Author Topic: Gauge Face overlays (Read 13792 times)

J.Webster Designs · « **on:** August 26, 2009, 12:05:24 PM »

Guys, I am going to start producing gauge face overlays for all of those that want them.

The first thing that I am going to need to know is who is going to want what kind of gauge. Does the majority want stock face overlays? completely custom overlays? plain white face overlays? I can make just about any type of overlay that anyone wants.

Price right now is looking to be around the 45-50 dollar mark. I will be offering standard faces (i.e. white face W/black lettering for example) for a discounted price since it is easy for me to design and produce.

To cut down on cost, I am most likely going to be offering the faces in an "over-sized" sticker that will be trimmed by the owner to fit perfectly on the diameter of the gauge.

I will also need people with different bikes to send scans of their stock gauges so that i can create a vector file off of them and have them at the ready. I know that the tick marks and sizes vary throughout the years and models. so those that can scan your gauge faces, i would appreciate it so that i can offer overlays to all CB model owners.

Let me hear what you guys are interested in and if you want anything to be added to the "standard gauge." I will put up a picture later today of the gauge face that I have installed on my bike. Below is the gauge that i have on my bike next to the stock gauge. I will get you all an installed picture later today.

bistromath · « **Reply #1 on:** August 26, 2009, 01:26:41 PM »

I'm interested, if you can recreate a stock CB550F gauge. I'm wondering where I can find a font to re-do the face, since the scan I have isn't perfect and no scan is going to look as good as a reproduction vector drawing.

Ignore the colors, they were tweaked to come out right on this janky old wax printer I used last time.

slowjo · « **Reply #2 on:** August 26, 2009, 02:53:18 PM »

I would be intrested a 1971 CB750 K1.

BuffaloBill · « **Reply #3 on:** August 26, 2009, 03:22:59 PM »

I'm also interested in stock looking faces for the CB550F. Mine is a 77, I'm not sure if they differ between the years. Was that price for the speedo and tach as a set or are they that price each?

jamesv220820 · « **Reply #4 on:** August 26, 2009, 03:32:09 PM »

what would be really cool is if you built the file for say ,my350f sent me the psd then i could add whatever background image i wanted then send it back to you
and still pay you the full amount because i don't know what i want still maybe a pair of nice boobies or i was thinking of like a dual gauge image that starts on one gauge and ends on the other, that would be awesome

-james

J.Webster Designs · « **Reply #5 on:** August 26, 2009, 04:50:39 PM »

I forgot to talk about factory overlays..... I can definitly reproduce them, however, I am not sure what the original colors were. without having a gauge to compare it to, I can not guarantee that they will be factory colored. If someone is willing to send in gauge that has proper coloring to it that would be awesome i will reduce the price for who ever has a good gauge that i can base this off of.

As for that image bistromath, If you can scan the gauge face it would help me create the vector file based off the original gauge and that is one of the only ways i can guarantee that the overlay tick marks will match the old tick marks. That image looks to be lop sided as well. longer in the bottom right hand side.

J.Webster Designs · « **Reply #6 on:** August 26, 2009, 04:53:20 PM »

james, I could probably do something like that.

J.Webster Designs · « **Reply #7 on:** August 26, 2009, 06:18:06 PM »

Here are some pictures installed. sorry for the somewhat crappy pictures. I took them in my garage and had to use the flash. I might take some more tomorrow in daylight.

babyfood1217 · « **Reply #8 on:** August 26, 2009, 06:20:29 PM »

I'd be game for a set of plain whites for my cb750k6 ('76)

bistromath · « **Reply #9 on:** August 26, 2009, 06:23:08 PM »

Well, since I had some free time, I drew up a vector image for my tach. One thing I learned that I don't think any of the repro guys have noticed yet: the tick marks are not linear! There is a VERY SLIGHTLY larger distance between the "1" and "2" tick marks, for instance, than between "10" and "11". I believe the eddy current tach is very slightly nonlinear, and the Honda engineers drew the face to compensate. Interesting! So if you are drawing aftermarket gauges, make sure you line up all the tick marks from an original gauge, or you might be off a couple hundred RPM at redline. Not the end of the world, but it's good to know.

I've got the numbers and ticks and redline, and I'll get the "x1000" and "NIPPON DENSO" text from my 550 tach in soon.

J.Webster Designs · « **Reply #10 on:** August 26, 2009, 06:35:05 PM »

bistro, thats extremely true. That is why I am needing people to send me the scans from different bikes. The tick marks that you see on my bike are perfectly lined up with the original tick marks. i will get some pictures of how i did that tomorrow.

J.Webster Designs · « **Reply #11 on:** August 27, 2009, 05:04:27 AM »

Honda George · « **Reply #12 on:** August 27, 2009, 06:20:11 AM »

I would be interested in some for a 1972 cb750 k2.

noah240t · « **Reply #13 on:** August 27, 2009, 06:59:45 AM »

I would buy a set in white with black lines/numbers for my 550f

TE 450 Pilot · « **Reply #14 on:** August 27, 2009, 11:34:42 AM »

Quote from: noah240t on August 27, 2009, 06:59:45 AM

I would buy a set in white with black lines/numbers for my 550f

So would i

J.Webster Designs · « **Reply #15 on:** August 27, 2009, 12:13:48 PM »

if someone can scan the 550F gauge, I can have them knocked out in practically no time flat. That is really the only thing that i am waiting on. I dont have a 550F or i would do it for you guys.

Beans · « **Reply #16 on:** August 27, 2009, 12:29:22 PM »

I will take a few sets for the 550f. trying to fix my scanner so I can scan one on here. I do love the spade gauge face though looks sick.

Alan F. · « **Reply #17 on:** August 27, 2009, 12:37:49 PM »

Quote from: jamesv220820 on August 26, 2009, 03:32:09 PM

I was thinking of like a dual gauge image that starts on one gauge and ends on the other, that would be awesome
-james

Now that's a cool idea!

bistromath · « **Reply #18 on:** August 27, 2009, 03:32:44 PM »

midnight, just rotate my image 2 degrees to the CCW and it will line up fine. it's life size at 300dpi, 90mm across.

J.Webster Designs · « **Reply #19 on:** August 27, 2009, 03:48:28 PM »

bistro, Without someone scanning the gauge face i am un-easy to print off faces and send them out. I am in no way doubting your skill or anything but since i am going to be taking money for these things i would like to know that what i am sending to someone is to my standards. That way if its screwed up, or that person isnt happy with it, its on me and i can take the loss knowing it was my bad and not someone elses.

if there is any way that you can scan your gauge face and let me know the diameter of the gauge, then i can jump on this project for all of you 550 guys

CaptainAmerica · « **Reply #20 on:** August 27, 2009, 03:58:13 PM »

How about a cool Captain America gauge hmm maybe the shield in the middle and instead of boom at the end like yours you could have POW like the old comic books....that would be stellar

Captain

bistromath · « **Reply #21 on:** August 27, 2009, 04:18:07 PM »

midnight: the first image i posted, the large one, IS a scan. it was simply cleaned up in photoshop so i could print it back out again. the colors are off because the wax printer i used didn't support ICC color profiling. the image is 300dpi 100% scale and the ticks are all in the correct place. you can use the "tab" at the top to align the face to vertical.

bistromath · « **Reply #22 on:** August 27, 2009, 04:18:37 PM »

should also say the gauge face diameter is 90mm.

bistromath · « **Reply #23 on:** August 27, 2009, 04:21:23 PM »

also, midnight: i own a colorimeter, so i'll get a reading of the gauge face color under a standard illuminant and get you a Pantone match for the colors.

J.Webster Designs · « **Reply #24 on:** August 27, 2009, 04:28:19 PM »

sounds like a deal. I will start work on them. What year is that gauge from? also do you have the speedo?

bistromath · « **Reply #25 on:** August 27, 2009, 05:03:38 PM »

'75 and no i haven't done a speedo, since i have a NOS one...

can i ask what process and method you're using for these? i'd really like to have a nice Pantone-matched silkscreen on vinyl sticker made, but i'm not willing to shell out the minimums for 1000 pieces.

if you are, though, i'm perfectly willing to donate my vector art to you when it's done.

J.Webster Designs · « **Reply #26 on:** August 29, 2009, 05:38:43 AM »

They will not be silkscreen prints. From what i gathered from my printer is that they will be printed on 4 year vinyl then pressure laminated to add more UV resistance.

J.Webster Designs · « **Reply #27 on:** August 30, 2009, 08:55:17 PM »

CBGBs · « **Reply #28 on:** September 07, 2009, 08:14:46 PM »

Here is a shot of the 3 inch tach, it that helps. I don't have a scanner.

The redline could be moved for a 350 four.

srolls · « **Reply #29 on:** September 22, 2009, 04:32:16 PM »

Just wondering about KM/H for us canadian, any idea? I have looked all over the web and have not found any speedos with kilometers on them, did they make them?

rustrocket92 · « **Reply #30 on:** September 22, 2009, 05:03:27 PM »

I made these with a vinyl cutter. I am sure they are not perfect but they are good enough for me.

Delamare · « **Reply #31 on:** September 15, 2010, 11:47:03 PM »

Hi everybody.
I am the owner of a french Honda CB750 K4 and need new gauges faces.
They are incremented of 10 mph with a red stripe under 70 mph.
It is impossible to find a manufacturer in Europe.
I try desesperately to contact all manufacturer in the world without big success.
Do you know a reliable one ?

Best regards

Legin · « **Reply #32 on:** September 16, 2010, 10:16:12 AM »

There you go

http://www.clocksndials.co.uk/

CB750faces.com (Lecram) · « **Reply #33 on:** October 24, 2010, 11:53:25 AM »

Quote from: Legin on September 16, 2010, 10:16:12 AM

There you go

http://www.clocksndials.co.uk/

I ordered a set from this guy, but he sells vinyl decals printed with a computerprinter. Beside that the figures aren't correct, the colors does have visible pixels. For a perfect restoration, it is too bad.

Next week I will start to produce a serie of all gauge faces for the CB750K0, K1 and K2 in all versions (mph and km/h). Silkscreen print on plastic discs, 2mm plastic. I already had produced a first serie, which already is sold out, the next serie will be ready over 2-3 weeks.

First serie:

Next design (note: the '9' on the K0 tach is already corrected):

mycb750k6 · « **Reply #34 on:** October 25, 2010, 06:51:13 AM »

Boy this is a topic that's been beaten to death. I guess it's a good thing that most anyone can make their own faces nowadays with all the computer programs that are out there and you see new examples all the time. Where this approach falls apart however is when the end user attempts to cut the jewel and odometer holes in the attached gauge faces. They just never look like the original no matter how good the decals or appliques or whatever are. They always look like some kind of xacto hack jog horror when you look closely. Again, my opinion is Yamiya gauge faces are the best option for the serious restorer because of the quality you come to expect from Yamiya and the fact they provide the entire plate including jewels. Pricey but can't be compared with decals. A friend just bought the Yamiya K0 plates which can't be duplicated with overlays because of the blue translucent number issue and they are fantastic, IMHO of course.

CB750faces.com (Lecram) · « **Reply #35 on:** October 25, 2010, 07:05:42 AM »

I agree that the decals and the majority of other faces are more or less bad copies of the originals. That's the reason that I decided to produce them by myself.

I designed the faces with Corel Draw and didn't use the standard fonts, but designed every figure piece by piece. Also the ND sign and the stripes are separately designed and put exactly on the right position. That cost me many hours, but the result is great. The first series was printed with silkscreen printing on 2mm thick plastic plate. The color was not exact like the original, but the second series will be much closer to the original color. I just ordered a new series like you see in the second picture, which will be ready over 2-3 weeks. excluding the jewels, but they are exchangeable.

HedNut · « **Reply #36 on:** October 25, 2010, 07:20:04 AM »

It's awesome that you're doing this for these ol' bikes!! My faces were so warped they looked like a pringles potatoe chip!

Cheers!

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Author Topic: Gauge Face overlays (Read 13792 times)

CaptainAmerica

srolls