Technical SW smooth bezel gauge removal tool?

There must be a tool for removing and re fitting the smooth bezel from the 2 5/8 curved lens gauges.
A description or photo would would be good. Thanks. John

 

A sharp edge to start, then work up to thicker edged tools. Pat Swanson, and expert gauge rebuilder, once told me he uses oyster shucking s****s/blades/whatever they are called. Whichever tool you use, work very slowly, never prying, just "suggesting" to the bezel that it move itself outward.

 

The last I heard Pat had designed and built a tool that "rolled" the bezels off. I guess it works phenomenally as opposed to the old method that ended up destroying one out of four bezels. I remember the oyster shucking/picking tools method, it was very elaborate and involved sitting the front of the gauge in penetrating oil and then ever so gently prying the bezel off. I'm not sure how willing Pat would be about sharing the new tool he created. I don't believe there ever was a tool, these gauges were built without a concern for how they were going to come back apart in the future.
Most folks end up putting a relief cut though the bezel and can and then gluing a reproduction bezel back in place after the restoration occurs. JohnnyA

 

I use a very thin screw driver ( craftsman 1/8th long flat ) that I heated the end the bent it 90 degree and sharpened it and can get under the edge and walk it around . and slowly bend it back to get the lip off .

 

Stumpy I think you are talking about the later stepped bezel gauges. They are a whole different animal. John's talking about the pressed in smooth bezels.

Here's a trick I've only told once before: the cans for these old gauges are the exact same size as the modern-ish series 2-5/8" gauges. So I sacrifice my original gauges' cans and cut through them right behind the bezel with a cutoff wheel. Grind through the can just deep enough to release the bezel, not into it. Then you can remove all the guts from the original gauge and bolt them into the 70's can. The smooth bezel can be pushed into the modern can ( or you can turn a thousandth out of the inside on a lathe, and glue the bezel in with some form-a-gasket like I do). There is one gauge that needs the holes filed over a bit on the modern can, I think it's the amp gauge.

And just so you all know, the repro smooth bezels can be spotted from originals at ten paces. I wish somebody would make some good ones.

 

A paint can lid opener sharpened can work.

 

Its called an oyster knife, not a correction just for future reference.

I use a little bitty screw driver then work my way up to a standard little screw driver. My dad used dental pics, I still have them here, I used them for something different but he used them for gauges.

Glad this came up, I completely forgot what the Ol' Man used those for and I have a green line I need to open up.

 

Here is a fixture I use to roll the bezel back on. and a needle puller and paint can opener. The pipe and smaller aluminum is for 2 1/16" gauge. That is a ball bearing mounted in the tool holder.

 

While Ago's tool is really rather neat, youse guys aren't getting the point. Those are really nothing like the smooth bezels that John is asking about. The smooth bezels are pressed INTO the can, and are usually held in with great pressure and corrosion. Not rolled around the outside edge.

 

I just don't have the touch. And, each experiment can be costly. I'll bet if I had a hundred or so s**** smooth bezel gauges to fool with, I might come up with something. Why did they do it to us? Damn you Stewart-Warner! Still, there's hope. I'm searching for my lost "suggesting" tool in my special existential tool box. Ha-Ha. (And to add insult to injury, I've actually had a smooth bezel from a 2-1/16" tulip gauge literally fall off. Of course that was from a gauge that was almost perfect. Go figure. )

 

Thanks guys really appreciate the ideas.

 

Wouldn't this be a great tech post.

 

You just have to be patient and practice on junk gauges. If you are careful you can get the bezels off with out damage.

 

Ago, I'm O.K. with the regular step bezels (I use one of those cheap-*** jeweler's rolling tools to reinstall the bezels), but I am at a loss on the pressed in smoothies. I've ruined a couple lickety-split. It seems that someone out there that has the desire & creative instincts could make a reasonably priced repop, which would essentially solve the problem. It couldn't be harder than the decent (and reasonably priced) step bezel repops that are out there, could it? Speaking of which, I wonder what the originating source of those thing is?

 

Another hint I remembered is having a solid base to hold the gauge as you are pushing the sharp edge behind the bezel. I used a hole-saw to drill a 2-5/8" hole in a 2 x 4 and then cut through the middle of the hole. Clamp the hemisphere holder in a vise and it will make the process much easier.

 

Got any pictures?

 

Not sure what you mean by smooth bezels? And What is a jewelers rolling tool?

 

I'll get some pics a.s.a.p. In the meantime, keep up the good work!

 

While I realize the repop bezels for the 2 5/8" gauges are less than a quality facsimile does anyone know of a source for them? Thanks, JohnnyA

 

FYI- In the 1948 Stewart Warner Tool Accessory Catalog ( Blue/Yellow) they Sold a Tool they made to Roll On/Off the Chrome Bezels. It had a Hand Crank with a Metal Chain Gear Sprocket, with a Cradle mount to hold the Gauge Case. You fit the Gauge into the Fixture. And Crank the Handle & it would roll the Belze on-Off, like a Can Opener. it wouldn't harm the Belze. The 1948 Tool Catalog Shows a Part#. I have Misplaced My Catalog & Can't Provide the #'s.

(FYI) -Source For Military Green Painted Deep Bezel 2-3/8 with Curved Gl***. Some Years Ago, I came into a 1940's Dash that was Chrome Rectangle & had Two 3-1/2 Holes For a 140 Speedo & 8,000 Tach. The 1940's S/W Speedo Bezel was 3.50 Wide, but the case of the 140 Speedo was 3.68 Wide. So, I needed Bezel that Expaned to fit & adapt to the Wider Speedo Rear Case. I wasn't Sure if something like this Existed? The 2 Other Holes were 2-3/8 for Stewart Warner Duplex Gauges. I paid $50.00 from a Old WWII Navy Veteran in Arizona. He wouldn't sell me, the Speedo with the Dash. The 140 Speedo had a Front Mount Wide Chrome Bezel, & I didn't like it, I wanted to change it out with a Rear mount French Thin Ring Type Bezel. He told me to check the Military Helicopter Storage Yards Between Tucson & Phoenix. But, I live in Dallas, so I couldn't check it out. So, I knew a Company in Dallas by Love Field Airport, Called Gemco. This was a AirCraft Surplus Store, I took the 140 Speedo, & told the Counterman I wanted a Rear-mount Bezel to replace The Chrome Wide Front Mount Bezel that was 3-1/2 Wide with Curved Gl***. He came Back in a Couple minutes & Had a Match that Fitted Perfectly. To Find a Thin Ring Bezel For a 3-1/2 Hole, that Expanded to Width of 3.68 to Fit the 1940's S/W 140 MPH Speedo Case. I was Very Lucky to find it, for the Look that I wanted! It Cost was $20.00. He told me it came out of a 1960's Huey Copter of the Vietnam Era. I was Later able to buy 4 NOS Greenish/ Black 2-3/8 Bezel W/Curved Gl*** For Remount S/W Gauges With the Thin Shallow Auburn Type Case. Price was $25.00 ea. Total $100.00.

(FYI) Dallas/Ft. Worth back in the 1940's at North American Built P-51 Mustang's at the Dallas Naval Air Station, & From 1950 to 1955 they Built the Corsair Fighters. In Fort Worth at Carlswell Consolidated Aircraft Built B-24 for WWII Bombers. The Dallas Ford Plant Built the Majority in Numbers of
ford's Jeep's for WWII. In Arlington, Tx. There's the Big Bell Helicopter Plant, they made the Huey Copter for Vietnam. i was Told they had a Surplus Store Back in the 1960's. In Richardson, Tx. There was Collins Radio, that made Radio's for the Military, & Texas Instruments that made Radar & Sonar Equipment for the War. So, there was A Lot of Support Manufactors in North Texas & Surplus Parts after the War. An Some of these items found their way into Hot Rods. These Parts Floated Around For Years in Texas! The Big Red River ****nal was Located in East Texas & Supplied Surplus to this Area. Regards BigDTexasKid



Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!

 

I did something similar to my 46 Olds instrument bezel when I redid the facia and upgraded the gauges. PITA to raise it evenly all around to allow the old facia to be replaced and the bezel rechromed. I then had to carefully roll the edge back over again without damaging it and or the new chrome

 

Perhaps Travis from Morris Gauge might chime in and give away some of his trade secrets, he's done all of the work on my smooth bezel gauges, so he must have a pretty good technique. If I'm correct he gets the original bezels re-plated ( damn you auto spell corrector making me sound stupid ) so he's not trashing them during the removal process.

 

Our tooling is custom built, but one could use a series of thin metal blades such as a putty knife and layer them to achieve the spacing necessary. Many years ago, when I had apprenticed, that was our methodology. It's tricky. In some cases the expansion/contraction, etc. of the case and bezel results in a very firm hold. Occasionally one must relieve the housing to reduce the tension. In total, you can damage a bezel very quickly, shatter a curved gl*** lens or damage the housing pretty easily. If you're bold in that venture, the reproduction bezels are produced by John Kovar in Ohio aka "Hot Rod John". Technically they are incorrect dimensionally, but most people don't pay much attention. We use original bezels unless instructed otherwise. I will state that it would be wise to have your gauges serviced at the same time, so sending them to a shop has merit. I've seen many of these gauge bezels ruined by inexperienced handlers that still had to send them into the shop to be repaired/restored. To each their own.

 

How's this?

 

Most excellent. So, what was your method?

 

Looks nice Pat. Are you going to make the inner lense-holder ring also?

 

Yes, retainer, gaskets and correct raidus curved gl***. Still working on dies for gl*** but Everything else is done.

 

Stamp new ones