Lotus Europa Community
Lotus Europa Forums => Garage => Topic started by: LotusJoe on Monday,October 19, 2015, 02:25:25 PM
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I have been looking for some time for a replacement knob for my broken headlight switch. I ended up buying one for a Triumph TR-4. Not the same as the originals, so I also bought the dash light dimmer knob as well so at least the two will match. They are readily avail from Moss motors and a reasonable price of $6.50 each. I also had one from an MGB, but as you can see it is very different from the others. At least the issue is solved until I can find that NOS knob some day in the future :confused:
(http://www.lotuseuropa.org/gallery/albums/album13/Knobs.jpg)
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I have a 3 position rocker switch for my headlights. Early TC 2068R
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Joe,
If the issue to get a near perfect match is confined to the foil sticker and not the knob, then I may be able to make a few stickers for you. Take a look at this link where I recreated foil stickers for my tractor.
http://www.vintagemotoring.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=2717 (http://www.vintagemotoring.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=2717)
You will have to page through a 2 cylinder diesel engine rebuild, but near the bottom is the foil sticker posting. Let me know if I can help.
Dean
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That's really cool!
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Wow, I never even imagined that you could make such things with a home printer, those decals look just like the real deal. What adhesive/etc did you use to hold the tinfoil in place whilst it went through the laser ?
Brian
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I have a 3 position rocker switch for my headlights. Early TC 2068R
Looks like this issue is confined to the Twin Cam Special. Thanks for the correction.
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Joe,
If the issue to get a near perfect match is confined to the foil sticker and not the knob, then I may be able to make a few stickers for you. Take a look at this link where I recreated foil stickers for my tractor.
http://www.vintagemotoring.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=2717 (http://www.vintagemotoring.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=2717)
You will have to page through a 2 cylinder diesel engine rebuild, but near the bottom is the foil sticker posting. Let me know if I can help.
Dean
In my case the issue is both. My knob is broken and I have not been able to locate a replacement. I'm ok with the Triumph knobs even if they don't look exactly the same as original. That's why I replaced both so at least they would match. With the Triumph knobs it looks like I could change the logo on the front. I will have to have a closer look to see if the clear plastic pops out :confused: . If I was able to change the center logos then they would look exactly as original, and that would be cool.
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Thanks for posting this Joe.
I will have to have a closer look to see if the clear plastic pops out :confused: . If I was able to change the center logos then they would look exactly as original, and that would be cool.
Please report back Joe. It would be great to be able to change the center logos. I'm afraid to try on my headlight knob as it is cracked but still marginally functional.
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My TCS has a rocker switch for the lights. I need to check but I think the UK spec is different to the US spec. The warning light cluster is I know different between the dials. UK round lights US rectangular
Dave
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...Take a look at this link where I recreated foil stickers for my tractor.
http://www.vintagemotoring.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=2717 (http://www.vintagemotoring.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=2717)
Those turned out GREAT!
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I have these, if they would be any use to you. Def. not NOS.
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Wow, I never even imagined that you could make such things with a home printer, those decals look just like the real deal. What adhesive/etc did you use to hold the tinfoil in place whilst it went through the laser ?
Brian
It is a pretty easy process.
First I print on regular paper. Once I know where the image ends up I use a bit of painters tape to hold the leading edge of the aluminum foil to the paper and feed it pack in. That applies the image to the foil.
Next I feed the foil through a hot laminator and laminate both sides. This gives it a little stiffness and ensures the laser won't rub off.
The last step is to apply the adhesive. The only adhesive sheets I can find that work are Singer Peel and Stick Sheets. These are 5" x5" two sided peel and stick pads. This allows you to apply the adhesive and leave the backing in place just like a commercial sticker.
The very last last step is to cut of the sticker. That can be the hardest part as straight lines look processional and crooked lines look poor.
If you think some pictures would help let me know.
Dean
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I have these, if they would be any use to you. Def. not NOS.
Thanks Andy. I'm OK with the Triumph knobs. I don't think anyone would even notice except maybe a concourse judge. :beerchug: I think I would get busted with a Zetec engine in the engine bay long before they noticed the knobs.
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It is a pretty easy process.
First I print on regular paper. Once I know where the image ends up I use a bit of painters tape to hold the leading edge of the aluminum foil to the paper and feed it pack in. That applies the image to the foil.
Next I feed the foil through a hot laminator and laminate both sides. This gives it a little stiffness and ensures the laser won't rub off.
The last step is to apply the adhesive. The only adhesive sheets I can find that work are Singer Peel and Stick Sheets. These are 5" x5" two sided peel and stick pads. This allows you to apply the adhesive and leave the backing in place just like a commercial sticker.
The very last last step is to cut of the sticker. That can be the hardest part as straight lines look processional and crooked lines look poor.
If you think some pictures would help let me know.
Dean
Thanks Dean, I think I follow that. Ingenious is the word that springs to mind, I would never imagined you could use a laser on foil. This is the sort of info I think we need to preserve for people doing restorations because often getting hold of the correct decals is extremely difficult if not impossible. I'll be cheeky and say it would make a great article in the tech section ;)
In fact I'm getting quite keen to have a shot at the process, I'll have to see what sort of foil we have kicking around. I'd like to make the seat belt decals that were on some of the cars, I've gathered images but they don't look right on plain paper, not even laminated, so this idea sounds just the job.
Brian
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Brian,
If you think it will help, I'll go ahead and start another thread with a more detailed write up. As I was restoring my Peerless GT I found that I needed to source some brass and aluminum makers plaques. While I am working on the laser/foil write up you may be interested in this one as well...
http://www.vintagemotoring.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=2466&p=18093&hilit=brass#p18093
Here is the plaque I run on the Lotus. Sorry for the crappy photo.
Dean
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That's a great plaque and really cool instructions on how to make your own! Very clever!
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Wow. I'm struggling for words so I'll just say "I'm impressed", which is a somewhat of an understatement. I don't know about the others here but as I said before, this sort of help is invaluable when doing some restorations and plaques such as you've shown on that thread are unobtanium unless you DIY. That plate on lubrication is excellent, I've often wondered how they do those. Until reading that, I'd thought they may have been stamped in bulk but that process shows how small runs can be done.
Quite seriously I think a topic on the Tech Articles with maybe a download PDF would be brilliant and help a lot of folks now and in the future. I always struggle with printing topics for some reason and as I normally like to have a printed sheet in front of me as I blunder along, a PDF or some other document format that can be easily printed is very, very helpful.
Brian
1st stage started on my seat belt labels, I've asked the wife which is the thickest foil we have. Answer ? we haven't got any..... something else on this week's shopping list !
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Dean, That is the coolest thing I've seen in a long time!!! Have you experimented with using any types of irons to heat transfer the PnP to the metal plate?
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Thanks to Andy I now have a new headlight knob! :pirate:
Andy sent me the knob parts pictured in his earlier post. The dash knobs consist of a black plastic knob base, printed on aluminum image, clear plastic lens, and a black plastic ring that snaps onto the base and holds the lens in place. One of Andy's knobs was already apart and missing the lens and thin aluminum disk with image. This was good as it allowed me to see how the knobs are constructed. I took my cracked knob apart (breaking the black plastic ring in half while doing so). I was able to use the aluminum disk with image and plastic lens from my knob, and snap them into Andy's knob. After some 1500 emery cloth and plastic polish I now have a complete functioning knob that is good as new!
I would think that IF you can get any dash knob apart without snaping the black plastic ring, then you could mix and match the center image or print a new one on foil as HealeyBN7 described earlier in this thread.
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Good pictures Mark, I didn't realise how these things were made and so that post is going to be very useful I think. For some reason I'd just thought they were glued together forever, now I know different.
It throws out some possibilities because often there are similar style knobs going on Ebay for far less than the very scarce and expensive "Lotus" ones, and the only difference seems to be the images themselves.
Brian
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Very nicely done! :trophy:
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Happy the switches finally made it, and were of use.
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1st stage started on my seat belt labels, I've asked the wife which is the thickest foil we have. Answer ? we haven't got any..... something else on this week's shopping list !
A suggestion for heavy foil; try the disposable aluminum (aluminium?) foil oven liners. They should be available in most grocery stores, and are about as heavy as aluminum pie plate material, but have larger flat surface areas.
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I thought I would revive this thread to say I noticed that r.d. will soon be selling reproduction head light knobs in case anybody is interested.
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I thought I would revive this thread to say I noticed that r.d. will soon be selling reproduction head light knobs in case anybody is interested.
Looks like RD now has the reproduction knobs listed on his website, a little pricey though.
Joji Tokumoto
Fallbrook, Ca
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I thought I would revive this thread to say I noticed that r.d. will soon be selling reproduction head light knobs in case anybody is interested.
Looks like RD now has the reproduction knobs listed on his website, a little pricey though.
Joji Tokumoto
Fallbrook, Ca
:I-agree:
"A little pricey"? At $69.00 for a knob, I would say, yeah that's a bit pricey.