I agree, it is not a silk screen process, I work in the graphics industry and today that would be hard to replicate. We have a 3-d printer that could do it but that is a pretty new invention. It had to be done in the paint dept. A roller or press. The pattern is not on the back so it is not a stamping. Atleast I can not tell if it was.

 

Agree. Its stamped in the metal.

 

Not as far as I can tell. I have one that I glass beaded and the sheet metal is flat. The texture is in the paint or something else sitting on the metal surface.

 

It looks to me like it could have been done with a textured brayer. A brayer is a semi-hard rubber roller that can be used for applying paint.
I use one on to paint raised lettering on my castings, but in the case of this instrument panel, the pattern would have to be cut into the rubber roller or possibly added to the surface of a smooth brayer. Maybe wrap the roller with the correct textured screen or fabric to match?
Another option would be to lay a flat piece of fabric or screen with your correct texture over a coat of semi hard paint, and apply pressure with a brayer or other means. Remove the screen and then apply more coats of paint. The imprinted pattern should telegraph through.
Good luck.

 

I agree with all you have said. I looked at mine closer, the pattern is perfect, as far as height goes. Seems to me it had to be a stamping of the paint. A rubber die of sorts. The stamping is not in the metal. A lot of work for something a most don't notice at first.

 

Well now I am not sure, I just took my original cluster out and it has fading of the paint and areas where the diamond pattern is bare steel between the diamonds. The area close to the gauge openings does not have the hatch. It stops about 1/8 of an inch around the openings. it is starting to look like some sort of over lay that was placed on the paint. Perhaps when it was still wet?

 

Just circling back on this subject as I finished painting my cluster face and came up with a decent replication of the original pattern. I media blasted all the old paint and any rust off, cleaned up the metal with a wax/grease remover and put a couple of coats of Krylon satin enamel paint. I believe the color I used was almond. I let the initial paint dry a minimum of 24 hours before proceeding with the pattern application. Using some fiber screening I cut out the cluster pattern so the screen would lay flat on the face. The pattern is diagonal so I made sure the screen pattern as cut out would be diagonal as well. I then had the wife iron the screen (with a piece of cloth on top) to make sure it was flat. With the screen in place, I then sprayed a light coat over the screen being sure to cover all the face surface. If sprayed too heavy, the paint would puddle and eliminate the pattern. After waiting about 2 minutes (@ 60 deg. temperature) I carefully peeled the screen off. Pictures of the finished product do not show the pattern as well as it shows in person.

 

Nice job. Very nice!

 

Looks great and really looks better than a flat paint surface but isn't it the opposite than the original patter? I don't want to seem critical, I think you're really on the way replicating the original pattern. Only one of us real truck nuts would notice.

 

Bob, you are correct. I would have had to leave the screen in place to try and get it exactly like the original and the screen was too thick and would have sat too tall. This way however, will work for all but the closest observer such as yourself.

 

Doug, I hope you didn't think I was ripping on your results. I think it looks great, I just wondering if some how it could be done exactly like the original. I've been pondering how to do this for years. Yours is the closest to original I've seen. Like you said it would pass 99.9% of the population but there are concours restorers who will only accept exact reproduction. For those guys your procedure is going to give them some guidance.

 

Bob, no problems here. I fully understood your intent and agree with your statement.

 

So my question is, why ,,,,,,did Ford go to the trouble of making the pattern? Certainly not to cut down glare, not with the chrome surrounding the panel.

 

Very nice results! I would say "Nobody would know the difference unless you pointed it out." , but now after this thread, I'll be inspecting every instrument cluster I find!

 

This is a timely thread as I too am in the process of refurbishing my cluster. I am undecided as to whether I'll try to duplicate the crosshatch pattern or just go smooth. I will need to replace the chrome on it though. Has anyone discovered an aftermarket source for the chrome bezel/surround for the instrument cluster?