Metal Trussrod Cover detail???

F30

Senior Member
Gold Supporting
Joined
Aug 26, 2010
Messages
1,452
Reaction score
905
Location
East of Nashville
I have only seen these in pictures but was wondering how the crest outline is done on the trussrod cover.
Is it silkscreened on?
Is it routed in?
Is the route painted?
Here's a pic of one (I found online)- althought the cover is on upside down:
145194281.jpg
 

F30

Senior Member
Gold Supporting
Joined
Aug 26, 2010
Messages
1,452
Reaction score
905
Location
East of Nashville
Here's one from a 64 Polara:
145194570.jpg

It almost looks like engraved into the metal to me with raw metal showing??
 

chazmo

Super Moderator
Joined
Nov 7, 2007
Messages
25,472
Reaction score
7,131
Location
Central Massachusetts
F30, they're engraved. I had one on my Hoboken F-50R. Do you have a copy of Hans' book? I believe there's a discussion of the TRCs from different periods. The coolest ones, in my opinion, are the layered plastic ones. I'm not sure when they were used, but I think early Westerly.

IMG_1445.jpg
 

wileypickett

Senior Member
Joined
Jun 18, 2009
Messages
4,965
Reaction score
4,491
Location
Cambridge, MA
The TRC is metal, painted black. The silver shield outline is unpainted, and is about 1/16" higher than the rest of TRC.
 

F30

Senior Member
Gold Supporting
Joined
Aug 26, 2010
Messages
1,452
Reaction score
905
Location
East of Nashville
Thanks for the clearication. I've never seen one upclose.
Greatly appreciated.
 

chazmo

Super Moderator
Joined
Nov 7, 2007
Messages
25,472
Reaction score
7,131
Location
Central Massachusetts
wileypickett said:
The TRC is metal, painted black. The silver shield outline is unpainted, and is about 1/16" higher than the rest of TRC.
Glenn, that's not how I recall it being on my F-50R. I think the shield was just engraved in a flat piece of metal.
 

The Guilds of Grot

Enlightened Member
Joined
Oct 10, 2006
Messages
9,547
Reaction score
4,716
Location
New Jersey Shore
Guild Total
117
I just pulled the TRC off of my '67 F-20 and it does feel like it's raised.

But, I broke out the calipers and measured it and it's only raised about three thousandths of and inch (.003"). A sheet of paper is around .004".

Now if you look at the silver line closely you see that it doesn't seem to be engraved because there's no tool marks. The line is so thin that there is no way that any tool marks could be polished out afterwards.

What I think is that they're "masked" or "reverse stenciled".

I'm proposing that they polish the plate and then apply a self adhesive mask of the shield outline onto the TRC. Then they're painted and after they've dried, they peel off the masking leaving the shiny shield outline behind.

What I'm measuring is a raised ridge of paint build-up that's on either side of the masked section.


Any other guesses?
 
Top