dash plate

I have seen Spyder replica's with a small polished aluminum dash plate. The plate goes around three instrument gauge pod. Not sure what its called but it may be called a "hammered" finish (small swirl marks). I am thinking it might look kind of neat for something different/retro. Ideas? I doubt the Spdyer one would fit, but maybe I could trim it if its not too far off.

It's called "jeweling" or sometimes incorrectly "machine turning" (which is really something different. This is a finish usually applied to aluminum or stainless steel; it was quite popular in the 1930's on dashboards of Deusenburgs, Auburns, Cords, etc.

They also did it on Monstor Garage this week to a used Crown Vic Police car that they were installing a dunkin donut fryer, conveyer and display on the passenger side/ Tore out the dash, cut a new one from sheet metal and put the old drill with bristle brush on it.

Jim, your point being?

No point really.... it was the 1st time I managed to watch an entire episode and the ease in which they did up that dash amazed me. It looked trick for the minor amount of labor and materials. I would imagine it could be done 'right' on a drill press, and then polished out.

Lots of guys did it in my early gearhead days to the dashes and consoles.

Other than that, I saw the whole Dunkin Donut Highway Patrol Car thing as amusing.

Jim


(Message Edited 8/21/2003 6:24:29 PM)

Redneck Erik here again.

I noticed billet dash panels for custom beetles. Rather than "swirls" as in the jeweled technique mentioned above, which is an earlier era and may not look right in a Speedster, these billet panels have shallow grooves running horizonal. Might look retro racer if I can buy the billet stock and cut it out myself, or make a pattern and have it custome made.

I was thinking another advantage is having 914 combo gauges, with the billet plate I could fit the smaller 356 replica gauges in the smaller size hole of the dash panel, something I couldn't do with the 914 holes in my dash.

Pricing to have new 356 faces put in the 914 gauges I can buy a set of new Brazilian VDO gauges for about the same money, plus maybe the billet panel.

Machine turning as us "ole folks" call it ( also Eastwood Products) can be easily done by laying out your work in a sized grid that you want and use 10 penny nails with a dot of super glue attaching a sized square of "green scrubbibg pad" from the kitchen etc....using a drill press and a shot of WD 40 you can do this process easily ...take your time as no mistake can be corrected and what you are making with become a human operated aluminim Frisbee

ALan M.

John,

So you use a nail, a piece of green scrub pad (or Scotch bright?)and super glue.

How about this: I use a hole saw to cut a circle out of wood (maybe an inch diameter?), glue the scrub pad to the circle piece of wood to make a firm base, hammer the nail through the center of the circle and use the nail to attach in a drill press to make the circles? Hmmm. What thickness aluminum stock?

For those interested, at the Beck 550 Spyder replica's web site, under the Store heading, click on Parts, towards the bottom of the page he lists aluminum dash panels. I personally like the look and feel they provide a nice accent. While maybe not everyone will agree, but first look at them and then make up your mind. $150 is pricey as heck. I may remove my gauges and make a template and see what I can come up with.

Erik,

www.fibersteel.com has it for $89.

Mike