Re-doing / enhancing the white digits on a gearstick

[relbhcb]

The white numbers & lines on the top of my 230SL gearstick are a bit dirty / tired and could do with refreshing. Does anyone know a good way to renovate them?

TIA

[stickandrudderman]

It's rumoured that a jewellery engraver is likely to be able to do it but I haven't tried to prove that theory.

[Garry]

I had a 5 speed ball done by an engraver with reasonably good results.  Give him something to practice on first before working on the original article.

Garry

[relbhcb]

Thanks all. Just to clarify - the plastic "grooves" are OK, it is just the white "paint" that sits within the grooves that is tired / dirty.

[Richard Madison]

I heard that White-Out or similar correction fluid (with the small brush) will work and last quite a while. Any white outside the grooves can be cleaned up since it's essentially white powder in an evaporating base.

Not likely but Richard is not responsible for any damage. 

Richard M, NYC

[ejboyd5]

Thanks all. Just to clarify - the plastic "grooves" are OK, it is just the white "paint" that sits within the grooves that is tired / dirty.

Try washing it with soapy water and a toothbrush.  If that doesn't make it "clean" enough, refill the grooves with white paint (no need to be extremely neat) and when the paint has dried polish the knob to remove any paint that has escaped the grooves.

[relbhcb]

Not likely but Richard is not responsible for any damage.

 

Thanks all; other than Tippex, what sort of paint would be best? Maybe a model maker's paint (such as the tiny "Humbrol" paint pots in the UK), or a smooth Hammerite paint perhaps?

[zoegrlh]

Just repaint the white in the groves, then while paint is wet, wipe off paint that is not in the groves.  Just don't wipe the paint out of groves.
Bob

[Flyair]

I saw that once at the local shop where plastic and wood parts are restored. The guy covered the entire top of the ball with some sort of wax, then, with a sharp needle that was warmed up, he removed the parts that were to receive the white paint and he sprayed the white paint and waited till it was dry. Good point of that is that he didn't put the white paint till he was satisfied with the looks of the shapes, as that part of the process is reversible.
After repeating that a few times, the white numbers looked like embossed and then he just removed finally the wax.