Jim's 1980 SG Miss September

[Jim]

Time For The Voltmeter.
Picked up the peanut gauge voltmeter awhile back and decided it was time to mount it. Not sure I'm happy with it... we'll see after the other gauges are mounted.
I started with all this stuff....

The sheet is 7075T6 stock (which is not weldable). The tube is also 7076. It's cut from a Boeing 727 nose door strut (scrap) I had laying around. Since I couldn't TIG the pieces together, I used a piece of oak dowel to epoxy and bolt the tube to the plate....

I'm glossing over the obvious here such as the hole and wires and grinding. After the epoxy set, I cut the plate to size and made a backup plate, drilled and countersunk for 3/32 AD rivets...

Clecoed everything together to make sure it all fit....

Happy with that, I took it all apart and commenced to buffin'. Once it was all shiny, I riveted it all together...

Hooked the wires up and epoxied the gauge into place. Once it set, I temporarily mounted it...

I'm not sure I'm happy with it. I think I'll hold judgement 'till I get the other gauges mounted. I was shootin' for inconspicuous... not sure I hit the mark. Guess I'll wait and see if it grows on me or not.

 

[robinc]

Hey Jim, nice fabrication job. I've learned it's pretty hard to be inconspicuous when trying to fit a gauge into these pilot box / gauge clusters.

As TimeMachine said to me once, "I think it looks quite appropriate up there!"

Size wise it's not overpowering so I think it looks just right.
Bet you'll be happy it's there when you're running it, and it will blend right in.

 

[TwoManyXS1Bs]

Great fab there, Jim. The make/break of these kinda things is the vibration and daylight visibility...

 

[Jim]

I've learned it's pretty hard to be inconspicuous when trying to fit a gauge into these pilot box / gauge clusters.

Thanks Robin. Yeah, it's a damn sight harder than it looks ain't it?

 

[Jim]

Great fab there, Jim. The make/break of these kinda things is the vibration and daylight visibility...

Thanks Steve. I've powered it up outside and it's weak in daylight. Ya gotta shade it with your hand to see it, which is good enough. On the other hand, it's not too bright at night... so it's a trade-off. We'll see on the vibes... if I keep it.

 

[robinc]

Ya Jim, but your install is very professional and looks like it was meant to be there. I think what takes time is the fact that is just something new, non stock that we have to adjust to. Not sure yet, have to go through the process myself.

 

[rsor]

Your volt meter setup looks really nice to me. Is it just one that you can buy on ebay from China?

 

[TwoManyXS1Bs]

Rsor, we have numerous voltmeter threads here. Try forum searches, titles only, on: "volt", "voltage", and "voltmeter"...

 

[Jim]

Hi Rsor,
my comments about the gauge starts here. I think there's a link to were to buy it several comments down.

 

[Meddy]

Very nice workmanship there Jim.
I've never seen a riveter like that before.

 

[59Tebo]

JimD54,
Are you kidding? I agree with RobinC and 2M. That's about as inconspicuous as you can get. Give it a little while, and you'll almost forget it's there.
You got some mad fab skills!

 

[Downeaster]

Curious why you made the voltmeter housing taller than the gauge housings? I'd think it'd blend in a little better if they were the same height.

Of course, I've had weird thoughts before so...

 

[kshansen]

JimD54,

Looks good!

Just wondering how I'm going to be able to sneak in to the service bay of the local airport with a hacksaw to scavenge the material for the gauge bracket! If I get caught is it okay to tell them it was all you idea?

 

[gggGary]

Trying to be subtle here If I kept every failed "mod" I've built and scrapped I wouldn't have room in my shed for the XS collection.
IMHO something along this line?https://www.banggood.com/0_28-Inch-...e=ShareASale&utm_medium=aff&cur_warehouse=USA cut and fit into the cluster replacing the headlight fail bulb? I have one I kludged into a standard cluster, 5twins has one that looks alot better than mine.

Or coconut pete's solution.

 

[mrtwowheel]

I've never scrapped a mod, that's the kind of artist that I am, yeah right. Just spent a lot of time building mounts for some cheapo plastic turn signals that break in multiple places with the slightest touch, but damn, they sure looked nice.

Scott

 

[kshansen]

IMHO something along this line?https://www.banggood.com/0_28-Inch-...e=ShareASale&utm_medium=aff&cur_warehouse=USA

Just be careful if you go to that "banggood" site and click on "new arrivals" might not be safe if someone walks in the door at the wrong time!

 

[MaxPete]

Looks good to me Jim - nice work!

 

[rsor]

The guage in the back of the headlight bucket is a nice job as well.

 

[Jim]

Very nice workmanship there Jim.
I've never seen a riveter like that before.

Thanks Mick. It's a C squeeze riveter. Very handy when driving rivets through plastic.

 

[Jim]

Thanks Tebo

Curious why you made the voltmeter housing taller than the gauge housings? I'd think it'd blend in a little better if they were the same height.

Once the gauges are in, all 3 faces will be flush with each other (same height).