How to Cast a New Badge in 8 Steps

Kip Lankenau’s Kip Motor Company has created a strong following thanks to its commitment to keeping rare and orphan British cars on the road. Frequent trips to the U.K. have stocked Kip’s warehouse full of NOS parts, but sometimes no amount of searching can track down certain items in acceptable condition. In these cases, Kip’s team of craftsmen recreate the parts using a mixture of modern and classic technology. We watched as they cast a Sunbeam badge for a Tiger or Alpine. 

Step 1:

The metal is heated in a small crucible on a hot plate. While the exact mixture of the white metal is a trade secret, the resulting casting is much less prone to corrosion than old zinc-rich parts. 

Step 2:

A stiff foam mold is cast using a positive created from an original badge. 

Step 3:

Steve Traudt uses a ladle and small funnel attached to a rod to transfer the liquid metal to the mold.

Step 4:

The metal is poured through small holes in the foam mold. These pour holes are evenly spaced to minimize porosity and material inconsistencies.

Step 5:

Each subsequent pour hole is filled with metal. Excess material is allowed to cool and then recycled into the next batch. 

Step 6:

Once the molten metal has cooled and solidified, the mold can be pulled apart to expose the freshly minted pieces. 

Step 7:

The individual letters are then pulled out of the foam mold. The sprues are trimmed and the part is sanded, polished and then chrome plated. 

Step 8:

The final result is simply stunning and often better than the original badge. 

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