i got the speed/tachometer gauge out and open. and damn, what a PITA! i wouldnt have done it if i knew how annoying it was. well anyway... now that i got the thing open and i have the gauge faceplate out, ide like to put on the blue film i bought. but i have a few questions.
is there a way to get rid of the green film on it already and make it white? so i could make the lines white and the numbers blue? or is the green in the glass so i cant get it out?
what do i clean the faceplate with? just water? cuz the faceplate looks so nice, i dont want to ruin it.
im applying the blue film directly behind the faceplate in between the black faceplate and that white piece behind it correct?
any ideas i should consider before i put the blue film acetate on there?
i think im just gonna put one layer of blue acetate on there so i can see the speedometer well in daytime too or do u think 2 layers would be better? im not sure on the color.
any other advice/suggestions would be appreciated, thanx )
you can just clean the faceplate w/ a soft cloth and water. worked for me.
I don't know how you can actually get rid of the green film, i think someone said that you could scrape it off, but very carefully.
yes the blue film would go between the faceplate and the two white plastics behind it. (these white plastics are the ones you can sand away that white paint to make your gauges brighter)
I recommend three layers, and no green is detectable. Still plenty bright on the daytime. Less layers and it'll look kinda aqua colored, but it depends on the kind of acetate you have. mine was the blue from misterart.com
Another thing i tried was alternating between 2 and 3 layers of acetate between the big and small lines....you can try different layer patterns for a different shade/color.....have fun and good luck!
i also have the blue from misterart.com. how did you apply the blue acetate to the faceplate? scotch tape?
i tried cleaning the faceplate with water and a cloth but it just gets smudged like. im talking about the black powdercoated part. i dont think that side was ever meant to be touched. i tried to clean it but it just turns kinda grayish if u know what i mean.
how did the two layers and 3 layer combo work out for you?
did you sand down those white pieces? the only thing im scared of is sanding it down unevenly cuz then the brightness will be bright in some areas and not as bright in other areas. what if i were to not even use that white piece at all? would that be a good idea? or just dremel out everything but the frame of it so i could still put it back in, but it wouldnt block any light at all.
After wiping it and letting it dry for a few seconds my faceplate came out very clean, just be gentle i guess....
if u remove the white plastic you'll probably see the cathode tubing through the numbers of the gauge, so i don't think it's a good idea.
Yes i sanded that white away and it helped w/ brightness, just remove all of it and it should be even.
Just lay the acetate on the back of the faceplate, no tape or anything. i used an exacto knife to carve the acetate to fit flat against the faceplate. play with it.
The setup i have now i like quite a bit, the lines alternate between true blue and aqua, looks nice
Originally posted by 4bidden bertico, post pictures!
You guys are talking about EL gauges, right?
yea.
i put in my speedometer without the white pieces just to see how it would look and your right, you can see the tubes. i was thinking the tubing would be a lot brighter. but i guess not. i think ill just and down the white spots on white pieces. or maybe i can use paint thinner?
i think im gonna do a mix between 1 layer and 2 layers between the numbers and the lines for a nice multicolored effect. it doesnt look aqua to me. but im not sure how it looks exactly because those white pieces arent on it. but otherwise, without the white pieces, it doesnt look aqua. it looks like a nice white/blue. then it just gets more and more blue with each layer. i might just leave the white pieces out, ide have to look at my gauges again. im gonna take it apart again and mess with the layers. maybe i can even put different colors in like yellow or something. only problem is, im not sure how that would look since the original color is green so it would mess with the color.
im wondering if i should try scratching out the green color so give it a nicer blue effect.
what i would like to do is color just the numbers like in this thread. or better yet, do exactly what that guy did. but its too much work IMO. Neon Gauge Writeup (Pics Coming Soon!)
if you really want 4bidden, i could take pics of the speedometer taken apart so you can see what parts are involved and what parts hes talking about exactly. i have to take apart my speedometer agian anyway so let me know.
o, then you could take apart the cluster and see it for yourself. he put it in between the white pieces that were sanded down and that disperse the light and the black speedometer face. ill take pics anyway once i get the cluster apart again. not sure when ill do that tho cuz im kinda busy.
that's three layers, alternated w/ two layers. Take your gauge cluster apart and you'll understand a lot better...there are two thick semi-clear plastic pieces between the faceplate and the cathode tubes that have a layer of white paint u can sand down for increased brightness
it looks like you dyed that white piece blue. or did you just cut out the blue film exactly?
im gonna have to cut the blue film over all the numbers and lines, then cut out another blue film piece to fit over just the lines to give the multicolor effect.
i think ill use some very very thin double sided tape to hold it in place.
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