Data plate stamping

[rob love]

The term for raised lettering is embossing, whereas stamped into the metal is impressing. Here is a link to a company that sells hand operated machines to do either: http://shortorderproducts.com/Emboss...Mtl_Emboss.htm

I have linked to their embossing machines, which appear to be strictly for the tape style like Hanno has shown. They have an interesting press for doing impressed lettering but unfortunately that is not the style we are after.

Perhaps contacting this company might lead to something, but the end results, looking att the price of the machinery, will not likely be cheap.

I also found a link to a company in the UK that embosses serials etc for vehicle data and line production plates. http://www.classic-plates.com/
The carrier plates almost look like something they might be able to replicate.

[George McKenzie]

I tride a addressograft" like what Rob showed" that the hospital used .It only did the small letters and was hard to line up what you wanted to copy Most of the ones I talked to Said ya OK .till it came to doing what we wanted then it was a different storey .If we could get the stamps for letters and numbers in two sizes 1/4" and 1/8 " We could machine the rest needed for making these plates .

[Jack Innes]

Here is what the actual machine used by GM to make vin plates for years looks like. The close up shows the male & female dies & the method of holding them. The picture in better focus is a second, older machine showing the mechanism more clearly.

[George McKenzie]

That's what we need I wonder if it has the two sizes of numbers ? Where could we get the use of this machine ? Would there be one in a museum?

[rob love]

I see the name addressograph on the machine. A google search of that name opens a whole plethora of leads. However, I suspect that the main plate may have been stamped and just the unique data would have been added with a machine like this. I don't think this machine would do the raised borders.

An Ebay search will also net a variety of these machines at reasonable prices, but some research will be needed to figure out which one is best for the job.

[Jack Innes]

Rob,

You need to find the right machine. Most Addressograph machines emboss the letters backwards to create plates to go in an address printing machine - like most hospital ID cards. The letters are often also coined into the metal to be very fine like a typewriter key. The vin printer forms the metal without changing its thickness & the result is as you see it on a carrier vin plate. I am sure you are correct that in production the plates would be pre stamped with the standard information including the border.

To change the font size it appears that you would have to change all of the dies & likely reset the spacing somehow. It may be a case of changing the die holder as well.

The machine in my pictures does not work whether by accident or intentionally. It is something that should not fall into the hands of credit card fraud miscreants!

There are a number of companies offering to make plates but they require an old plate or a proof of ownership of the vehicle. Would it not be worth collectively contacting these people, perhaps through a lawyer, explaining the situation of most plates being missing & that there never was any form of MOT title document on a carrier. A notarised statement of ownership should then suffice to clear the plate maker of responsibility. Such a person may be more interested if he sees a sale for many sets of plates. A die to stamp the border would not be too difficult to make.

[Jordan Baker]

http://www.infinitystamps.com/embossing_dies.html

Found this company. Does a good job of explaining it all. Just sounds expensive for what our numbers would be.