HRP Nameplates

NAMEPLATES are of great importance to the quality of the model. These are often spoilt due to an attempt being made to machine the lettering to one level; this is really quite impractical if first class results are to be obtained. With circular nameplates, it is practical to machine the outer and inner rings to clean them up to size; these nameplate castings will also need machining to the correct thickness. Each letter of the nameplates must then be treated as an individual; only in this way will it be possible to achieve a constant width of letter face. A small disc sander can be used with a fine emery disc to good effect. Small ex-government rotary converters or some similar high-speed mains unit fitted with a light flexible drive and a small chuck, are ideal; in toolmaking these units are usually suspended from a beam so that the disc is just above bench height. For fine sanding cut out discs of emery cloth and stick them onto a stiff backing, using a contact adhesive. The final polish is achieved by passing over the complete plate with a fine emery cloth, kept flat by a suitable piece of wood; after which metal polish used on flat cardboard backed with wood is very good, followed with a good polish with soft cloth. It is not advisable to use a polishing mop on nameplates, since the mop will round off the edges of the lettering and a poor result will generally be obtained.