I purchase some gallon markers and I would like to know what ideas you have to paint the numbers black. I am not skilled when it comes to this, so I am looking for ideas.

Might try a rubber ink roller. I don't plan on painting mine but if I did that is how I'd do it.

...would these originally have been painted?

I think these may be the originals.
[img]https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/original-gilbert-barker-176-visible-479951624[/img]

If they were painted originally, the first time they were exposed to the gasoline, they paint would disappear. No proof, but I don't believe they were ever painted.

Jack Sim

...I’ve never seen these particular embossed numbers painted; my thinking is that the embossing did the job, and painting them would have been unnecessary...

...G&B made that visible for a long time...it’s entirely possible that they used different style numbers over the course of its production...

I took my numbers to a graphics place and had them make decals for them. It worked out quite well.

Randy,
Could you share the name of the graphic place?

Any local sign shop can make those. All sign shops that work in vinyl will do these in a day or two. Jack Sim is correct....these were never painted originally as the paint would not hold up to gasoline for any amount of time. That is why they are embossed. Paul www.severngaspumps.com

As Paul stated, any local sign or graphic shop can make them for you, that is what I did. All you need to do is supply them with the number plates so they can match them up to a font. The place I took mine to is no longer in business here in town, Viking Graphics. Where in Wisconsin are you located?

It seems that some are missing the fact that you just want a nice looking restoration and that your pump will never hold a gallon of gas again. But then again, I may have missed where you are concerned about originality. I wish you the best on your project.

Any of these old visible pump gallon marker numbers are not a 'Font' per se.

There were no computers back in those days - or CNC machines that could make the dies for these to millimeter specs.

All these old lettering fonts were hand created and hand duplicated.

In order to get replacement number decals for these, your graphics person will need a complete set of original markers to work from.

Each number will need to be scanned and redrawn to get them as perfect as possible before having them cut out of vinyl.

Most 'brick and mortar' vinyl shops will charge you a minimum hourly charge for the work and then a price for the resulting decals.

That being said - we do all the prep work for these for free and only charge for the vinyl numbers.

I just completed a set for a customer for a Bennett 810 and the total with shipping was $36.50 - and we provide an extra set of numbers in case you mess anything up during the installation process.

Later . . .

Jim

Toll Free: 866.546.4067

Thank you very much Jim. This is very good info and I will remember this for the future. Your price is extremely reasonable and as I remember, I paid considerably more for reasons you describe. Keep up the good work.

I am the customer that Jim made the decals at a very reasonable price for my Bennett 810. Thanks for helping me Jim, using pictures and measurements via email. The gallon marker numbers on this pump are very slightly de-bossed as opposed to embossed like some others. Before a very light bead blasting to clean them up for painting, the de-bossed areas had some sort of black "paint" in them. I'm assuming this was how they came originally, and not repro's.

The decals Jim made were a very close fit in the de-bossed areas and they look great. I am waiting for the painter to finish the body work and paint on the skins, etc so I can reassemble the pump. I had the skeleton and castings powdercoated red locally. The pump will be done as Gilmore to match the island display that I currently have.

...it seems that some are defensive about the fanciful and historically arbitrary paint jobs on their pumps

...I asked my question in the interest of providing Oldgas members with useful information about what these pumps looked like originally...I personally didn't know whether or not they were painted - but I couldn't see the logic in the manufacturer painting them, when the embossing is so pronounced...

Not at all Mark. I was just seeing several posts about originality when the thread starter wasn't concerned about this. Quite honestly, I complete overlooked your question and find it very useful information to the topic. This site is one of the most difficult sites to follow threads when so many other members do not use the quote button. I commend you for doing so. It makes the conversation so much easier to follow. I was completely focused on answering Deerejohnb's concerns. Had the other posts quoted yours it would have made for a much smoother conversation.

Mark, it looks like the markers were never painted. Take care and have good day!