I need some ideas on how to get the checkered look on the aluminum inserts that run the full length of the dash on my 57 Belair.
Jim

I've never tried it but was thinking, go to a vinyl decal business and have them cut a checker pattern out of vinyl. Using a scotchbrite pad, go one direction on dash panel, clean, then lay vinyl pattern on panel and go the other way where the dash shows thru. I hope I'm with you on the look you're after. Make sure vinyl is stuck to panel really good ,or it will try and lift as you go in the opposite direction. When done just peel vinyl off with x-acto knife. I've seen people use vinyl decals in painting, and they work great, leaving a crisp edge...Let us know if it works, should look really cool..

I know this thread is a few days old but I had a flash of brilliance. (Brilliant for me,anyway) And I wanted to share it before it was gone

You could do like bassdude suggests and have a decal made, but instead of scotchbrite , bead blast the pattern in. It would be not easily done if the pattern is small though.

How about going down to the leather crafts store and getting a leather die with an acceptable pattern( like the ones they use for tooling designs into saddles and shoes), and stamping them in? They have about a million different designs and I know that a little square with lines is one of them.
It would be a slow tedious process and prone to mishap if your alignment was not true.

Another thing you might try is to go to your ink stamp supplier and have a stamp made with your desired pattern. Stamp your dash insert with the stamp charged with india ink. then paint it with some metal etch. the etch will eat the aluminum but not where the ink is.
I would mess around with a scrap first and see if it works.
I know we used to do that in my 7 th grade jewlery making class to make some cool patterns. That is similar to how we used to etch homemade printed circuit boards too in electronics class.

Maybe you could find one of those guys who does PC board silkscreening to screen your pattern on the aluminum for you.

You could always just do the engine turned look with a drill press and a piece of craytex or a pencil erasor charged with some lapping compound. That is easy to do (although it takes a little time patience and a little setup work to do so it looks right) and you can pick which pattern/ size you use. I have done that a few times on alum and SS parts. If that holds some interest for you I can elaborate on the process.

Does danchuk have an insert for your car with the pattern in it already?

Ok I'm done.

Later, mikey

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