Eternal Rollerz C.C. - History Of Our Plaques

History Of Our Plaques

Sand Cast Plaques

Traditional sand cast plaques have been the plaque of choice for the club. A sand cast plaque requires much more time and effort to make than a laser cut plaque. A pattern must be made, the plaques are poured, edges are cleaned up by hand with a file, the plaque is polished in it's raw bronze state and usually plated chrome or gold. This is a longer more expensive process but there is a greater sense of pride that goes along with it.

Plaque Terminology

Sand Cast - A old method of making plaques using a pattern and a mold. Brass and sometimes bronze is poured into the mold. After the metal cools the plaque is removed from the sand, cleaned up, polished and plated either chrome or gold. This method is desired by most clubs looking for quality and detail.

Pattern - A pattern is a wooden replica of your club plaque used to shape the sand in the mold. Making a pattern is what your are paying for when you pay a "set up fee." Many people mistakenly think they are paying for the mold when they first set up with a plaque making foundry.

Mold- A plaque mold is a two piece container filled with sand that the pattern made an impression on. The liquid metal is then poured in and allowed to cool. A mold is only used once before it has to be redone.

Laser Cut - A quick and easy method of cutting out a computer designed plaque. After a machine finishes cutting the plaque it requires little clean up and it is sent to the plating shop. This method is generally cheaper because of the less labor involved in making them and sometimes lack details a sand cast plaque can have like textured surfaces, imprinted names, lines and ect. Laser cut plaques have a look of their own and can often support intricate designs.

Some Eternal Rollerz Plaque History

Back in 1998 the club started out with three gold plaques from Touch of Class Casting company. The original three gold plaques from Touch of Class are very unique because they were the only three older design plaques that had no holes in the bottom of the posts (Legs) for mounting. Stylemaster Casting Company bought out Touch of Class some time around 1999 and acquired our mold. The early plaques cast for our club by Stylemaster are easy to recognize. A plaque made by Stylemaster will have no separation from the ribbon to the posts (Legs), also the E in Eternal was slightly crooked and not as neat near the top of the E as our new plaques. All of the plaques cast by Stylemaster had holes in the posts. A very small amount of plaques were cast by Stylemaster, maybe less than a dozen. Of the original plaques only a few have made their way out of the car club's possession. Many of these plaques are now considered a collectors item amongst our older club members. Stylemaster went out of business around 2002 without warning and our original template was forever lost.

Above: Our sandcast plaque pattern.

Above: A recent Plaquewerkz plaque on top and a original Touch of Class plaque on bottom.

Above: A Plaquewerkz two tone engraved presidential plaque in raw brass.

Above: A Plaquewerkz two tone engraved Vice Presidential plaque cast masked off for gold plating.

Above: A Plaquewerkz two tone engraved Vice Presidential plaque cast in 2021.

Above: A Plaquewerkz two tone engraved Presidential plaque cast in 2022.

In 2002 while cruising a popular lowrider site one of the members found out from the owner of Plaquewerkz that Stylemaster was gone for good. After no luck at contacting Stylemaster it was decided to have Mark at Plaquewerkz use a Stylemaster bronze plaque to help make a cleaner quality mold. Many fine details that were looked over by our previous two plaque companies were cleaned up on the Plaquewerkz version. Plaquewerkz casts their plaques out of brass. Due to high shipping costs and the troubles of dealing with plaque companies inside the States the German chapter had beautiful laser cut plaques made in the Summer of 2006. These plaques are very highly detailed and unique.

Above: A batch of raw laser cut club plaques from Germany.

Above: Note the detail in the raw laser cut plaque.

Above: These plaques will be sent off the the chrome shop.

Above: Mini laser cut plaques from Germany.

Above: Ultra mini laser cut plaques from Germany.

Eternal Rollerz Plaques Information

Touch Of Class (1998-1999): 3 Gold Plaques (One to date is lost)

Stylemaster (1999-2002): ? Gold Plaques, ? Chrome Plaques, and 2 Bronze Plaques (Three chrome plaques are in the hands of ex-members)

Plaquewerkz (2002-Present): 1 Presidential Engraved Two Tone Plaque, 1 Vice Presidential Engraved Two Tone Plaque,? Gold Plaques and ? Chrome Plaques (One Chrome Plaque was stolen from a member's car in Lowell, MA)

German Laser Cut (2006-Present): ?

Conclusion

Over the years the plaque has remained a symbol of pride for our members who ride with us as one united family.

We hope you have enjoyed this informative section.

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