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General Information => Upgrades (non engine related ) => Topic started by: Syncroincity on November 23, 2012, 09:44:44 pm
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I'm experimenting with vinyl wrap material with great results.
50 feet of 2" wide tape from Ebay $14
http://www.ebay.com/itm/370196741988?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649
Clean up the emblem, apply the tape, and heat gently until the letters stand out.
I used a lighter, but scorched it a few times, next time is a heat gun or hair dryer.
Trimmed with X-acto knives, one pointed and one rounded scalpel. Don't saw at the material, it leaves a ragged edge.
Shown is the first attempt, the Vanagon badge. Not happy with a few of the letters, I'm redoing this one.
The VW badge is what I started with, typical grey & faded lettering.
The SYNCRO badge is the tape applied, and partially heat-shrunk (right side was heated)
Real chrome finish, easy to work with, and cheap. This stuff sticks like glue once you heat it a bit.
There's a huge array of colors and faux finishes available, carbon fiber, brushed metals, etc.
(http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/ff287/mccavittj/2012-11-23_06-17-05_100-1.jpg)
(http://i243.photobucket.com/albums/ff287/mccavittj/photobucket-8682-1353669326949.jpg)
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That's nifty.
I've seen brushed aluminum "contact-paper" (adhesive vinyl). I never thought to do emblems, tho. ;D
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who would have thought???? that is awesome... I now know what I am doing this week.
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I am sending all my emblems to him next week and he can do them up for me? Also have a set of those black caps on my snowflake wheels that need doing over. The ladies silver nail polish is flaking off.
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I too have wondered about this. Thanks for the link to the tape. I have seen someone do a version of this with chromed spray paint; IIRC they sprayed it on wax paper and rolled the badge through the paint. I don't think it looked good, though.
Either way I will be smoothing my old VW and Rabbit badges w/ sandpaper and trying this out in the foreseeable future. I also see this being beneficial to silver-trimmed grilles.
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The factory finish was the brushed aluminum. Cool idea, though.
I sent a few emblems to a plastic refinisher and they were way too bright when they came back.
-Todd