White face gauges are done!

[Jared]

I got the  batch of gauge faces yesterday. I had off work today so I went and got the stuff I needed to complete the Install .  

I bought some model paint (The stuff they use on the RC cars..) and painted the needle orange (white on white probably wont work well).

So I just installed the white face on the Tach and put it back together... Tommorrow after work  I'll finish the Speedometer  and maybe even bolt  the gauges  on the GS and get some pics together.. ( Day and Night pics ..).

Looks pretty damn good.

More to come...

if you want to see a quick and dirty scan of the installed face ... bottom of the page here... (Dark image...sorry...)

http://www.villagephotos.com/pubbrowse.asp?selected=138113

[denman]

that looks cool how did ya do it. see ya.

[gitarman]

Looks nice man, when you say batch do u mean you ordered multiple ones for sale?

[Jared]

Yes  they are for sale I have 5 sets available at the moment. Let me get the speedo done and some pics up.


Denman...I dismantled a set of gauges and had my friend make me overlays that go on the gauge faces . He's done a bunch of  different models so I had him make them up for me.

[Jared]

Ok The  Speedometer is back together ...quick and dirty scan available at  my image hosting thing...

http://www.villagephotos.com/pubbrowse.asp?selected=138113

Tommorrow after work I'll see if I can swap out the gauges on the 92 for a pic or two.....

[Jeppy]

How much do you want for one set???

[Jared]

They are 25$ a set to your door .  You  have to dismantle your own gauges (not  too hard..) of course...
Paypal  friendly...

[richard]

How hard would it be to make another batch (or a custom one, if nobody else is interested... I may just be odd) with flourescent paint?  so it looks normal in daylight, glows under UV light?  You can get UV LEDs to replace your gauge lights with...

I think it'd be cool.  maybe I'm alone?

Richard

[powrful1]

white glows usually under UV light.....
I have one that could test the theory....

Had difficult is it to take them apart?

Technique in doing so....

Thanks!

[richard]

If the white on it glows, that would be cool.  The white paint on the current gauges don't glow at all

[Jared]

If you sand off/use alchohol to remove the factory gauge face from the plastic -the White will really glow at night ( I have another set of gauges here I may take apart and do that way...but not tonight!)

Richard I might be able to get a different backround color /number colors (I'll ask my friend..)...Just may have a minimum to make is all... (Ie a need for that many as well..)...but I'll check.  

If I can drag my tired but out to the garage tonight I'll swap the gauges out for some pics......

[Jared]

Here's a how to I wrote to someone...figured it would be good to post it instead of typing it twice....

Here's a basic how to... (read it a few times before you start the job)

You'll need (assuming you have your gauges off the bike): A smallish flat blade screwdriver, two or three small phillips head screwdrivers (1's 2's and maybe a small one from a jewelers screwdriver set ( inexpensive..) for the speedo knob, two small spoons, glass cleaner -soft lint free rag/cloth . An exacto knife and your choice of Orange model paint and a small artists brush for the needles (White needles on white face gauges....bad idea). I used the stuff they use on the RC cars. And some isopropyl alcohol (Optional). A small hammer and a small finishing nail.

After you remove your gauges from the bike... Take a small flat blade screwdriver and you slowly peel the gauge glass bezel open ( slow and somewhat tedious but just work yor way around the whole bezel...)..

After you get the glass bezel off the gauge...on the back of the gauge bucket are two screws that hold the gauge in the housing... remove them and slide the gauge assembly out.(The speedometer trip meter knob has to come off to get the gauges off the bike so it's likely offalready........very small philips head...)

Gently lift the needle over the little pin and let it stop where it stops on its own... On the very outside edge of the gauge Face ( The thin edge not the actual face...) make a mark where the needle sits with a sharpie or something that wont come off easily from handling the gauge face. You do this so you know you pu tthe needle back on in the right place later.


Take two small spoons...and under each side of the needle center -the round part- carefully pry the needle up and off the gauge. Remove the two screws that hold the gauge face on and take the gauge face off. You can paint the white part fo the needle now or or actually leave it onthe gauge while yo do it ( the gauge holds it for you so doing it before you take it off works well...)

For the needle stop/rest... from the back of the gauge face..(with a small socket sitting on the table under the gauge face with the pin pointing down . Take your small hammer and finishing nail ( can use a pointy drywall type screw in a pinch..) careful tap the pin out. The plastic is pretty durable- just take yor time...

Ok.. if you haven't been doing this the whole time...put all your small parts ina cup or something that will keep you from losing them.....


Now cut on the dotted line of the gauge overlays... Take your glass cleaner and clean the face of the original gauge... NOTE: at this point if you want a really bright glowing gauge-you can remove the original face material ( soak it in isopropyl alcohol for a minute or so and rub off the paint.. or use 320 grit sandpaper if the alchohol has no effect)

Apply the overlay (self adhesive just peel the backing off...) carefully making sure you line up the new overlay over original marks ( You basically get one shot at this...but it's not very hard..).


Once you have the new overlays on the faces- take your Exacto knife and cut out the holes on the gauge (be careful and neat ..). Now reinstall the needle rest/pin... This can be annoying - I take a small flat blade scewdriver (say from the jewelers set and push down on the base on one side of the pin and use my thumbnail on the other side to get it started ino the hole... If it doesn't go in all the way that way i turn the gauge face over and let the pin rest on the table squarely and tap on the back of the face right where the pin goes in (just keep an eye on it and keep the pin vertical and the face horizontal as you do it... not too hard). After the needle seats --you may have to tweak the needle into the right position if it's not perpindicular to the gauge face.... no big deal.....


Ok...Now you install the gauge face back onto the gauge assembly with the two screws... Take your needle and reinstall it where it needs to go (remember that mark you made on the edge of the face..).. Press it down- it will bottom out... Gently lift the needle over the rest and let it sit against the rest.... Slide the gauge assembly into the white bucket and reinstall the screws that hold in there.
Take your glass cleaner and clean the new overlay (fingerprints and all...)

Clean the Bezel Glass inside really well while you have the gauge apart!!!

Slide the glass bezel back over the white bucket.... Put the gauge face down on the table ( a soft cloth under it wouldn't hurt) and press the gauge bucket/assembly down into the bezel and take your small screwdriver( a slightly larger one will work too at this point...) and bend the lip of the bezel back around the white bucket. Work your way all around and make the lip as flat as possible after you get it all bent around...( small screwdriver and a hammer..tap tap tap...

Be careful not to scratch up your bezel.....Clean the outside of the glass on the speedo and install the gauges on the bike.


If I can I'll take some pictures on the next set I put together and maybe get a how to page going on this...