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@sbcglobal.net> wrote:
> From: john spaur <jmsdarch@sbcglobal.net>
> Subject: Re: [Healeys] Winter projects, parts questions
> To: "WILLIAM B LAWRENCE" <ynotink@msn.com>
> Cc: healeys@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@gmail.com
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