Harvezter, I do use a powerful magnifier. For guages I use flat arcrylic craft paint for the backgrounds and artist colored pencils for the numbers and needles. This is a little tricky but remember to keep the pencils as sharp as possible and use very light pressure on them. Use the best pencils you can find, I buy mine at a local art supply store. Most of the chrome is done with a artist paint marker with a .003 tip but if possible I do use BMF but not on this Mustang. I almost always put a key in the ignition switch. It just gives it that finished look. My best advise is to practice.
Later Al