Refinishing license plate

[diesel pig]

Good point about using JB weld to fill the divots in the plate before sanding it flat. Plus carefully masking over the numbers before spraying over the whole plate may help to bring up looking OK. I am in no rush to do it but when I do it I only want to do it once.

[F5 Dave]

If you wet finger there may be little sanding to do, suck and see.

[toycollector10]

Get the plate vapour blasted back to bare metal or used paint stripper. Rattle can the plate with satin black paint. While the paint is wet and tacky use an old handkerchief (very thin and fine cotton) and wrap it tightly around a very sharp edged block. Wet the handkerchief with thinners but not too much then damp it off on a towel or other soft cotton to get about half of the thinners off. Drag the sharp edged, wrapped handkerchief across the raised lettering to take off the paint. Go slowly and be thorough. Remember that less paint is best when doing this, you don't have to drench it in paint or you'll have a big problem on your hands.

[diesel pig]

Get the plate vapour blasted back to bare metal or used paint stripper. Rattle can the plate with satin black paint. While the paint is wet and tacky use an old handkerchief (very thin and fine cotton) and wrap it tightly around a very sharp edged block. Wet the handkerchief with thinners but not too much then damp it off on a towel or other soft cotton to get about half of the thinners off. Drag the sharp edged, wrapped handkerchief across the raised lettering to take off the paint. Go slowly and be thorough. Remember that less paint is best when doing this, you don't have to drench it in paint or you'll have a big problem on your hands.

What sort of edge? I have a old bread knife that might work maybe?

[F5 Dave]

I think he means wrap a hanky over some wood with a square edge.