Author: Mark Elliott

Custom Land Rover Badges

Posted on by Mark Elliott

Rover Trophy Custom Land Rover BadgesIn this blog post, we take a closer look at the custom Land Rover badges we have been manufacturing in cast aluminium and etched zinc.

Staying true to the original manufacturing methods Land Rover used on the original Defender badges, we manufacture bespoke exterior vehicle badges from cast aluminium. These are perfect for specialist restoration companies wanting to display their brand in a traditional, unobtrusive way.

Working closely with our local foundry, our Lucari Custom Land Rover Badgesbadges are manufactured to clients specific designs and replicate the same style and finish as the original OEM badges, for a period correct look. Black enamel is usually added to the recessed areas before a clear coat of lacquer is applied, adding a shine to the surface and increasing the durability. These are usually riveted on to the vehicles, but 3M tape can be provided.

Kingsley Custom Land Rover BadgesIn addition to the cast aluminium badges, we have recently been producing custom Land Rover badges in zinc. In terms of look and feel, these are almost identical to the cast aluminium badges Land Rover infamously used on the original Defenders. However, instead of manufacturing them using the sand casting technique (used for the aluminium badges), they are acid etched in zinc. The main advantage of this process is that there are no initial setup costs involved, so one-off badges and samples are possible without a large upfront cost.

If you would like more information regarding custom Land Rover badges for your brand, give us a call or send your designs/ideas to info@houseoflogos.co.uk.

MAHKER Cast Aluminium Badges

Posted on by Mark Elliott

Based in the heart of Shropshire, UK, MAHKER are an internationally inspired workshop using hand crafted components to build outstanding vehicles with endless possibilities. This post is an insight into the production behind the cast aluminium badges we manufactured for their builds.

Working closely alongside our local foundry, we have been manufacturing exterior vehicles badges in cast aluminium. This allows us to manufacture items which are normally too large using our traditional stamping and lost wax techniques.

Sand casting is a method where compacted grains of sand are used as the mold material. It is one of the oldest and most widely used metal casting skills. Listed below are some of the key steps in the production method for the @wearemahker cast aluminium plaques we manufacture.

A pattern is made based on the desired design. A bottom mold is filled with compacted sand and the pattern is pressed into the sand. The top mold is then aligned and placed on to the bottom mold. More sand is added to the top mold and compacted until almost solid. The top mold is then carefully lifted and the pattern removed, leaving a vacuum in the the sand. The top mold is then re-aligned again to the bottom, and molten metal (in this case aluminium) is poured into the vacuum and allowed to cool. Once cooled, the top and bottom molds are separated to leave the aluminium casting.

Once the aluminium castings have been made, they are fettled to remove any blemishes/grains of sand sometimes caused by the molds and start to look more like a finished item. Black enamel was then filled into the recessed areas of the castings and left to cure/dry overnight.

Leaving the castings overnight, gave the enamel enough time to dry. We then polished the surface of each casting which also removed any enamel that had accidentally spilled over onto the raised areas. Finally we gave the plaques a clear coat of lacquer to add a layer of protection and leave a smooth and shiny surface, giving them a nice contrast to the black enamelled areas.

FixxFest 2021 Keychains & Pin Badges

Posted on by Mark Elliott

Limited edition Fixxfest 2021 keychains and pin badges for UroTuning featuring the VW Golf MK7 TCR feature car.

The level of detail achieved on both the enamel pins and keychains is really high. Engraved numbering on the rear of the keychains and additional backing cards for the pins really sets them off.

FixxFest 2021 BadgesFixxFest 2021 Keychain

 

Austin Healey Badge Restoration

Posted on by Mark Elliott

In this post, we showcase the results of our Austin Healey Badge Restoration. Rather than replace the original badges the car came with, this Austin Healey owner wanted to restore them. They came to us in a sorry state. The chrome was pitted and the enamel was fading badly or missing completely.

Austin Healey Damaged BadgeConsidering the age and wear, this Austin Healey badge restoration needed to be carried out in a sympathetic manner. The metal areas were polished to remove defects and chrome plated to restore the shine. A custom mix of enamel was used to match the ‘Rustoleom Regal Red’ used on the original badges.

The Austin Healey script badge was a slight concern, as the pitting marks were particularly deep. If we polished down to completely remove these, we were afraid of polishing too deep and losing the depth/detailing of the badge. After careful consideration, we felt it was too risky to try and remove them completely on an original badge, so some pitting marks do remain. Nonetheless, they are much smaller and it is a notable improvement compared to before.