Hi,
Does anyone know where to get the stencils for the exact number type on the photo? Look at the '5', '8' and '6'. An address of a painter in Holland who can do the job well would also help me.
Axholme doesn't have the correct stencils for me.
Any info will be appreciated.
Many thanks in advance,
Sven
email (option): snvosselman@gmail.com
email send Sven!!
Bram
email (option): bram@ockhuizen.com
Hoi Sven,
Mail maar even naar het volgende adres: juno@junodesign.nl
Kunnen alle gewenste sjablonen voor je maken en heel erg vriendelijke mensen ook nog eens.
groet, ramon
Please send an email to: juno@junodesign.nl
They can make you every possible stencil and are very kind people as well.
Regards,
ramon
email (option): noahlevi6@hotmail.com
I've heard this number appeared when the tank was cleaned...the owner sent me an e-mail with all the dimensions.
I have quite some pictures with Nortons having this type of numbers, I personally think this is the nicest version.
Sven
Sven, if you mean 'nicer than than the small numbers on a black background edged in white' then we might not be on talking terms any more....
I think that you're quite right to be concerned about the exact form of the numbers. The difference is in the details. Do you think that the originals were sign-written ? If so then the form is to some extent dependent upon the brush strokes.
email (option): 79x100@gmail.com
Ok, ok Rik, of course I meant the numbers on 'late war' bikes.....
The numbers like yours in a black square are from such an exceptional beauty that I wouldn't dare taking these in my consideration.........
Ron mailed me this picture and this is how I would it being done. Luckily someone I know (and a regular visitor of this forum) is a well experienced painter and offered me to paint the numbers on, so all I need is a good pair of stencils.
Ramon, thanks as well. You gave the same contact person Bram gave me. An e-mail has been sent.
Thanks again all!
Sven
email (option): snvosselman@gmail.com
A good signwriter is worth his weight in gold...The chap who did these has done nearly every bike I've built for the last 40 years..The Enfield was the first one..an absolutely faultless white and gold leaf job....
email (option): ian@wright52.plus.com
Hi Sven...It's great to watch these guys in action...Somewhere on you tube there is some film of them lining tanks at the Triumph factory.
I've never owned an Indian Enfield but I did get to ride one of the last of the 'old style' Indian bikes and was impressed with how smooth it was...My Brother in law has one of the new ones which he is very happy with but I haven't seen it 'in the flesh' yet...
I was a great Enfield fan years back and I have always considered them to be under rated...The bike in the picture was a 1959 Constellation...the first of two of that model that I owned...I still get tempted to have another of the Enfield 'big twins',,,Ian
email (option): ian@wright52.plus.com
Be brave, be bold, buy a brush and have a go!
email (option): cruiserchooser@hotmail.co.uk
When I stripped the layers of paint (including Pride and Clarke maroon) off my Matchless tank, the numbers appeared and were quite roughly stencilled on, which is how I've redone them. They weren't nice, neat, sign written full numbers like the ones you've all shown, presumably my rough stencilling would have been an 'in the field' paint job done quickly by some Squaddie? I would show you some photos, but when my hard drive crashed I lost everything! Wedding photos, kids first steps and worst of all, my restoration photos of the Matchless! 
Hi Bill,
I know the solution for a harddrive crash.....
We had the same..including all the kids first step photos etc, but I've found a company who is experienced in data recovery. Even though it's not cheap, it's better than nothing!
If you still have your harddisk, you can contact them on info@altirium.com
Good luck,
Sven
email (option): snvosselman@gmail.com
I took the old laptop to a local company and they said there was nothing to be done, it couldn't be saved, so as it was getting very old anyway, I took it to the tip and got a new one. Since then, a couple of people have told me that it could probably have been saved after all, so I wish I'd just left it up in the attic instead of throwing it away! Luckily I had backed up most of my files and photos and am just missing about a six month lump, which included most of the Matchless restoration. It's my own fault, must back up more often!
Dear All,
For my bike I have been working with Adobe Illustrator.
I have made every single font in this program matching the shape of the original numbers.
These are not available in any existing font so I have made my own!
I can now make any combination in any size and send it to a plotter to make a paint mallet and spray-paint it.
Have a look:
If the owner of the first picture is willing to share more detailed photo's, sizes etc. I can get the numbers even more accurate, to a 100% match. Worth sharing the result with all of us perhaps?
I did all my fonts by just looking at old photo's.
The comment I have on my own project is that the numbers should have more space in-between and the tail of the 4 should be sightly longer.
Regards,
Daan
The font used, although to a general standard, was subject to interpretation by the individual signwriter. Daan's font is undoubtably correct, but mine also is a straight copy taken from old photos. So a certain amount of leeway is totally correct.
Same with the Unit signs when they were hand painted. You only have to see the differences in the period pictures to see how some were obviously painted 'at leisure' whilst others were done 'at the gallop' and the details are very different. Various examples of the Polar Bear show really crude attempts whilst others closer to the 'original' look quite a different animal
email (option): cruiserchooser@hotmail.co.uk
An ex Army signwriter was looking at the signwriting on my M20 and commented he had 'painted hundreds of those bloody things'....I asked him about the methods used for application of numbers and he said that in his experience most were hand painted but they 'occasionally' used stencils....I guess in the factories the chaps who lined the 'civvy' tanks simply turned to numbering them instead...I must admit I don't recall seeing very many pictures with a stencilled font...Like all hand applied paintwork there would have been minor variations of the laid down standard for various reasons...Ian
email (option): ian@wright52.plus.com
In terms of stencils, it seems to have been mainly an RASC thing and some makes more than others.
This detail shot shows machines from the 1940 Norton contract C5612 being despatched (I suspect from Chilwell). The signwriter's chalk guide lines are clearly visible as is the WD number chalked or chinagraphed on the tank top. Presumably an Ordnance clerk checked the engine / frame numbers and the signwriter followed. This will be a frame in the range W7822 - W7831
The other tanks in the image show lots of 'OK's chalked on and an 'OIL'
Tickler position shows that the threads cut in the float chambers or lids must have been random.
Lex might be interested to see that the dip switches appear to be a chromed civilian pattern.
The numbers in the earlier photo were probably applied at Chilwell as these are from the early part of the contract. This is the first Norton contract where the MoS ledgers refer to an additional charge for painting the numbers and it only applied to (presumably the last ?) 998 machines out of 3998 delivered. The date shown relates to approval of the costs. Delivery was complete by September 1940.
"Charge of 1/- per machine for painting WD numbers is accepted. Number of machines involved 998"
Somewhere, I have a similar entry for M20s but the cataloguing is a little lacking
After some hours on the MAC, matching the original dimensions.
Hope you like it! and good luck painting it Sven!
I had fun to make the template
Regards,
Daan
Dear Gents,
Just to share the BSA version of my Illustrator project.
Will apply the numbers on my WM20 petrol tank as soon as weather improves.
Many thanks to Sven, who provided me with loads of information to make this project work!
Regards,
Daan
Hi Daan,
Is it possible to make one for me in a square for the Norton 16H ?
If possible give me a pm.
Thanks,
Bram
email (option): bram@ockhuizen.com