VDO Refurb...

I've a box of old VDO gauges, most were picked up over the years when they came included with consoles I'd bought.

They're all working, but a bit worse for wear cosmetically so it seemed a shame not to do something with them.

I did one of the two you'll see pictured below a while ago, finally moving onto the second today.

They're both the older metal body / glass fronted type… I'm not sure I'd get the same standard of finish if I tried this with the later plastic versions.

I took both of these ones a step further by adding some 'Zender' photo-etched modellers decals and painting the needles white to match the main clocks

There's no trick to doing it, just patience and a steady hand. The pictures speak for themselves…

Useful tip… No matter how good you are you're not going to get a perfectly even cut throughout the entire circumference. if you don't get the pieces back the same way they'll potentially not fit flush with one another.  Before you start to cut make a mark with permanent ink spanning where the cut's to be. When the parts are split, replace the pen mark with a small notch. This'll allows you to paint the bezel without fear of obliterating the pen mark…

















 

Nice write up mate,    

No pics!!  

No still no pictures

aargh, no pics.

great write up though  

Piccies sorted…

 

still great info

Hi

Where did you get those zender decals from? Do you have any free I could buy off you?

Thanks

Hi Dan… Bought them quite a while ago on an Australian site and I've not seen them advertised elsewhere before or since.

It was their last set (or I'd have taken more) and from the look of it they don't seem to have restocked, but might be worth asking.

Only the 2 x largest were of use for gauges… I'm guessing 1/12th scale?

The remainder are so small as to be virtually invisible to the naked eye, modellers must have amazing vision!

http://www.bnamodelworld.com/

Nice write up. How have you attached both parts back together when done?

Cheers… Looks a bit crude in the pics below, specially in close-up but works perfectly.

Cut 5 x 1cm (approx.) lengths from a large cable-tie.

Hard to pick up on camera but the two gauges I've done so far have a distinct recess to the inside face between the cut edge of the bezel and a light metal trim piece that seems to hold the glass in. This is fixed in place and can't be removed.

Initially I had 6 x tabs but found the one at the 6 o'clock position fouled on the internals, the remaining 5 are more than adequate for the job.

The tabs are held to the recess I mentioned with a dab of heavy duty glue. Put the glue on the tab not the bezel, for ease of joining… I used 'Evostik Serious Stuff', dries to a rubbery texture so some flexibility when fitting.

The tabs then simply slide into the gap between main body and gauge inner face… Just by luck the thickness of the cable-tie I used was a perfect fit, and the friction alone holds the bezel on though I'll maybe put a spot of glue to them when fitting into the car.

When the bezel is back on everything is completely concealed by that light metal trim piece, no matter what angle you're looking from. You'll see I painted the glued bases of the tabs black but as it turned out it wasn't necessary.

The tape is just to keep future dust out.

Still no pics!