cliftyhanger
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| posted on 7/2/24 at 01:12 PM |
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3D printing number plates
OK, not the whole plate, but the digits.
I really like the late 60s/70s peaket digit plates that are "rivited" onto aluminium plates. But they are hard to find at sensible prices,
and even then most places have limited letters/numbers. I want silver digits to stick to a plate
So is there a library of such stuff. My useful SIL has a 3d printer and makes some intersting bits and bobs. But if I can find a file to help it would
be handy.
Any pointers?
TIA
(Car is pre 72 so these will be legal. In fact the rules are now pre 1980, after a DVLA cockup in the regs)
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Schrodinger
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| posted on 7/2/24 at 03:56 PM |
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You may already have it but here is a link to DVLA guidance notes there is very little on pre 1973 registrations though
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/62554c78d3bf7f600782fd4f/inf104-vehicle-registration-numbers-and-number-plates.pdf
Also not sure if this link has what you are looking for
https://www.bing.com/images/search?q=number+plates+fonts+pre+1973&id=92551ADE59DDAA45060F4C044A14265EFFD84F9F&form=IQFRBA&first=1&diso
verlay=1
[Edited on 7-2-24 by Schrodinger]
Keith
Aviemore
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Steef74
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| posted on 7/2/24 at 03:57 PM |
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Within Fusion 360 it is easy defining some numbers and letters, just extrude these, create STL and send to 3D printer
Fusion 360 can be registered free for student or non commercial use. This version does not have all functionality, but for designing 3D models it is
more then sufficient.
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obfripper
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| posted on 7/2/24 at 04:30 PM |
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New Charles Wright is the current and correct font to use, should be easy enough to export to an svg outline, and then import and extrude in
blender/cad and chamfer forward edges to match the original style letters.
Dave
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cliftyhanger
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| posted on 7/2/24 at 06:41 PM |
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Pre 72 there is no guidance on font, as long as it is clear. I will try the original Charles Wright, a little different. SIL is on teh case, got home
to messages about what font and wanting pictures to design the shape. He is earning brownie points for his (big) shed build!
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obfripper
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| posted on 7/2/24 at 06:48 PM |
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I'd forgotten about the fonts on some brands of the older plastic letter plates as well as the serck font, this might need you to trace the fonts
manually in a cad program as I've not seen an actual font file that is close to these fonts.
For the 60's plastic letters, hills is probably the one you're looking for.
https://autoshite.com/topic/48104-1960s-uk-registration-plate-font/
There's a handful of threads on there with different manufacturers plates, if the font you're thinking of is more obscure as prettry much
every manufacturer had a different font pre mid '90's..
Also here is a link to the current font, there is a Charles Wright 1935 font within the pack that is the pre 2001 standard font.
https://www.k-type.com/fonts/charles-wright/
Dave
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cliftyhanger
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| posted on 8/2/24 at 08:14 AM |
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It is a minefield!
I think I will go with the old charles wright, as that info is available.
He has pointed out that the digits will have a lightly lined surface, but I intend to paint them prior to fitting, probably in a bit of 2k.
He said that would be best to aid UV protection.
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Mr Whippy
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| posted on 8/2/24 at 08:29 AM |
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There's plenty of digits on ebay & I would not use Pla for this application due to the black background getting too hot in the summer sun.
There also plenty of online companies such as vintagecarparts who can make them up for you for about £70 a pair. The pressed alloy ones are
considerably more robust (I have one that survived a head on crash with only a slight nick to the corner  ). Personally the plates you refer too are
more suited to vintage type cars but go for whatever you like. It's actually on my list of jobs to do this year as the pressed plate does not
match what was used on my car at the time.
I'm 3D printing all the time so I'd be interested if you found a ready designed characters font but I could probably knock the ones I need
in under an hour on tinkercad.
Fame is when your old car is plastered all over the internet
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cliftyhanger
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| posted on 8/2/24 at 08:45 AM |
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quote:
Originally posted by Mr Whippy
There's plenty of digits on ebay & I would not use Pla for this application due to the black background getting too hot in the summer sun.
There also plenty of online companies such as vintagecarparts who can make them up for you for about £70 a pair. The pressed alloy ones are
considerably more robust (I have one that survived a head on crash with only a slight nick to the corner ). Personally the plates you refer too are
more suited to vintage type cars but go for whatever you like. It's actually on my list of jobs to do this year as the pressed plate does not
match what was used on my car at the time.
I'm 3D printing all the time so I'd be interested if you found a ready designed characters font but I could probably knock the ones I need
in under an hour on tinkercad.
I have a hatred of the £20/pr type pressed plates, they are just not right. The lovely heavier pressed ones fitted originally to cars of the 60s are
much nicer.
And I have a 1980 car here that uses the plastic/rivited type letters on an ali plate, all original.
And I am too much of a tightwad to fork out £70 a pair for plates!
For my spitfire I did find a set of digits for one plate. I intend to attach them to the front gille in the same way the original Lotus Elans did, no
actual plate.
They were a mixture of silver and white when bought, now sprayed a dark silver (when I was painting some wheels) so will be legal but a bit stealthy.
There is no guidance at all on the shade of silver for the digits, I know a car that has them VERY dark silver, almost invisible.
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Steef74
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| posted on 8/2/24 at 09:57 AM |
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ASA filament is UV resistent, for the fine printing lines, use some sand paper
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Mr Whippy
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| posted on 8/2/24 at 11:02 AM |
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I don't recall seeing proper vintage plates with the separate plastic digits ever being painted silver, I'm sure they were all just white.
I'm sure it was just the pressed ones that were bare metal. That is one of the things that stands out with pressed ones being wrong for my car.
The old style plastic used on the originals tends to go dusty/crusty and brittle (or green depending on how old it is...)
Fame is when your old car is plastered all over the internet
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jacko
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| posted on 8/2/24 at 12:22 PM |
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I have a pair of number plates of my first car a ford anglia it was 1964
It is a aluminium plate with black numbers and letters riveted on i have never seen silver letters on this type of plate.
But they do aluminium pressed plates that are black with polished letters Etc
I hope this helps
Graham
555
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Mr Whippy
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| posted on 8/2/24 at 01:06 PM |
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I see a number of news articles discussing modern number plate recognition systems failing to read vintage plates for car parks either giving them
free parking or not opening the barrier. Something I will bare in mind.
Fame is when your old car is plastered all over the internet
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