letraset

[pimms]

Hi all,
I am looking to finisch the gauges on my GR 4 dash. I know some of you have used Letraset to remake the letters on their Stradale dash. I have been looking out for the right letraset type but can't seem to find any :(
Can anyone point me in the right direction, or maybe some has some spare sheets left?? I only need these three gauges: BATTERIA, BENZINA, AMPERE ,

[Chris J]

What do these guages look like Pim?

[pimms]

What do these guages look like Pim?

Heres a picture, volt and ampere are VDO, fuel is an american Fiat 124 spyder type from Veglia. I taped the onderside to look like GR 4 and put on some aftermatket bezels i got from E bay.

[Chris J]

Next question is what do want them to look like?
Just normal Veglia guages (like a Stradale/Fiat Dino)?, or is it something that's only seen on a group 4 dash?

[Marcolino]

Hello Pim,

i made Decals like delivered with revell or airfix kits for RC Models long time ago. I´ve got an OKI DP5000 Microdry printer, this is a printer with thermal foils and you can print nearly all colours on nearly everything. Nearly all colours means normal yellow, blue, red, black and gold, silver, metallic blue - green - red and (maybe the best for gauges) white.
I´ve got some special decal paper and you can also print on adhesive foil paper ...

I´m going to check the printer the next days and if it still works it is a good possibility for a perfect finish of the gauges....

only in german ...
http://www.atzler.de/n3/oki/infos.htm

have a look in the gallery ... http://www.decalprint.de/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MicroDry

How do you open the gauges ....?
___________________
Marcus

[pimms]

Chris, i want them to look like something found on Gr 4 cars. Like the pics below. The first you see an overvieuw with left below the BATTERIA ( voltmeter and in the middle top of the dash the AMPERE and BENZINA gauge. Second is apicture of Tryphons volt gauge ( hope ypu don't mind Tryphon, its the only i could find as close up), i think the other two are the same style?

Marcus, that sounds promissing, what would you need to get the size correct?

[pimms]

How do you open the gauges ....?Marcus

Opening them is a delicate thing, if you want to keep the bezels , i bought new aftermarket bezels that look a bit more like the GR 4 bezels :rolleyes:

I already changed my rev counter but maybe it can be improved by youre method?
Its a Autometer rev counter i bought on E bay, its approx 12 cm diam. I painted the bezel black and put in a part of a bigger sticker with the Lancia logo.

[Marcolino]

One way is to search a font in your computer that fits to the letters in the gauges, then write the letters in different sizes in word or any other program. Its also possible to use Corel Draw or Photoshop. I used Photoshop some years ago. Print them in the correct size ...or i try to print some decals from your file in different sizes ... if the printer still works! The best way is to put the scale/range (from my dictionary ...) on a scanner and scan with highest resolution ... but i think there are not many scales lying around...

You can also send the file to one of the decal services. I think it will cost about 15 € for a DIN A4 Page.

Think i´m going to test the printer this evening ;-)))
___________________
Marcus

[Patriq Backlund]

Maybe a water-temp gauge could be used as a oil-temp gauge ? Only one would need to "re-letter" it, and use it in conjunction with a proper sensor on the block ?

[Marcolino]

[QUOTE=Maybe a water-temp gauge could be used as a oil-temp gauge ?[/QUOTE]

Hello Patriq,

this is what i am thinking of! I was bidding on an oil temperature gauge on ebay and gave up at 130 Euro!
And what is with the original Stratos Gauges ... maybe it is possible to make some similar looking ones. Not to get lots of money but for a nearly original looking Hawk dashboard (in my far future ... :-)))!

Another possibility will be silk-screen printing. A company called Borsi is about 10km away from my home. They are building interiors and are making silk-screen printing for VW, Mercedes .... have to look for a guy working there!

www.borsi.de
__________________
Marcus

[Chris J]

Chris, i want them to look like something found on Gr 4 cars. Like the pics below. The first you see an overvieuw with left below the BATTERIA ( voltmeter and in the middle top of the dash the AMPERE and BENZINA gauge. Second is apicture of Tryphons volt gauge ( hope ypu don't mind Tryphon, its the only i could find as close up), i think the other two are the same style?


Pim

I'm thinking along these lines. That is, to draw the whole face of the required guage up on the computer and print it in one go onto some suitable material(as Marcus has described probably).

[chris.richard]

previous thread (http://www.stratossupersite.com/forum/showthread.php?t=503&highlight=gauges)

[Marcolino]

Just a first short test of my front panel program ...

The printed looks much better than the .pdf !!!

All windows fonts and colours are possible ...
________________
Marcus

[Sptwoman]

Pim, What type of speedo have you used? Mechnical or electronic? Make / model?

[pimms]

Pim, What type of speedo have you used? Mechnical or electronic? Make / model?

I got a electronic motorcycle speedo, with a mechanical needle. The only thing is it has a small digital screen as odometer. Its diameter is 48mm but i fitted inside a 52 mm housing and will fit the same bezel as the other gauges.

I'll try to see if i can find a link

[pimms]

here's a link:

http://cgi.ebay.nl/ELEKTRONISCHER-TACHO-D-48MM-weisses-Ziffernblatt-white_W0QQitemZ170127048359QQihZ007QQcategoryZ4982 6QQtcZphotoQQcmdZViewItem

[pimms]

Just a first short test of my front panel program ...

The printed looks much better than the .pdf !!!

All windows fonts and colours are possible ...
________________
Marcus

Hi Marcus,

Looking good, what type of files do you need to get into youre computer? I have been experimenting with a collegau some time ago to get the right faces for the gauges

[Marcolino]

Hi Pim,

i think best would be any uncompressed graphic file. Photoshop can read nearly everything but if possible *.psd . Just send me what you have and i will try to print it. You don´t have to colour it like the example. I have to change all white printed parts into black!
Think it is best to paint the scale mat black and put the decal on it. And after all coating it with clear silk mat paint.
I´m not really good in painting...some other ideas??
_____________________
Marcus

[pimms]

Hi Marcus,
What we did was scan the existing faces and then with photoshop remove all the letters and numbers. Then replacing them with other letters/words and numbers.FI the rev counter shows RPM x 1000 it should say GIRI X 100.
I will try to finisch the work soon and send it to you!

Thanks

[Patriq Backlund]

[QUOTE=Maybe a water-temp gauge could be used as a oil-temp gauge ?

Hello Patriq,

this is what i am thinking of! I was bidding on an oil temperature gauge on ebay and gave up at 130 Euro!
And what is with the original Stratos Gauges ... maybe it is possible to make some similar looking ones. Not to get lots of money but for a nearly original looking Hawk dashboard (in my far future ... :-)))!

Another possibility will be silk-screen printing. A company called Borsi is about 10km away from my home. They are building interiors and are making silk-screen printing for VW, Mercedes .... have to look for a guy working there!

www.borsi.de
__________________
Marcus[/QUOTE]

Does anyone know if it is as simple as to just connect a water temp gauge to an oil temp sensor on the block ? Possibly adjust the scale to match the actual temperature of the oil with what the dial is showing.

[Patriq Backlund]

Hi Pim,

i think best would be any uncompressed graphic file. Photoshop can read nearly everything but if possible *.psd . Just send me what you have and i will try to print it. You don´t have to colour it like the example. I have to change all white printed parts into black!
Think it is best to paint the scale mat black and put the decal on it. And after all coating it with clear silk mat paint.
I´m not really good in painting...some other ideas??
_____________________
Marcus

Wouldn't Illustrator (vector graphics instead of raster graphics) be better than Photoshop ? You'd get smaller file's and no problem with jagged lines becuase of scaling up and down if the file is sent back and forth and worked on.

[Marcolino]

You are right Patriq! A friend of mine, an architect, is doing nearly everything with his software (spirit and autocad). But i have no experiences in those software ....

If i get any possibility to read those files (think there are some different autocad viewer in the net) i will try to print it! But there are some changes that must be done or must be integrated in the file: all special colours like white, gold, silver and the metallic ones must have their own layer and they must be black! Then i have to print every layer/colour on its own ...! Only the colour white is easy to manage but i think you want a red zone at the rev counter and maybe a lancia logo and ....
I have no experience in autocad, coreldraw, spirit ....
Only have some experiences in Photoshop and FrontDesigner! The example a few posts before is made with FrontDesigner and i took me about 15 minutes ...
_____________________
Marcus

[chris.richard]

Does anyone know if it is as simple as to just connect a water temp gauge to an oil temp sensor on the block ?

Yes :)

[Patriq Backlund]

You are right Patriq! A friend of mine, an architect, is doing nearly everything with his software (spirit and autocad). But i have no experiences in those software ....

If i get any possibility to read those files (think there are some different autocad viewer in the net) i will try to print it! But there are some changes that must be done or must be integrated in the file: all special colours like white, gold, silver and the metallic ones must have their own layer and they must be black! Then i have to print every layer/colour on its own ...! Only the colour white is easy to manage but i think you want a red zone at the rev counter and maybe a lancia logo and ....
I have no experience in autocad, coreldraw, spirit ....
Only have some experiences in Photoshop and FrontDesigner! The example a few posts before is made with FrontDesigner and i took me about 15 minutes ...
_____________________
Marcus

Hm.. coincidence - I'm an architect too...
So I have all of this software available.

I guess I could look into this in a couple of months time when I have a little more time available, if needed. But you seem to have gotten the hang of it ?!

I have an extra water temp gauge - so I know I'll be making a gauge for oil temp too.

[Patriq Backlund]

Yes :)

Cool !!! :D

[Marcolino]

Hi Patriq,

I´ve got an extra water temp gauge too ...
Will try to convert it to an oil temp gauge...but this needs a little time!
I´m going to post my results ...
_____________________
Marcus

[Steve Poole]

Been away for a couple of days but this is exactly where i am at present and have bought some of the aftermarket bezels albeit chrome to replace my existing ones. Have looked through the fonts i have and have come close but not 100% accurate so going to pursue further fonts to make the veglia gauges mimic the originals. I've bought exter water temp to do the same as the oil temp too and will scan the gauge fronts in. Keep us posted seems like theirs a bunch of us doing the same thing - hardest part is accuracy - once done we can make available to club - set of files for stradale & set for Grp4.
BTW the new chrome bezels dont have a return on them to fasten them to the gauge itself so going to work on this to make it easy. I reckon i could get the smaller ones made at work with laser cut blanks complete with return tags like smiths gauges powder coated satin black. Will let you know how i get on.

Steve

[Marcolino]

Hi Steve ... Pim ... Patriq ...

i checked my printer this weekend and it still works fine! Has anyone from you a scan of a bezel, maybe with some dimensions (diameter).

Want to design a bezel and then test the printed decal. Has anyone got detailed pictures (think nobody will scan them :-)) of the original Stradale gauges.
__________________
Marcus

[pimms]

Hi Steve ... Pim ... Patriq ...

i checked my printer this weekend and it still works fine! Has anyone from you a scan of a bezel, maybe with some dimensions (diameter).

Want to design a bezel and then test the printed decal. Has anyone got detailed pictures (think nobody will scan them :-)) of the original Stradale gauges.
__________________
Marcus

Hi Marcus,

Do you mean the bezel ( ring around the gauge ) or the scale ?
I have some scans of my gauges, tried to mail them to you but the message was undelivered. :o Maybe the files are to large?

[Marcolino]

Hello Pim,

i ment the scale!
Sent you a mail with another email-adress ...
____________________
Marcus

[chris.richard]

This is my one. http://www.doctors.net.uk/DocStore/DSView/Document.aspx?docid=510554