Using paint to achieve a plated raised letter equipment tag

[forjack842]

All,
I'm restoring a 1920 victrola that has a brass based equipment 2x4" ID tag. This tag has a burnt red paint face with raised nickel(bright) letters rising above the paint (.0001 -.0005") sufficiently to click easily when scratched with a fingernale. The paint appears to have been used as a plating resist.
I've achieved a silkscreen of this label and have been able to reproduce the paint transfer to a new brass sheet. The unplated label looks identical to the old with the brass letters showing through the red paint. I've tried to nickel plate this label making the raised letters but have run into a few issues.
Using a silkscreen transfer method, paint consistance is an issue, the best transfer I could get was using an artist acrylic. Initial tests had the paint adhere good if baked at 170 degrees for about 15 minutes.
Once in the plating bath, the basic nickel plug-n-plate kit was slow to plate even with an anode and 1rpm spiral cathode (label) aggitation. The paint seperated from the brass plate in spots after about 35-45 minutes in 115 degree solution and 60 minutes in 80 degree solution.
I need to find a paint that can be used with a silkscreen and can be used to perform this plating job. The paint must stay as part of the label forever.
Any ideas would be welcome.
Thanks
Jack

[KCV6]

I'm no silk screen expert, but I'd say you would need to etch prime the brass first with one pass then a second pass with the red to get a good bond. I suspect this would mean you would end up with alot of plating to get the raised letters/numbers, if infact you can even get an accurate double silk screen.

The only other thing I can think of would be to use a 2 part epoxy paint/2 pac.

Last option would be to paint the label fully, including a a good etch primer and get the lettering laser engraved through the paint, then plate.

cheers

Mark

[forjack842]

Hi Mark,
Thanks for the reply and your ideas. Since this unit is almost 90 years old, I try and uncover how they did it without laser etching and silkscreen capability-all the modern off the shelf stuff we have today. Looking at the original paint under a microscope its flowed perfectly the letters are raised and also perfect with only slight edge shelfing. Bright nickel or chrome on the letters seems to have been plated from the base brass. Raise on enough to click with finger nail sliding over but enough to feel with the finger tip.
All above said, I would be content with silkscreened paint layer and enough bright nickel plating to visually pass for a perfect copy. Plating to a raised shelf would be nice but not all that necessary.
Jack