Redoing cockpit switch placards.. need advice

[Cherrybomber13]

I am looking for some suggestions on how to rehab this and 3 other panels in the Cayuse. These are 60's tech and not like the vintage metals stuff with recessed metal that can be painted and refilled. Some areas were worn totally off so there was no way to really save it perfectly. As you can also see they used a tape gun to do the lettering a few years back. Any ideas on options? I have a few in my head but Id like what others do with this sort of thing.

OH-6A Subpanel by Cherry Bomb Photography, on Flickr

OH-6A Subpanel by Cherry Bomb Photography, on Flickr

[APG85]

There are some tips in this thread:

viewtopic.php?f=26&t=45690

I know some people have had success with lightly sanding the panels, repainting them in satin black and then cleaning up the lettering. Takes patience...

[CraigQ]

Pretty straight forward if the engraved/stamped lettering/numerals are still good & not worn off. Clean your panels by chemical stripping, don't sand or use something like a scotchbrite wheel on them, you will only reduce the crispness and depth of the characters. Repaint and fill the lettering back. If that is not an option then find a good clear print or picture of the panel and take both and go look for a local engraver with the equipment to make you a new one. Been both routes with good success. Seems like someone here on WIX knew of someone who does repro panels as a side, think maybe in Minnesota, not sure.

[Cherrybomber13]

Yea these are not engraved unfortunately. Im going the route of Dry transfer lettering over fresh paint. Whats left isn't worth trying to save

[Dan Jones]

These guys have done some stuff for me in the past and I was really pleased.

http://www.engravers.net/

[L-4Pilot]

The dry transfer letters work nicely. Be sure and paint the pieces in their correct and final color before application and then after applying the letters top coat the complete piece with a flat or matte clear to seal and protect the lettering. Here are two panels I did with the dry transfer letters. Screen printing also works well and you can send the piece off to have it done or order the screens made to your specifications and do them yourself.

[C VEICH]

These guys could probably make up the dry-transfers for you: www.aeroloft.com

Might be a bit more pricey but their transfers are pure ink, no paper, and thus will appear just like paint or screen printed lettering.

[Cherrybomber13]

Thanks for all the good advice.

[Tinker51]

These guys can do anything. Any method, any material, any process.

http://www.engravers.com/

[T-28mike]

Those type panels are called "Edge lit panels". They are made from plastic and are painted (silk screened) with many coats of white, and then several coats of black. The lettering and graphics are engraved through the black layer into (but not through) the white layer. The panel is lit internally (through the EDGE of the plastic, hence the name) causing the lettering to "glow" .

If these are for an airworthy aircraft and need to be functional, there are several outfits that can re face them (not cheap though).
If they are for static, there are several options. The quickest and easiest is to silk screen white artwork onto a black panel, use stick on lettering (dry transfer etc) or have a vinyl decal made to cover the panel. You can also have a local engraving shop engrave an over-lay made from either black anodized aluminum, or a laminated plastic sign material that has a thin top layer of one color, and a thicker under layer of a different color, so that when you engrave through the top layer, the art takes on the lower layer color.