[Healeys] Winter projects, parts questions

[Bert Van Brande]

Morris was the "Mo" in Moma before they split up.  I would not be surprised if they still use the same techniques and processes but I could be wrong on this.  Worth checking out and double-check if you like their work.  I didn't like the clear coat on the faces, probably a good protection but it looked over-restored to me.  Just my opinion.

The swiss gauge restorers at austin-healey.ch seem to do a great job tampon- or padprinting the faces but they don't want to sell just the faces, they only do full restoration of the gauges, I asked.  Lionel Otto company seems to be a good alternative, they sell you the faces outright.  His site mentions silk screen.  I talked to somebody on the phone and I understood they press in the circular depression after printing.  This was probably what they did in the 50's as padprinting was't invented yet.  Silkscreening is a 2d process while padprinting is used to transfer a 2d design on a 3d object.  My father was a printer/graphics teacher so I learned a bit about this.

I didn't want to lay out the Benjamins, Swiss francs or Aussie dollars for this so I carefully cleaned the gauge faces with a super soft brush and diluted simple-green.  If anybody wants to try this out, don't let the simple green solution on there too long, carefully rinse and dry with a paper towel.  The white paint of those 50+ year old numbers on the gauge are dried out and powdery.  I then protected the face with a tiny bit of carauba wax.  

I rebuild the mechanisms and calibrated with a drill and a digital tachometer.  I scanned the original wheel strips and touched them up in photoshop and printed my own odo/tripmeter wheel numbers on vinyl sticker material to replace the faded and burned away numbers.  New glass and chrome et voila.  A nice winter project indeed.  

Didn't I just say I was having fun?  

Bert


--- On Sat, 1/21/12, john spaur <jmsdarch at sbcglobal.net> wrote:

> From: john spaur <jmsdarch at sbcglobal.net>
> Subject: Re: [Healeys] Winter projects, parts questions
> To: "WILLIAM B LAWRENCE" <ynotink at msn.com>
> Cc: healeys at autox.team.net
> Date: Saturday, January 21, 2012, 4:46 AM
> William,
> 
> West Valley Instruments "reprinted" my safety gauge last
> August. It is not in the car yet but it looks really good
> and I think it is painted but I don't recall if I asked him
> or not. 877-818-9402 and ask for Morris I believe. I think
> he used to work for MONA or was a partner.
> 
> www.westvalleyinstruments.com
> 
> Try: westvalleyinstruments at gmail.com