Painting tips

Advice and guidance on repair and restoration techniques.
brianward
Posts: 12
Joined: Tue Mar 11, 2008 1:38 pm
Reaction score: 0

Inpainting plaques, casting detail etc.

Post by brianward »

Copied from Bradley Challenger and variants - Site Admin.

Hoping to restore an old Bradley Challenger... can anyone give me the engravings on the top left and right, mine have faded quite badly.

Brian
Attachments
Challenger
Challenger
Bradley Challenger.jpg (21.02 KiB) Viewed 7956 times
pennymachines
Site Admin
Posts: 6638
Joined: Wed Nov 06, 2002 12:12 am
Reaction score: 56
Location: The Black Country

Re: Help with Bradley Challenger

Post by pennymachines »

If the text has sufficient relief to be readable, you might try a restoration method that worked for me:

Carefully paint over the lettering with Vaseline using a very fine paintbrush and then over-spray the plates with whatever colour you want for the background. Leave for a day to dry thoroughly then carefully rub the paint from the letters using a toothpick or similar.
pennymachines
Site Admin
Posts: 6638
Joined: Wed Nov 06, 2002 12:12 am
Reaction score: 56
Location: The Black Country

Re: Help with Bradley Challenger

Post by pennymachines »

In reply to Dave's PM query - you could use a variation of the method to colour the letters as well as the background, but I wouldn't recommend it. The idea was to highlight the embossed lettering in shiny (bare) metal against a painted background.- they will stand out better and look more effective. I think this was the original scheme.

So, first I carefully applied a thin coat of Vaseline over the letters and the raised framing and then used a spray paint to cover the whole plate. When it was thoroughly dry, the Vaseline allowed me to remove paint off the raised areas only (where it had not adhered). I found it easiest to do this using a long fingernail (more sensitive control). I masked with tape over the very small patent lettering panel, because it was too small to individually highlight.

I used dark blue cellulose car paint on the instruction plates and British Racing Green for the main top, centre and bottom castings. John Carter bought the machine - it's on page 51 of Arcades & Slot Machines (in B&W).
fourfive
Posts: 15
Joined: Thu Mar 27, 2008 11:11 pm
Reaction score: 0

Re: Help with Bradley Challenger

Post by fourfive »

Close ups of Bradley badges.
Attachments
legend3.jpg
legend2.jpg
legend1.jpg
User avatar
grabber
Posts: 189
Joined: Sat Feb 05, 2011 1:38 pm
Reaction score: 0

Re: Help with Bradley Challenger

Post by grabber »

Close-ups of the instruction plates.
Attachments
parts for brad challenger 016.jpg
parts for brad challenger 017.jpg
riche100
Posts: 246
Joined: Tue Nov 13, 2012 10:26 pm
Reaction score: 0

Paint it or spray it?

Post by riche100 »

Topic merged - Site Admin.

I've just got some new price of place plaques for my Nostalgic machines, as I'm going to put them back on 2p play. They are all shiny and new, silver colour.... Got a question:

Do I use a fine brush and some enamel paint and go around the number in say a red colour, carefully?
Or do I spray paint the lot and then, once dry, with a scalpel or very sharp knife, scrape off to reveal the number and its border?

Please advise, many thanks,

Richard.
pennymachines
Site Admin
Posts: 6638
Joined: Wed Nov 06, 2002 12:12 am
Reaction score: 56
Location: The Black Country

Re: Paint it or spray it?

Post by pennymachines »

It shouldn't be difficult to run enamel paint into the recesses of your chromed casting with a fine brush and steady hand.

Alternatively, you could try this: paint the number and border with a thin layer of Vaseline, using a fine brush, being careful to keep it off the parts you want paint to adhere to. Then spray the plaque and leave a couple of days to dry thoroughly, before rubbing off the paint from the highlights using a fingernail.
riche100
Posts: 246
Joined: Tue Nov 13, 2012 10:26 pm
Reaction score: 0

Re: Paint it or spray it?

Post by riche100 »

Top tip - I love it, thanks :)
User avatar
gameswat
Posts: 2196
Joined: Sat May 30, 2009 5:17 am
Reaction score: 21
Location: perth, australia

Re: Paint it or spray it?

Post by gameswat »

I just paint in by hand when it's small, spray when it's larger, then rub off the overpaint with a piece of linen cloth lightly wet with the solvent to suit the paint. If it's a large area then just wrap the cloth over a sanding block to keep it dead flat.
albertt
Posts: 3
Joined: Mon May 27, 2013 1:39 pm
Reaction score: 0

Bradley Challenger

Post by albertt »

Topic moved & merged - Site Admin.

Hello, I just bought a Bradley Challenger in very good shape.
Unfortunately, the three metal plates with instructions are quite unreadable.
Could somebody help me by providing me a copy, picture or scan of those plates ?
Many thanks.
User avatar
slotalot
Posts: 2051
Joined: Mon Apr 21, 2008 1:53 pm
Reaction score: 10
Location: Halifax West Yorkshire
Contact:

Re: Bradley Challenger

Post by slotalot »

Hi Albertt, welcome to the forum. :D
You just asked at the right time. !!THUMBSX2!!
I have just been sorting some stuff out and I had a set right at the side of me. Bradley's made quite a few models of the Challenger over the years, so they might not be the correct type for your machine, but I feel sure the wording will be the same. :!?!:
Can you post a photo of your machine so we can all see what you have got?? !!PHOTO!!

I have just scanned them and added them to the Resources section of this wonderful place... Have fun. :tarah:

Bradley Challenger nameplates
widget2k4
Posts: 1385
Joined: Tue Aug 27, 2013 8:32 am
Reaction score: 0

Any recomendations for making signs?

Post by widget2k4 »

Topic merged - Site Admin.

I am trying to find someone that can reproduce metal signs for the Marvel machine like the one here.
Can anyone recommend anyone as I have tried searching and contacted some but they are wanting fortunes for the little coin one.
Attachments
10583608_1.jpg
User avatar
coppinpr
Posts: 5111
Joined: Sun Oct 10, 2010 2:01 pm
Reaction score: 20
Location: Lewes, East Sussex
Contact:

Re: any recomendations for signs ?

Post by coppinpr »

My view would be definitely don't change the signs on this machine, they are in better than average condition (in fact they are good) and changing them would not only spoil the machine but reduce its value considerably.
User avatar
slotalot
Posts: 2051
Joined: Mon Apr 21, 2008 1:53 pm
Reaction score: 10
Location: Halifax West Yorkshire
Contact:

Re: any recomendations for signs ?

Post by slotalot »

widget2k4
Posts: 1385
Joined: Tue Aug 27, 2013 8:32 am
Reaction score: 0

Re: any recomendations for signs ?

Post by widget2k4 »

Paul this is not my machine, it's just a picture I found to show the sign I need as mine is missing.
I tried that company Stuart but they only appear to do black and brass, not colour.
I need them for this one:
Attachments
marvel.JPG
User avatar
coppinpr
Posts: 5111
Joined: Sun Oct 10, 2010 2:01 pm
Reaction score: 20
Location: Lewes, East Sussex
Contact:

Re: any recomendations for signs ?

Post by coppinpr »

Oh sorry, I see now, should have guessed. Is the sign totally missing? If it is, are you sure it's a Marvel and not a Comet?
User avatar
slotalot
Posts: 2051
Joined: Mon Apr 21, 2008 1:53 pm
Reaction score: 10
Location: Halifax West Yorkshire
Contact:

Re: any recomendations for signs ?

Post by slotalot »

pennymachines
Site Admin
Posts: 6638
Joined: Wed Nov 06, 2002 12:12 am
Reaction score: 56
Location: The Black Country

Re: any recomendations for signs ?

Post by pennymachines »

Possibly combined with: Useful paint masking and printing products from Hobbycraft

Also, because they're quite bold signs, I think you could get them made, as suggested, by http://www.vintagebrassplates.co.uk, without the black background paint, then mask the paint-less areas (by carefully over painting them with coloured Vaseline), spray painting and wiping them off when dry. I would guess this would be quite an expensive route though.
widget2k4
Posts: 1385
Joined: Tue Aug 27, 2013 8:32 am
Reaction score: 0

Re: Any recomendations for making signs?

Post by widget2k4 »

Yep, that's going to be an expensive route to take. I was wondering if I could invert the image for the coin slot onto a vinyl sticker paint it then remove the sticker? I don't know if that would work.
widget2k4
Posts: 1385
Joined: Tue Aug 27, 2013 8:32 am
Reaction score: 0

Any tips on restoring these ?

Post by widget2k4 »

Topic merged - Site Admin.

Anyone have any master tips for restoring these metal signs?
Attachments
IMG_6979.jpg
Post Reply

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 6 guests