try to carefully wax the edges of the bezels with a q tip or even use 1/8" pinstriping tape.Makes sure the dash is thoroughly clean before spraying, no problem getting the silver to stick. If prefer, you might try an etching primer like rustoleum or marhyde. I use those two on aluminum arrows before I fletch them and they are bulletproof. There is a popular brand of etching primer that does not do well.I never used etching primer on a dash.

[Monte M.]

Re: 63 cluster re-paint help

Ed,
The best system I have seen took a little work to set up, but once he did it he had quite a few guys pay him to do theirs. He bought raw round stock aluminum. He put it in a mill an milled the inside so it fit just over the rim. He did make two big ones and four small ones, but they come out beautiful.

It might seem like a lot of work, but I had to do my clock once and it was well worth the effort. They kind of look like a soda bottle cap but are smooth on the outside.

I know not everybody has a mill, but if you ask around I think you will find more people have one than you think.

I sure I can get pictures it you wanted, but I am sure you get the idea of milling something that fits perfect with no worry about tape, or paper.

Just one more way they are done.

Monte

[Paul J.]

Re: 63 cluster re-paint help

Ed, one of our forum members once mentioned using an air brush. This will reduce the amount of paint and prevent any bleeding. It will also reduce the amount of paint to be removed. I have'nt tried it yet but I will in the future.

Paul

[John G.]

Re: 63 cluster re-paint help



http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j2...6/IMG_1046.jpg (66jack)

The above is also how I refinished my '64 gauge cluster.
The '63-'64 clusters having silver painted bezel rings makes things more interesting. The 'cones' bezel masking method was tried but is too cumbersome, IMO. Made out of masking paper, the cones needed to be sized just right and placed just right or the parting line between bezel ring and cluster body will be off - not to mention staying in place when the paint spraying begins.

The alternative is to mask off the bezels, then carefully cut the excess tape along the cluster body/bezel edge line with a single edge razor blade and/or X-acto knife. The cluster body is then painted. .. After paint dry the cluster body is masked off with strips of masking tape; again carefully cut away the masking tape along the same cluster body/bezel radius edge line. The outer top chrome edge is masked off as in the above pic. Masking tape is laid over the top, then a single edge razor blade is used along the edge to trim off the excess tape. The bezels are then painted silver. .. Any silver paint that might have slightly bled into/onto the black paint can be touched up with black paint using an artist's brush. Using a Starbucks coffee stir stick the black paint on the raised letters (LIGHTS, WIPER, LOCK, START, etc.) can be rubbed off to reveal the chrome lettering underneath. The overall result turned out real nice.

SEM Trim Black 39143 and Corvette America silver bezel paint were used. Other silver paints were tried. The CA paint looked best, IMO.