Hi Guys, at the risk of stirring up a hornets nest, I want to order some stencils for my C number on the tank.
First, what size should they be, and secondly what font? Also, I have always used white matt undercoat on my other vehicles, but I wonder whether with the risk of petrol dripping down, I should consider using a semi matt paint., What do others use? Maybe you dont spray them at all but get them to stick on? oh, and one last thing. Can anyone please tell me whether there is a notification setting so i can see when I have replies to posts?

email (option): andrew.honychurch@btinternet.com

Everything you want to know about this is in the technical section, or optical. I forgot which.

Just use your best judgement on the paint, or drop by a body shop.

My neighbor cuts them with a a plotter that cuts vinyl as used for signs.

Cheers

email (option): britool51@hotmail.com

Hi Andrew..Letters and numbers were either sign written or less commonly stencilled.Character dimensions are 1 3/4" high by 1" wide overall while the width of each part of the character is 5/16".
Font style in both cases was usually a plain block letter/number with no embellishment to the form.
Coloured squares for unit markings were approx. 5" square. My signwriter uses enamel paints which he then 'overcoats' with two coats of petrol proof matt varnish..Ian

email (option): ian@wright52.plus.com

sounds good, thanks Guys, will take a look in the technical section now. Thanks for the help.

email (option): andrew.honychurch@btinternet.com

Not a good day! I now need to repaint my tank, again! I am not an idiot when it comes to stencil spraying but my lovely stencils, did not stick down very well and so I got overspray. grrrrr. I also struggled to get the stencils to lay flat because of the various curvatures of the tank at this point. Can anyone offer any tips?

email (option): andrew.honychurch@btinternet.com

Andrew, where did you have the stencils made ? Curvature shouldn't be too much of a problem.

Axholme Signs are very good.

Can you not simply remove the unsuccessful attempt with a bit of 1200 paper ?

I brush painted my numbers through a stencil to give a bit od a signwritten look...and don't forget, it shouldn't be 'perfect' or it'll look fake (to my eyes at least).

Hi Andrew..Find your nearest signwriter..Ian

Thanks for the replies guys. The stencils were from Axeholme and are superb, however they would not stick down very well and they are sending me some new replacements Their service is superb. Where I am trying to place the stencils is right at the point that the vertical part of the tank in front of the knee guards , turn towards the filler cap. the tank, of course also curves into the front as well. So the stencil was trying to curve at least to two contours, and possibly three. As the stick bit was not very sticky, it lifted yo whilst spraying and hence toys out the pram from yours truly. I understand that you dont like it to be too exact, but I fear I am in the other camp although I realise it is not very realistic. What ever floats your boat as they say!

I may well revert to a paint brush but want to give it one more try. Re taking the white off with 1200, I had not thought about that. Do you think it will work? I cant believe it will leave it unmarked? wet presumably not dry?

email (option): andrew.honychurch@btinternet.com

Hi Andrew..Which font did you go for in the end?..I am told that gentle heating with a hair drier makes the stencils more pliable..but test on something else first!..I've never done it myself as all the bikes I have done were sign written....Ian

I've been looking at BSA photos and it does indeed look as if the bikes with kneepads had the numbers quite high and forward, resulting in a probability of double curvature.

As Ian says, gently warming and putting on in a warm place should help. If the curvature is impossible then you might need to divide the stencil in one or two places.

I managed to get my 2nd Div 'Crossed Keys' applied to the front mudguard of the 16H and that included the Norton flared rib...and I have almost no experience so it should work. Incidentally Ian, the formation signs on my guards were stencilled in 1940!

I don't see why fine paper used wet should be a problem. If you're worried, try first with T-Cut or even metal polish - There's nothing to lose.

...and when it's finished, take it out and get it dirty, throw kit onto it, lean it against trees....

I've done quite a few using the Axholm stencils. I rest the stencil gently and slice through the high spots with a Stanley blade. The resulting overlaps never seem to show. Ron







PS. This is all done when my wife is out

email (option): ronpier@talk21.com

What character set is that Ron? It looks like those on the sets of metal templates they used to put cargo info on shipping crates!

email (option): viaconsu # planet dot nl

I'm not sure what it's called Hans? The stencil types are infinite!! I usually send a picture to Axholm and he emails me a type for my approval. I just like to vary things in the shed.

Ron

email (option): ronpier@talk21.com

Ok Ron, get in your car please and head to Kent. I will make sure there is a beer in it! You can see the problem though that the stencil is lifting . So how do you overcome that?

email (option): andrew.honychurch@btinternet.com

Well although they are low tack. There should be enough sticky on them. As I said I don't try to smooth the bubbled up parts of the stencil, I slice through them from a digit right through to the outside of stencil. If you look at my first picture you can see the overlapping seams where I have started to do it. I then use my roll of masking tape as a sort of rolling pin to get all the edges down tight. It's always nerve racking, especially after sometimes spraying the tank 4-5 times. Ron

email (option): ronpier@talk21.com

it is certainly nerve racking and I am now on tank spray number 5!!! we try once more, thanks for the tips and I think that may solve the problem.

email (option): andrew.honychurch@btinternet.com