Trying my hand at designing a set of custom, one off gauge faces. As we speak a HAMB member is photoshopping my idea onto paper, my question is how do I take it from paper and make it happen on a metal face, what process is used to stencil it on? Can it be done without special machines and printers? Thanks!
Silk screen, any HAMB members do that kind of thing? I ***ume you paint the background color (black) than Silk screen on the numbers/letters? What do Silk screeners like as a format for the design, or am I over thinking this?
i don't know if this would work and i have never tried it but.....my wife bought heat transfer paper for the printer and transferred a photo on a t-shirt. i wonder if it would work on a piece of metal or thin plastic?
I just redesigned my tach to look like a clock for my 46 Ford. My sign maker is printing it on vinyl and I will overlay the existing face plate. Not as traditional as silk screening, but I can exactly match the look of my other gauges, and it is relatively inexpensive.
Try looking into Dye Sublimation. The printed inks are heated into a polyester coating, on thin aluminium blanks.
If you use vinyl, make sure you use top-quality stuff like 3M or equivalent that's rated for heat/sunlight. Silkscreening is the best method. Try a local sign shop, most can take camera-ready art and make a vinyl overlay using good vinyl with a laser cutter. This isn't really something you can do at home on a standard printer and have it hold up, BTDT....
I have a customer that prints faces directly on aluminum sheet using a UV inkjet device, some of his parts go in high end restorations such as Ferraris.
You can print your own water decals and lay them on your painted gauge faces. You just need to be meticulous when setting them.
There's also a thread around here on how to etch your own br*** cowl tag/id tags/etc.. Br*** etched gauges could look cool in the right dash....-rick
Hey guys, Any modern printer can digitally print on most substances up to 1" thick. If you have clean art in Illustrator save out as a AI or PDF file formatt and provide a clean substrate. It's simple, fast and should be cost effective.
Thanks for all the info guys, will have to check each one and see which works best for me. Will update later in the project....................................
"Isn't there a gauge maker that will print your design? But memory says it is/was Dolphin = Hoffman." Trying to byp*** the gauge makers, way to much $$$$$ for this build. Besides Dolphin = Hoffman = Junk that smells Fishy.........................
Crossing over from another hobby, here's a silkscreen at home technique. http://photos.scriptpirate.com/GalleryFilmstrip.aspx?gallery=4139058 http://photos.scriptpirate.com/GalleryFilmstrip.aspx?gallery=2433418 You could have your artwork separated into layers, one per screen, then apply to metal faces for your gauges. Spray some clear over them to protect, and you're good to go.
There's only 2 colors, Black & White, Black being the background, White being the letters/numbers. Thanks for the links will check them out tonight!
Just food for thought... A good sign painter can do them by hand. Joshua shaw did a set for a friend of ours a few years ago and I think they look really cool.
Well we do have a local Sign painter that is talented enough, will work for Beer, but most of the time what you get isn't what you wanted!
You could always send them to Josh. He's damn good, and reliable / trustworthy . Long time HAMB member in Cincinnati Oh.
You could also design it here http://frontpanelexpress.com/ using their free software and have it mailed to you. The possibilities are endless.
Here it is........http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/...-replace-your-own-gauges.318111/#post-3512145 Also, do a search for Vintage Decals
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