The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area The Electrical Bay who wants there gauges done?

I don't know about you guys but I do not want to reface my gauges with basically a sticker set. and since work for a printing company I could screen them. what i was wondering is if i decide to have my gauges screen printed would some of you guys want yours done also? they would be in the correct colors and font. All I would need is the faces No offense but I don't want to take someones else's gauges apart. this is just a feeler to see if anybody would want this done so i can figure out the logistics of everything

I think there would be fairly good sized market for this service. There are only a few different masks that you would have to make up for the AD's and you would have to be very accurate with the colors.
Also you would have to be competative with in reason with the vendors selling the decals. Although I would much rather have my gauges screen printed I have heard many good reports about the decals.
Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL

I would be interested in such a service. Would it be more durable than the decals?

46farmtruck yes it would vinyl is known to fade quite a bit. screen printing would be very durable. The main reason I would rather do it this way is because that is how they were originally done. Also vinyl is a decal its hard not to get air bubbles behind the faces and over time they lose there adhesiveness Denny graham I wasn't thinking of doing this as a one time service if I could get enough people to do it with me. it would be too expensive to do them one at a time. I will write up a plan soon to detail what ya'll would have to do and how much. my problem right now is I don't have the correct colors because my gauges are sun faded.

That's what I thought I indicated, “I think there would be fairly good sized market for this service." what I was trying to say is that if you put the time into making the masks, that I think you could get quite a bit of business for the service, as long as you could compete with the vendors decal prices. I mean, the decals are ten bucks a set, do you think you can strip, mask, paint base coat and print the text on the speedo, and four gauge cluster for two or there times that much???? I doubt it.
And yes, the originals were screen-printed and I would only use a decal if the face was completely gone and I couldn't find someone like you to paint them.

I wish someone would come up with a stencil for the Thrift-Master logo on the valve covers instead of those chincy looking decals. A vinyl sign printer orta be able to cut a stencil with a light sticky that you could peal off after spraying the cover. Here again though, I’ve looked for over two years for a good picture of an original Thrift-Master valve cover logo to recreate the graphic and still haven’t found one that was in tact.
Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL

there is no way a person could compete with the decal prices because there is so much more worked involved but it could be done for a fair price. it would only be a two color process. I haven't heard much interest. I guess I didn't make myself clear I am doing this anyway so I am paying for the screens and colors. the only cost for everyone would be the time and shipping.

Rusty52: I have mine refaced with the vinyl but have an old facing or two that I wouldn't mind having done. That said I guess, since your doing a set anyway, I think I want a set to....I can always keep them for someone who wished they had got a set of them.

I spent 35 years printing and finishing...screen to rotary ect and know that when you set up its nice to do several.
Come on guys, this is a chance to get them done right.
Let me know Rusty. Besides....they'll be made in the USA!!

Rusty52, I'm still interested. How many would you need to do to make it work out?

well the more I get the cheaper it will be you know how that goes. but I haven't heard from many people even though it is one of the most looked at threads. I may just scrap the whole Idea and do it just for Chipmunk,you and myself

Rusty, I'm thinking that maybe your not hearing from people because they haven't heard the price.
I don't know for sure but it is what slowed me up a bit on saying, ya count me in for the deal.
So without further ado....count me in, bezels for a 52.
Dan

its hard to price until I know how many people I am doing it for. if I had to guess it would be less then $30.00 and that would be with shipping I hope!

Rusty52, I guess we better dig out our old guage faces,huh?
Just let me/us know.

I'd be interested in having a set done. Other than removing the dial faces from the gauges, would there by any other prep work required by me like striping old paint, etc.

Count me intrigued.
I sent you a PM..
MONGO

OOOOOK, I have a question. I could answer it myself but its to cold in the garage right now!!

Up until 1952 the speedometer register 80mph. Then if 1952 they register 90 mph. My questions before we get to deep into this thing are,
1. all the guage faces are the same size (aren't they)
2. Rusty52: will you be doing both the 80 and the 90 mph faces?
3....and most important to me, MY extra guage face is an 80mph but can't it be done to be a 90 mph since mine is a 1952.

Just trying to make sure we cover all things before Rusty52 spends his time on the project.

Rusty52stovey, let us know what we need to do.

The decals do not include the, GASOLINE, BATTERY, TEMPERATURE, OIL PRESS lettering for the gauge cluster. Do you intend on doing the 1)Speedo, 2)Four individual gauges, 3)Gauge cluster as listed above all for $30 shipping included?

Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL

I plan on doing the whole kit and caboodle for that price I have to find out what shipping charges are but right now I am waiting to receive a 80 mph gauge I already have the 90 mph gauge.

oops I forgot the only thing I will not be doing on the gauges would be the needles themselves. But while I have your folks gauge faces you can just touch them up yourselves

Rusty,

Count me in....will you be doing the GMC blank .... I am in...

Count me in. I will be needing a 80 mph. speedometer face, but a 0-60 oil pressure face
Cleon

Rusty,
Just found your post. What years are you talking about?
I have a 1946.
Harold

not I am not doing 46 at this time but with all the reply my boss is warming up to the Idea and he may let me expand at a later date.

Rusty, your 80mph speedo face is packaged and will go out in the morning postal mail.

Cool thanks Alvin

I got an 80mph from Achipmunk the other day so I am now in the process of making templates for everything and we will go from there. the cost of shipping was pretty cheap so my target price is still looking good

hey guys I am looking at doing the gauge set after Christmas work is slower then and i should be able to fit them in with ease

rusty52stovey,
It may help to "recap" just what it is your going to do so anyone only looking at these last post will know whats going on and may want to get an order in.

Are you doing the 80 and the 90 mph speedometer face...and are you doing any of the smaller guages at this time?

I understand that your only doing the speedo's...is that correct?

please count me in for one face mayby two i will need an address to send it to let me know when you want it thanks

Here is what is going to be done right now the
speedo face
oil pressure 30 PSI so far (I need a 60 PSI for a template)
Gas gauge
temp gauge
Battery gauge
the outer ring that has Battery fuel temp and oil pressure

the only thing I well not be doing is the odometer for that price only because it is so time consuming, and I would have to pay my boss some fairly good money to take up and use one of his pad printing machines. because you can not silk screen those

I will give you all more information tonight when i get home from work

Rusty,

I have a 46 as well. Let me know if your boss gets warmer because I'm totally interested!

Is this just for the 46 trucks? Or will they do other year truck gauges? I have a 37 that I would be interested in having done. John

I do not have plans for any other gauges other then 48-53 maybe 47 if I can get my hands on one to make a template. sorry guys unless you can gather up enough people to cut the cost down to an affordable price remember the more the better. I will keep bugging my boss

Amendment (no GMC Gauge sorry guys they are a different color set which I don't have)

O.K guys this is what I got planned. as said before the oil, fuel, battery, temp gauge and speedo are going to be screened. Alvin or AChipmunk Sent me just the face to his speedometer and postage was cheap. the speedometer is fairly easy to take apart. Now for the other faces if you take and remove the rivets the face will just come off the gauge it's self. Ya'll send my all the face sets in a protected package if they are bent I will not be able to screen them! while the gauge are away this is you time to take a little white paint (model testor paint works well) and lightly paint the needles.
O.k. now for my part when I receive them I will take inventory of your faces making sure to record if you had a 30 PSI or 60 PSI oil gauge and if you had a 80MPH or 90 MPH gauge. I will rewove the rust if any and gentle sand smooth. moving on I will paint the backgound color (satin Brown color 241239)

Note: I will not be doing the speedometer center with the chrome rim.

after all faces have been painted I will screen the numbers in white (maribu 971 ink) this were I need some input I can keep the ink as is or I can put a flattening agent in it what is you guys opinion? majority rules.

after ink has cured all parts will be shipped back to you postage paid and protected. any more questions just ask

that is the plan. I will let you know when I will get things going it may take a little bit of time and this I apologize #1 I will not start the project until I have everybody's gauge faces i can't do multiple runs #2 It is not my company and I have to work them in when we are not busy or on my own time.

I hope this doesn't turn to many of you guys off Please comment on anything I just want to help out and I am doing this for myself anyway so i thought i would help you guys out also.

Rusty52:

I'm definitely in! 1951, 80 mph, 30# oil gauge. Thank you for doing this. It's also very cool of your boss to let it happen.

When will you let us know the final cost so we can send checks (will you take a check or do you want PayPal)?

Also, if you haven't already, could you publish your mailing address? I'll try to mail my gauges next week.

Regarding the whitening with or w/o the flattener, I don't have a preference and will defer to the majority.

Thanks again! Let us know if anything changes.

Checks or money order I can maybe also talk to my boss and see if a debit card or credit card could be used. I don't really like pay pal just a personal opinion.

rusty52: I've been doing some thinking on the white color. Its my opinion to not "flatten" the white color. For me I'm getting OLD and cannot see as well as I use to...
And the white will yellow up or tone down some as it ages a little in the heat and cold.
Just my opinion but then I am not looking at how "brigt" it is without the flattening agent. I guess we'll take your decision on this one!!

Hey Rusty, I am interested as well. Mine is 0-90 mph with 0-30 oil pressure.

Alvin I agree with you the problem is I am not old enough to of had a truck back in the day when they were new I don't know if the gauges were glossy or flat. did any stovebolters have a truck when it was still considered new? were the gauges flat or gloss?

I would to be interested. Mine are GMC Guages. but, I would need to contact you somehow so, I can find out what it would cost. I know shipping would be under 20.00 for overnight. as they are only the thin metal plates. iT MAY ONLY cost 6.00 to ship.

I could find more to do. please let me know...

Psacservice@aol.com

i am interested in having my gauges refaced. i am also in the Minneapolis area. When would you need to have the gauges forwarded to you? I have not removed them from my sub yet but will be soon.

Mike

Sorry no one has heard from me in awhile. I think many of you know why. My boss gave me a paid break from work for this month to deal with the death of my son. He also lost a child himself and knew how hard it is. The gauges are in the plans still there is just a delay. I hope this doesn't inconvenience to many of you