I'm in the process of restoring several steam gauges and was wondering if anyone has any experience restoring faceplate lettering. Is there a process or source for this in the industry?
Thanks,
Grant


http://www.ohiocentral.com
beam@tusco.net

> I'm in the process of restoring several
> steam gauges and was wondering if anyone has
> any experience restoring faceplate
> lettering. Is there a process or source for
> this in the industry?
> Thanks,
> Grant

Yes indeed, there is a guy in Canada, call me at the VRR Monday and I'll give you his number. He was a participant in our "Your Hand on the Throttle" program last fall.
J.David


jdconrad@snet.net

Having worked in the industry as a young man I can speak about face plates. Basically if the numbers are indented then the plate could have been pressed or chemically etched. The etching process is done by reverse printing the image onto the face plate. This is when everthing is covered with an acid resist paint,except the numbers, by silkscreen method. The plate is then etched in a solution, probably ferric cloride. This removes the metal from the ares which will be the numbers. The length of time they are etched will determine the depth of the letter. This process is still available however it is expensive and you will have to search around for someone doing this. Someone who builds printed circuit boards could do this.

The method most restorers are using now is just straight silk screen. The image is laid out a master artwork. This image is then taken to a process camera where it can be reduced or enlarged
to the correct size. A silk screen positive image is made at this time as well. This image is used to make the silk screen. The gauge face plate(s) are then painted the correct background color and the letters are silkscreened on. The silkscreen ink can be epoxy if you desire and if it were me this would be the case. Any silkscreen business can do this for you. All you have to do is furnish the finish machined faceplate painted or polished.
Powder coating is a good process for painted plates and any color is avalable.

Thanks for all the information Bob, your detailed explanation was exactly what I was looking for.
Grant



http://www.ohiocentral.com
beam@tusco.net

Hi all;

What Alan, the "Man from Canada" does is to put the artwork on computer, then gets a CNC engraver to produce the faceplate. Sometimes, you can see the tool path, if you look *really* closely.

He makes nice gauges; they are found on some currently running large locomotives. And some that are in museums.

I don't want to post Alan's phone number here, but if you email me, I'll put you in touch with him.

John Stewart - Ottawa.

> The method most restorers are using now is
> just straight silk screen.



luigi@mainframe.dgrc.crc.ca

While folks are on this topic I have a handful of 6" duplex air brake gauges that Id like to prep as backup units- the hands always seem to be missing from these whenever I find them. The more compact 4" gauges usually are more complete when I find them but naturally are wrong for the larger gauge faces and Im not sure the bushings are the same diameter. What are most folks doing ? Buying up cheap gauges and making the hands fit the larger duplex gauge bushings ? Seems like a bit of a hassle...perhaps theres a stash of Ashcroft/Ashton gauge hands out here in some barn.

staybolt@bellsouth.net