Cleaning gauges

HULLROAD · Post by **HULLROAD** » Sat May 26, 2012 7:49 pm

Hi all another FNG here
......I tried to do a search but could not find any thing so hear goes......I would like to clean the years of paint and the over spray from my original gauge bezels. Does anyone have any ideas on how to do this. I did a little scraping but the bezels seem soft, thin and easily gouged.....Also one of my gauges lens is chipped up...Is it possible to remove the bezel...looks like they crimped it on.....and replace the glass? Thanks Dan

Post by **wesk** » Sat May 26, 2012 10:55 pm

There are many posts both here and over on the G503 boards about uncrimping the bezals and repairing the gauges but the end is always a rough looking crimp job.

There are quite a few plastic polishes out there that will clean up the lens. It just takes patience, time and following the instructions on the bottles.

HULLROAD · Post by **HULLROAD** » Sun May 27, 2012 12:53 pm

Sorry I am not the best with the computer.......not enough moving parts....Am I doing the "search" wrong for these forms???? I typed "gauges"' ,"clean gauges" and "remove paint from bezels" in the Search Articles box to the left and could not get any thing close to show up. .......Also the one gauge looks like some one seen to many movies ..... thought if they taped on the gauge it would somehow cool the engine......and then when THAT did not work they started taping it with the pointed end of a screw driver......Needless to say it is BEYOND polish.
Guess I will use that gauge to EXPERIMENT with......If I can't fix it.... it needed to be replaced.
Also please forgive me but what is the "G503" boards....Is it something that this sight has a link for or should I search the net to find it.
Thanks
Dan

evanso1975 · Post by **evanso1975** » Mon May 28, 2012 12:50 am

http://www.g503.com/

Just click on the "message boards" on the upper left side of the web page. Also, check out the "parts". Ron F has some M38 & M38A1 stuff too.

Owen.

chuck · Post by **chuck** » Mon May 28, 2012 1:31 pm

If these are Military gauges,you can use acetone,just keep your paper towel wet and keep on rubbing till the paint softens.

OKCM38CDN · Post by **OKCM38CDN** » Mon May 28, 2012 8:07 pm

Be very careful what you use for chemicals... th faces of all the guages I have used for my M-38 CDN have plastic cups for the faceplates and side glass for the lights to shine into the guage...

I took mine apart to clean them and it was a very difficult proceedure ( meaning hard to do patiently and without damaging the parts...) They never did go back together quite right,,, could never get the crimps to seat properly...

Hope this helps...

chuck · Post by **chuck** » Mon May 28, 2012 10:00 pm

Don't take the gauges apart,once the seal is broken they will fog up. I have done many gauges with acetone and for some reason it doesn't bother the faces. When your done Brasso or some other good plastic polish will make them look new if the plastic is not crazed all the way through.

HULLROAD · Post by **HULLROAD** » Mon May 28, 2012 10:07 pm

Thank you all. Yes my gauges are original.....Thanks for the 503 sight....seen a lot about gauges on their. I'll do some more searching and then try things out on my chipped up gauge. Dan

Cacti_Ken · Post by **Cacti_Ken** » Tue May 29, 2012 6:59 pm

You may be right but I don't think taking them apart causing problems with fogging. I have new gauges that fog up.

jimm · Post by **jimm** » Wed May 30, 2012 4:20 pm

HULLROAD wrote:Sorry I am not the best with the computer.......not enough moving parts....Am I doing the "search" wrong for these forms???? I typed "gauges"' ,"clean gauges" and "remove paint from bezels" in the Search Articles box to the left and could not get any thing close to show up.

You want to use the "Search" function in the bar above the messages that says "Forum FAQ Search Usergroups Profile etc.", not the Search Articles function. Forum posts are not articles. Subtle. Note that in the Search function you can select which forums to search.

HULLROAD wrote:Also please forgive me but what is the "G503" boards....Is it something that this sight has a link for or should I search the net to find it.
Thanks
Dan

G503 is a forum devoted to the MB & GPW models: http://www.g503.com/forums/

HULLROAD · Post by **HULLROAD** » Thu Jun 14, 2012 8:17 pm

Well I got my gauge back together....Thanks for all the leads .....The lens is actually a clear cup so I had to used the plastic from another spare gauge I had.....Any way to re crimp the bezel I turned three pieces of round stock steel on my lath ......The first one the gauge face set in snug and was used to back up the front of the bezel....the second fit the gauge hosing snug and was milled on angle to push the back side of the bezel towards the gauge housing. The third fit the back of the gauge and was milled flat as it contacted the bezel. I put the gauge between the first two dies and squeezed it in the vice. It forces the back side of the bezel at an angle again towards the housing.....Then I used the first and third die, put the gauge between them and pressed the bezel back flat. It came out nice and looks factory if I say so my self. Just wanted to share my idea on reassembly as that seemed to be a problem with some others that dissembled their gauges. Again thank You

RCFlyguy · Post by **RCFlyguy** » Thu Jun 14, 2012 8:29 pm

I think there could be a market in this...there are more people that need to get into their gages and you seem to have a well-engineered solution if you say it appears factory when finished.

What material are the bezels? Aluminum? Did you have any problems with fracturing them or scratching the bezels with the tool?

If you heat the parts with a hair dryer just before you reassemble it, you will probably reduce the chance of fogging once the sunlight hits it. I have some gages that have moisture in them and will probably need to get in to do some repair at some point.

Congrats on the success.

HULLROAD · Post by **HULLROAD** » Thu Jun 14, 2012 8:52 pm

I think the bezels on mine were either brass or copper....They had that bronze look to them when the paint was cleaned off....Any way they are quite soft and pliable....I was not afraid of the die scratching them because I stripped the years of paint off and then repainted them OD when done.

As I sat their and worked around and around and around the gauge to slowly pry the bezel off my mind kept asking.....HOW DID THEY MAKE THESE IN THE FIRST PLACE.......I figured it must have been a press....at least to stamp the bezels.....Then it was just a mater of making the dies......I have to admit the idea of die number two with the angle came AFTER I messed up the first bezel because just using the flat (number three) die pushed it out and in at the same time making for a very messy crimp.

Post by **wesk** » Thu Jun 14, 2012 9:15 pm

Can you email me some photos of the three dies and dimensions? I can put a little something together for the web site's "Download" page.

My email is shown below my post.

HULLROAD · Post by **HULLROAD** » Fri Jun 15, 2012 1:36 pm

Tanks Wesk....I would really love to share pics and dimensions with everyone but I have not embraced the digital age fully yet....I am working on it but my newest camera still uses film...........
Their really was no dimensions I used.......I just took the gauge to the garage and transferred the shape to the piece with a caliper while turning it. I would stop and test fit the gauge to the turning till I got it to fit snug....When you make a die like that you are basically making a "mold" to hold the front or face of the gauge and a "tool" to move the back lip were you want it to go.....Honestly my lath is probably older than my A1. Anything I do at home is a one of one.....The new cnc would probably turn out the dies in less than a third of the time it took me but we all have to work with what we have available. How does the saying go....Improvise, adapt and overcome. If their is anyone else on here more technically versed that would want to make one I would be glad to answer questions to help you along.
Dan