Refurbishing Gauges

[GILDIA]

I opened my gauges but I cannot separate the lens from the bezel. I need to separete them so I can paint the bezel (mate black). Has anyone open the combinational gauges to paint the bezel and clean or polish the lenses?

[GILDIA]

Can anybody helpme?

[240znz]

Sorry dude. I gave mine to a specialist guage shop to sort out.

But here's a tip for you. Paint the inside of the guage white as it brightens up the back light a lot.

Cheers

James

[GILDIA]

Thanks I'll also paint the inside bright white, but I would like to know how to separate the bezel

[EScanlon]

The "mask" which is what you are actually referring to, was attached by melting the plastic locating pins that both secure and locate the mask.

The "mask" is what limits your view of the two instruments (the Tach, Speedo and Clock, do NOT have them). So it's only on the Fuel, Oil, Amp, Temp paired gauges.

If the black on the mask has chipped, gotten dirty or .... then the only way to remove the mask from the bezel is to chip off those melted nubs of plastic.

To re-assemble, you can either use some Hot Glue or a small dab of some hard set glue (i.e. that has some consistency to it, that is, not like model glue or the like). I have used a small dab of hot glue in the past and as long as you don't use a lot, you should be ok. I've also dabbed a bit of melted plastic (from a model's leftover pieces) with a soldering iron.

Hope this helps

E

[GILDIA]

Thanks E, your advice help me once again, I just Manage to separate the "mask" fron the Amp/Fuel gauge, What do you suggest on painting the inside, should I remove the little green cover or just use some masking tape (So I wont paint it white)

[EScanlon]

When I painted my instrument "cans", I used a BRUSH and some very thick paint. That way I did not have to mask the green bulb filter.

The paint I used is normally used to paint the insides of R/C plastic bodies. It is a very BRIGHT white (Polar White if I recall the name) and it is sold by Pactra under their Racing Finish line of paints.

I used that paint both because of the intensity of the white, the flexibility of the paint once dried and it's ability to cover in one coat. This line of paint gets used as the final coat for the bottom of the clear plastic bodies and it is what gives the fluorescent colors their bright intensive look. (Remember, those bodies get painted from the underside... i.e. first coat IS the color or accents, then the base, and finally the bright or dark coat, depending on what type of finish you're going for.)

The mask itself, use a nice flat black since it will be "under glass".

FWIW

E

[TomoHawk]

Are you going to do anything with the gauge faces?

[GILDIA]

This What I plan to do

1.- Clean the faces, paint the needles (with a brush)

2.- Polish the lens

3.- Paint the inside (White)

4.- The Bezel and the mask with mate black