dashboard switch labels

[Tom]

I'm getting to the point of installing the dash on my GDT70, and am looking for some thoughts on putting a finish on the alloy panel. Namely, I've been thinking about painting it with black crinkle paint, which I think would look vintage and cool. However, I assume that adhesive switch labels will not stick to crinkle paint.

Any thoughts on switch labels (lights,dip,brake test, fog lights etc etc) that would either stick to the paint, not require sticking, or perhaps preparation which would allow labels to stick? Or is crinkle paint in the dash a bad idea?

Thoughts appreciated in advance!

Tom

[Bill D]

I had a company called Aircraft Engravers make me some adhesive backed panels for my RCR GT40. Here is what they made for me:







Bill D

[Tom]

Bill,

Looks nice! Are these plates made of plastic or aluminum? Either way, I think I could adapt them to my set up.

Thanks!

Tom

[Gary Kadrmas]

Bill,

It looks like you made up the plate (drilled holes for the switches ect), then sprayed the surface we see, then sent it off to AE......???? That way, they knew where to scribe the marks.....????

[Bill D]

Actually, I made a dimensional drawing with where the holes go and what markings I wanted. They then made the labels just as you see them. They come adhesive backed. I glued them to the aluminum panels made for the dash. They are .060 plastic (2 layers - under is white, top is matte black)

[Jim c]

I sell these labels.

They fit under the top ring.
This is an old pic and I have made some changes but it gives you the idea.
13 in a set.
Comes with labels for lamps as well.

Jim

[Sandy]

Tom if lazy you can go the Dymo lable route. You can find the machines and tape on ebay. Sorta' looks cool. BillD's plates are really nice too, just too lazy to do the drawings to make them. The Dymo lables look very vintage too.

RCR40 Dashboard

That is where some other shots of the dash is.

Sandy

[jpc_bate]

''Tom if lazy you can go the Dymo lable route. You can find the machines and tape on ebay. Sorta' looks cool. BillD's plates are really nice too, just too lazy to do the drawings to make them. The Dymo lables look very vintage too.''


I may be wrong but Dymo are authentic too.....

[Big-Foot]

I like Bill's labels a lot - I'm not sure that the Dymo labels will still be hanging on after a year or so as the adhesive is not that good anymore (I have Dymo labels on tool boxes etc that peel off after a while)...

[Mark Charlton]

Originally Posted by spud

I'm getting to the point of installing the dash on my GDT70, and am looking for some thoughts on putting a finish on the alloy panel... However, I assume that adhesive switch labels will not stick to crinkle paint.... Or is crinkle paint in the dash a bad idea?

Thoughts appreciated in advance!

Tom

Tom, you may find the crinkle paint gets hard to keep clean as although glue won't stick, dust and dirt will, and will be a bugger to get off.

If you are set on that route, what WILL work is to screen-print the label graphics onto the panel. It will require a decent quality screen-printer and this will not be your cheapest route, but it does produce what I think is a fairly "factory" result. And, no, my car does not have purple carpet. That's my basement floor.

Mark

[Russ]

I had a person who makes electrical switchboard name plates engrave an aluminium panel i'd made up for a project with switch names and a ford symbol once, then i spraypainted mostly near the engraving and when it was dry, sanded it back with 1000grit wet and dry paper and a flat cork sanding block, then polished the aluminium, it came up awesome, as i used black paint in the switch locations, dark blue paint for the ford symbol, the paint sat lower that the aluminium so it maintained its gloss, just had to go slowly with the polishing so it didn't get too hot and bubble the paint. Sorry can't find a pic of it??. . .got one somewhere, will look harder and post it if i can find it

[Steve C]

Mark,

Great looking dash and panel.

Steve

[Mark Charlton]

Originally Posted by steve c

Mark,

Great looking dash and panel.

Steve

Thanks Steve. This is the "before". Suitably "retro-ratty", but not quite as nice as I wanted.

[Chuck]

Mark:

Impressive dash! The before and after are rather dramatic. How difficult was the application of the leather?

Chuck

[Mark Charlton]

Thanks Chuck,

The leather was applied by GTD back in 1987. All I did was a strip and re-dye. I am very pleased with the results, as the original dash was dyed tan by GTD and later was over-coated with black. The original dye was lacquer-based, was cracking badly and had been poorly touched-up over the years. The leather itself was in quite good condition and still supple.

I had the refinisher really matte down the dye before applying it and it looks almost identical the the sheen of my seats after I had them re-covered with new leather.

[Tom]

Mark,

the before picture of your dash is what I am trying to avoid. The after picture looks fantastic, though I confess I don't know what screen printing is.

Jim, I do like your labels but the labels need to be above the switches, and some of the icons are not applicable to my switches. I need labels like High/Low beam, brake test, in addition to the standards like horn, ignition, wipers etc.

Thanks for the replies, guys.

Tom

[Richard O'Clery]

Tom, it would be great if you started a build diary for your T70 (apologies if you have and I've missed it), or do you have pictures/info somewhere on the www?

Thanks

[Tom]

Richard,

The wife just bought some Mac software which allows me to set up a web based gallery of pictures, which I will do in short order. Once finished, I'll let people know what the web address is.

Tom

[Gunnar]

Hi all,

there's a company in the UK that sells a lot of stuff for car builders, on page 25 of their catalogue (
[FONT='Arial','sans-serif']http://www.carbuildersolutions.co.uk/download/cataloguejuly2005.pdf[/font] ) there's a "legends sheet" with lots of words and symbols printed in white on transparent film... I don't have any personal experience with that but this is the way I planned to do it... at least as long as Mark won't explain me what screen-printing is ;-)))