Hi
I would like to make some custom gauge faces ,
maybe use aftermarket Steward Warner gauges and change the faces to look more "European Classic"
Is there a computer program or website to help design them ?
Much easier than designing from scratch on Adobe Illustrator :)
How would you print them ?
Anyone know how North Hollywood Speedo or Palo Alto speed prints them ?
Thanks from your ideas
Most people ive heard of doing this carefully photograph or scan the gauge face and work on it in whatever software they use.
I’ve heard of people using Microsoft Paint to make gauge panels.
Illustrate would be better though, as long there is the necessary skill behind it.
You can print it on vinyl using a photo printer. They may fade due to UV exposure, so a UV filter film on the gauge bezel might be a good idea.
i don’t know of any websites or services that do this sort of work, but it seems like something that could be an interesting side gig for someone.
Would probably be pretty easy with silhouette type software/equipment. Never really thought about it to be honest
Would these be lit from behind the face at night? Would a vinyl cutter be able to handle the small detail needed for cutouts if lit from the back?
Not entirely relevant to your question, since you are asking about making your own, but just as an FYI, revlimiter does some custom work.
This is from my Miata when I bought it. I swapped it out for a stock cluster.
In reply to Floating Doc :
You took those out??? Those are amazing
Poke-Miata, collect them all!
those are awful, good on you for removing them
Floating Doc said:
This is from my Miata when I bought it. I swapped it out for a stock cluster.
What did you do with them, and how much?!?!?!?!? God I want those!
This is relevant to my interest. I rally want to make a "Tacometer" for at least one of my projects. Omit an "H", add a taco graphic, win.
Have to post this now.
In reply to Trackmouse :
So many amazing things could be done with those.
just seaching the web for a place to get a gauge face reprinted and saw a GRM thread and thought I'd scored!.....not so much it appears 
Seriously though, anyone hve a gauge face reprinted? I NEED to make my tach look stock but go to 11.
californiamilleghia said:
Anyone know how North Hollywood Speedo or Palo Alto speed prints them ?
Palo Alto, MoMa and the other shops we use all do it the old fashioned way by screen printing them.
Contact Revlimiter. Adam does great work and once he gets over the Black Friday surge he'll probably be willing to take on a challenge.
He did publish a how-to years ago on how to do your own gauge faces, but took it down partly because it wasn't a perfect method and partly because he went into business with much improved tech. It's in the Internet Archive.
In reply to Trent :
Yes, but do you know anyplace I might be able to afford?
...you know...years ago I worked at a place that did screen printing...I wonder if I still know anyone there......sugar, the website looks dead
Its just black, whit red.....I'll bet I could make stickers as templetes for each color pretty cheap
This is a Sun SuperTach II in my '68 Fairlane convertable. I designed the layout in AutoCad and printed it on laser photo paper. It's been in the car for close to 20 years and when I saw it in the current owners shop last Christmas it still looked good.
If you're looking for a bit more sophisticated approach there's a guy on here who made custom analog gauges using round LCD displays for his Lamborghini that look great. I'm afraid I can't remember who it is or what the name of the thread is or even what model the Lamborghini is.
In reply to APEowner :
Fading was my concern with that approach....but that looks nice! just glue it on? contact cement?
The other thoght I had was since it black, white, red I probably could just buy a sticker or 2 to use as a template to spay paint it on. Probaly I could get away with 1 and just marke the red then white areas. I think I have a spare (dead) gauge to play with.
mke said:In reply to APEowner :
Fading was my concern with that approach....but that looks nice! just glue it on? contact cement?
The other thoght I had was since it black, white, red I probably could just buy a sticker or 2 to use as a template to spay paint it on. Probaly I could get away with 1 and just marke the red then white areas. I think I have a spare (dead) gauge to play with.
I thought I was doing well to remember that I'd done it and now you want details? If I did use an adhesive it would probably be something more industrial that contact cement. I have a personal aversion to securing things with just adhesive so there's almost certainly some mechanical attachment. I think that it's held in place by the outer bezel and the screws that hold the mechanism to the original gauge face but I really don't remember.
In reply to mblommel :
That rules.
And this thread might have just cost me a few bucks.
I found this place mentioned in a thread on the HAMB and sent them a note
https://newvintageusallc.mybigcommerce.com/custom-screen-printing/
I don't think my faceplate can be screen printed as its not flat...its got a 5mm lip around about 300deg...we'll see what they say though
I have just discovery dry transfers....this may be the way
edit - this looks like a $24 option for 3 colors on a 4x11" sheet which should be fine, that is in budget.
edit2 - no wait...$24 is a base price them you pay per color, $64 for white, yellow, red.
these guys show a custom speed as one of their examples
They list a 3 color 4x6 at $168...but this is all one print that they align vs 3 1 color prints I'd need to align with the cheaper option
mke said:these guys show a custom speed as one of their examples
They list a 3 color 4x6 at $168...but this is all one print that they align vs 3 1 color prints I'd need to align with the cheaper option
At that point it's cheaper to buy a vinyl cutter and some vinyl if you have more than one gauge.
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