triple progress, now with carbon fiber Options

[worn]

I was hoping to have this put together but had an argument with a bag of concrete mix and now I have either a herniated disc or a stress fracture. L4 - my favorite. So, it is all I can do to sit at the computer for a half hour. I still am hoping to do WCR, but that is 4,000 miles for me in a 914. Heal faster (IMG:style_emoticons/default/piratenanner.gif)

Anyway here is what we got:

Started with the dies from an earlier attempt. Smooth out the old and mill the new


I bought a rotating table and the mill for this project. Well and other things too


First step was making the clamps.

I also made a punch so the I can start with the holes for lights and maintain registration


That gives me this:


Ready to press. I spent a lot of time setting things up for a pin router to cut out the gauge windows, but that didn't work out. So I have the dies and the sheet ready to form.

[worn]

From there it is a matter of opening the window sectors so the gauges show through. As it turns out, the dies do a partial cut. That is a help, but it is a bit ragged, so I finished the job with an angle grinder. harbor Freight sold this to me for $10. I have always been spooked by that, but now I have close to a dozen so I don't have to change grinding wheels for different jobs. I digress.



I spent several weeks trying to engrave through black paint with a laser. 2 and a half watts will set paper on fire, but don't do the job I wanted. BTW I hate Rustoleum. The master of lifting on the second coat.
Made back plates. Thanks Stephen! Also, this one uses the newer plug back fuel gauge, and I am going to use LED strip lighting, so the back is kind of different. Soldering on the light holders.


I wanted to match the old warning light look, so went with acrylic rod 10mm or 3/8 in. The light guides are carbon fiber tubes used for making model aircraft.


Carbon Fiber gauges! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/drunk.gif) such fun. Not really a cool factor, as cardboard would also do. I am going to use titanium white paint to seal the screws on the back. Whooo. Titanium.

[worn]

So now it is a matter of assembly.


I decided to wrap the LED strip instead of attaching the strip to the can. I will report on that layer. I used a sheet of acetate film to insulate the back. Not shown here but it outgo handle any heat since it goes through the laser printer.


I cracked some of the paint on the face in the background above, so the next photo shows a blank face, and you can see that the warning lights look like the 914 style, but of course they could also be like the donor 911 gauge at right.