Author Topic: homemade gauge faces, turned out sweet (pics)  (Read 4783 times)

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Offline Spikeybike

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homemade gauge faces, turned out sweet (pics)
« on: November 18, 2007, 04:31:11 PM »
so i thought it was kinda strange to be in BOTM with my gauges in pieces, so i put all my other projects and side jobs on hold and got this done .

my gauges were from a 80's honda, i got them at a swap meet awhile back .
they look ok but they were not very accurate , and the speedo only going up to 80 kinda bugged me . so here's what they were


i didn't have my camera when i did this part so these pics were taken with my phone

this is the same red as on my motor,
i marked the sides before i sprayed the gauge faces


i used a piece of thread as a guide to make the lines straight


and this pic is to document the point that i was thinking "F@#k this"
if your thinking of trying this , it was a real pain in the neck. each digit was placed by hand.
 
 i used a sticker set for scapbooking that i picked up at hobby lobby for 1.99
(man  i got some funny looks from some little old ladys in that store)
they were a shiney silver, so i painted them with a flat black paint marker,
then after i set them all in place i clearcoated them with the same clear as the motor.

and when i cleared them it pulled the black out of the number giving them an antique look
i stripped the needles and polished the hell out of em ,, the end result turned out waaaay better the i thoght it would. i call it  retro-antique   
« Last Edit: November 18, 2007, 05:47:01 PM by spikeybike »

Offline S-Dog

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Re: homemade gauge faces, turned out sweet (pics)
« Reply #1 on: November 18, 2007, 04:42:58 PM »
Thats amazing.... NICE work!!!
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Offline Spikeybike

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Re: homemade gauge faces, turned out sweet (pics)
« Reply #2 on: November 18, 2007, 04:47:10 PM »
thank you ... BANG

Offline MoTo-BunnY

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Re: homemade gauge faces, turned out sweet (pics)
« Reply #3 on: November 18, 2007, 05:14:16 PM »
wOw. . . . verrry cool!

Since I am in the need of eventual face plates, too, I might have to try this route (with black face / retro white numbers, me thinks) - THANKS for the tip!   ;)

I am consistently amazed by the amount of creativity and quality of work, members on this forum are capable of!!!
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Re: homemade gauge faces, turned out sweet (pics)
« Reply #4 on: November 18, 2007, 05:34:24 PM »
Thanks a bunch dude, now I can see where that tiny bit of spare time I'd saved up is going. Nice job, excellent results. What black & clear did you use to get that effect with the numbers? Jbird 8)

Offline Spikeybike

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Re: homemade gauge faces, turned out sweet (pics)
« Reply #5 on: November 18, 2007, 05:42:40 PM »
it was a flat black paint marker(the kind you shake, with the rattle ball in it) and engine enamel clear , the stickers were vinyl.
i think the important part is to clear before the black fully cures, (within a couple hours))

Offline Hope

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Re: homemade gauge faces, turned out sweet (pics)
« Reply #6 on: November 18, 2007, 05:50:05 PM »
Turned out good... but no illumination in the nighttime..  My luck I'd be stopped for speeding

Offline Spikeybike

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Re: homemade gauge faces, turned out sweet (pics)
« Reply #7 on: November 18, 2007, 05:54:56 PM »
the metal piece in the gauge that reflects the light was painted white to try and help that a little , they light up enough to see the needles plain as day , not the numbers so good.

but. you know.... give and take
« Last Edit: November 18, 2007, 06:05:23 PM by spikeybike »

Offline CrisPDuk

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Re: homemade gauge faces, turned out sweet (pics)
« Reply #8 on: November 18, 2007, 06:46:45 PM »
 8) 8)

Sweeet ;D

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Offline mlinder

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Re: homemade gauge faces, turned out sweet (pics)
« Reply #9 on: November 18, 2007, 07:17:11 PM »
you skipped 110mph  :D
No.


Offline joeb

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Re: homemade gauge faces, turned out sweet (pics)
« Reply #10 on: November 18, 2007, 07:35:43 PM »
Very nice. :P

newcbguy

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Re: homemade gauge faces, turned out sweet (pics)
« Reply #11 on: November 18, 2007, 07:43:57 PM »
 :o

Offline CrisPDuk

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Re: homemade gauge faces, turned out sweet (pics)
« Reply #12 on: November 18, 2007, 10:10:52 PM »
That bar clamp is also very cool, where did you get it from?

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Offline mark

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Re: homemade gauge faces, turned out sweet (pics)
« Reply #13 on: November 18, 2007, 10:41:20 PM »
They look really sharp. I'm impressed.

I'm also a little confused.

Did you use different gauges, or, are you just going to keep it around 90 or so on the freeway? Or is it metric now?

Just wondering.

And impressed.


Happy trails.


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Offline S-Dog

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Re: homemade gauge faces, turned out sweet (pics)
« Reply #14 on: November 19, 2007, 06:16:37 AM »
you skipped 110mph  :D

I didnt even catch that..... Good thing it takes a bunch for our bikes just to hit the Ton.  ;D ;D
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Offline Spikeybike

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Re: homemade gauge faces, turned out sweet (pics)
« Reply #15 on: November 19, 2007, 07:41:38 AM »
you skipped 110mph  :D
i  didn't have enough 1's  ::)
i was wondering how long that would go unnoticed ;D

They look really sharp. I'm impressed.

I'm also a little confused.

Did you use different gauges, or, are you just going to keep it around 90 or so on the freeway? Or is it metric now?

Just wondering.

And impressed.


Happy trails.




these are original cb550 gauges ,the first set were from some other bike

Offline Spikeybike

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Re: homemade gauge faces, turned out sweet (pics)
« Reply #16 on: November 19, 2007, 07:48:46 AM »
That bar clamp is also very cool, where did you get it from?



it's from a swap meet. i had to bore the holes out to make it fit.
 actually i'm gonna be getting rid of it, because with this switch of the gauges i will
 be moving the indicator lights to the bar clamp.

anyone want it pm me

100.10x

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Re: homemade gauge faces, turned out sweet (pics)
« Reply #17 on: November 19, 2007, 10:45:26 AM »
I obviously a very newbie, but can I ask how you go the gauge apart to get to the face? 

MattB

Offline Spikeybike

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Re: homemade gauge faces, turned out sweet (pics)
« Reply #18 on: November 19, 2007, 10:49:00 AM »
I obviously a very newbie, but can I ask how you go the gauge apart to get to the face? 

MattB


getting it apart is easy, getting back together is not as easy

http://cb750cafe.com/parts.php?id=5&PHPSESSID=fad3ddcc245522fb6e3921193c094c71

100.10x

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Re: homemade gauge faces, turned out sweet (pics)
« Reply #19 on: November 19, 2007, 10:55:44 AM »
SWEET!  thanks for the link!

MattB

Offline Spikeybike

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Re: homemade gauge faces, turned out sweet (pics)
« Reply #20 on: November 19, 2007, 11:02:28 AM »
SWEET!  thanks for the link!

MattB


thats a great site ,your welcome ......we were all newbies at some point

Offline ProTeal55

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Re: homemade gauge faces, turned out sweet (pics)
« Reply #21 on: November 19, 2007, 12:57:26 PM »
I like the "BANG" on the tach...
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scadaman29325

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Re: homemade gauge faces, turned out sweet (pics)
« Reply #22 on: November 19, 2007, 01:04:51 PM »
Nice face LIFT!

(Holywood is envious!)

Wild tank too!

Later, Phil

Offline Spikeybike

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Re: homemade gauge faces, turned out sweet (pics)
« Reply #23 on: November 19, 2007, 03:29:16 PM »
I like the "BANG" on the tach...
i was trying to think of how to put a redline of some kind , since the faces were red.
then i thought to just make the numbers stop.