We don't need no steenking BADGES!!!

As a part of my on-going electrical system upgrades, I'm installing a new 12v headlight switch into my dash. I could have very well just popped a hole and stuck it into place...but I wanted to do something a little DIFFERENT!

Since I plan to get started on my vintage-looking, Nicson styled carb scoop later today, I figured I'd bang out a quick piece of "metal art" to get back in the groove. I haven't done anything quite like this since junior high school shop class, so I had to see if sheetmetal was still my FRIEND!!!

(This actually all started because my buddy's teenaged daughter had to do a similar metalworking project for school, and I was trying to explain to her how to do it. I got to thinking maybe I oughtta try it again MYSELF!)

Anyhow...to tie in with my handcuff gauge holders, I thought that a decorative backing plate for the headlight switch shaped like a classic sheriff's star might look cool, so I drew the pattern on a bright sheet of thin aluminum and cut it out using hand shears.

Well, okay...it had the SHAPE of a star, but the blinding brushed finish and flat, smooth texture were all wrong, so I buffed the finish done a bit on the wire wheel side of my bench grinder. That killed some of the intense glare, but really didn't look right, either.

So, after applying a hammered ball-peen finish, then texturing it further by briskly rolling the checkered metal handle area of a steel punch over it (like you would use a rolling pin on dough in the kitchen!), I had some gritty texture going on!

Then, I added the three dimensional detail with various tools and continued to hammer away at it until it had a haggard, scuffed and well-worn edge to it! The finishing touch was done by applying a little (hee hee) PAINT-TINA(tm) to the thing. I brushed on a quick coat of flat black and quickly wiped it down and sanded it some with a fine hobby type film.

All that's left is to pop the hole in the center for the shaft of the switch to go through...

...but I was also thinking that I could just dill a 1/4" hole in one of the round "points" and attatch it to my license plate bolt as a unique little tag!

No biggie...got LOTS of sheet aluminum!!!

 

Some thing like our metal shop projects... Pretty cool idea..


By the way, What about the T, or were you BS'n me?

 

HOLY SHIT!

 

you just did that as an excuse to talk to a teenage girl!