Creating a Reproduction DAC90A Dial Glass

[Ed_Dinning]

Hi Gordon, usual way with scans is to print them on OHP film and fix to the rear of a sheet of glass.
I've done it before and it looks good.

Ed

Split from a wanted thread here:
https://www.vintage-radio.net/forum/...ad.php?t=99895

[Gordonc]

Hi Glowing bits,

Ok. Thanks for your time and trouble looking. I really appreciate it.

Ed,
I have just bought some OHP acetates to give it a try. I have acquired some 2mm pieces of glass cut to the right size so will sandwich the printed film between them. I will see how that turns out!

Cheers all,

Gordon.

[Radio_Dave]

Trouble is, apart from a couple of slots for the frequencies this dial is virtually opaque and printer inks are translucent.

I've had success by sandwiching together one printed on transparent film, as Ed suggests, but I then add one printed on photographic paper with the two "windows" cut out with a steel rule and scalpel .

David

[Glowing Bits!]

Gordon, if you have success with the transparent film, could you please post a picture of the finished result?

I'm interested in the printer film technique as I could do with re-producing the dial on a Wartime Utility set.

[David G4EBT]

I think a much better choice would be 'decal' paper - (known as 'water-slide transfer' paper in the UK). You simply print out the design that you need (you can get the paper for ink-jet or laser printers), cut out the area of the transfer, and spray the transfer with a couple of coats of clear lacquer to stop the ink running when immersed in water. You then immerse it in water for a minute or so, then try it between your fingers to see that the film will slide off the paper. If it does, you slide it onto the surface of the dial or whatever, and adjust the position, then gently smooth it down, and the job is done.

It's not too expensive (£1.60 for one A4 sheet) and you can get the paper and watch a short instructional video at this link:

http://www.craftycomputerpaper.co.uk...-Paper_151.htm

(No connections other than as a satisfied customer).

Ordinarily, the transfer goes on the front surface of an object, but I see no reason why - if the text or design of the artwork is reversed, it can't be applied behind a clear glass dial, and smoothed down so there are no air bubbles showing. I've not personally tried that but I think that others may have done so. I have however recently successfully made and applied waterslide transfers for a pre-war Ekco AC77 radio that I'm presently restoring.

Firstly, I cleaned up a can smoothing capacitor which I re-stuffed, which was in a sorry state appearance wise. Having cleaned up the can on the lathe with a U-Pol pad and chrome cleaner paste, I made and applied a transfer to show the capacitance and voltage rating. You can barely tell it's a transfer rather than printed onto the can.

Secondly, I have a good VP4B valve for the set but which was poor in appearance. Some of the metallising had worn off, so I repaired that using silver conductive paint as sold for repairing heated rear window tracks and so forth, then I re-sprayed the whole valve in a similar shade of gold to the original, then I designed a water-slide transfer along the lines of the original wording on the valve, and applied it. I'm content with the result, and I think it's better than any other technique I've used.

I've attached some pics to show the results.

A water slide transfer would be especially suitable for the Wartime Civilian Receiver dial as it is simply lettering and numbers applied directly onto the surface of the cream painted dial.

As to the use of acetate sheets, not all ink-jet printers will print on acetates. For example, no current Epson ink-jet printers will. (A couple of years ago I had to replace my HP Photosmart, and chose an Epson SX535WD assuming it would print acetates I used for UV printed circuit masks. It was hopeless so I contacted Epson who said none of their domestic printers will print onto acetates. A check in the printer media handling options confirms this). I've since looked at the media which current HP printers can handle, and most state that they support acetates (shown as 'transparencies').

The only way to really know if your own printer is up to the task is of course to try it.

I've drifted off the topic of DAC90A dials, but I hope this info is sufficiently relevant to be of help.

David

[Boom]

Love the Civvy set dial David.

If a laser printer is used would the transfer actually need laquer?

[David G4EBT]

If you watch the short instructional video it seems not to differentiate between inkjet or laser papers:

http://www.craftycomputerpaper.co.uk...-Paper_155.htm

You'll also see examples of transfers that other hobbyists have made, using both clear and white transfer paper. (The clear comes on a white paper backing and the print comes out really well, certainly on my fussy ink-jet Epson printer.

I guess the lacquer also gives some protection to the transfer whether laser or ink-jet paper is used.

Crafty Computer Paper also sell the gloss lacquer, but AFAKN, any gloss lacquer will suffice. (I use Tetrosyl 'Trade Spray' - a gloss lacquer used for car bodywork re-finishing, which I used for my woodturning activities).

I originally bought a few sheets of paper intending to use dial scans, reverse the image and make water-slide transfers to apply to the back of the glass, but haven't found the need to as yet. Maybe some other forum members have experience of this and can comment on the results obtained? I certainly think the print on the transfers would have more opacity and 'body' if that's the right term, than acetates, though I guess that depends on the actual printer. My old HP printer printed PCB artwork in very solid black tracks, which dried in seconds, perfectly opaque to UV light.

Hope that helps.

David.

[Radio_Dave]

Hi David

Your example photos are very good but they all have opaque backgrounds. As I mentioned in earlier, ink is transparent so if you print onto transparent media you'll end up with a transparent image.

To better explain the method described in post #3 I've attached three photos. The first one shows a DAC10 dial printed onto transparent film. As you can see when it's held against the glass in my back door it's very transparent. The second photo shows a paper version with all the transparent areas cut out. The last photo shows the result when the film version is held on top of the paper one and again held against the back door.

Inkjet and laser printers also cannot print white and they rely on the printing media to be white when white is needed and for lightening colours.

I do admit that I've never dared to try my laser printer with any plastic/sticky type of media, maybe somebody else has?

David

[Gordonc]

Hi David,

Did you cut out every single character and lines to get them to be transparent?

That must have taken some patience!

Gordon.

[Radio_Dave]

No I didn't cut out the characters, just the two windows for the frequencies and the little squares for the station names. The paper allows enough light through to illuminate the coloured writing.

David

[David G4EBT]

Out of interest rather than personal need just now, for my own curiosity I've created two pairs of waterslide transfers of two types of DAC90A dials - a pair with the text the correct way around so that the transfer is applied to the front of a piece of thin glass which can then be sandwiched with another piece of thin glass on top to protect the transfer - the other pair with the text reversed (as would the original Bush waterslide transfer have been), so that the transfer can be applied to the reverse of the glass.

The four dials fitted onto one A4 sheet of transfer paper, so each transfer cost about 40 pence. I've attached a couple of pics one shows all four, the other just the two with the print the right was around. (The pics don't really do justice to the transfers, but give some idea).

Though I've yet to cut pieces of glass to apply the transfers to, I'm encouraged by the quality of the transfers, especially since my Epson printer won't print onto acetate. The colours are very solid, and given that the dial lights on the DAC90A are so dim as to be almost extinguished, I'm hopeful that the finished dials will turn out well.

I'm not sure where the original scans came from or how true the colours are but I've cleaned up the blemishes that existed on the scans using Photoshop. I'm not a fan of DAC90As but I've got one somewhere tucked away in the loft, so when I get chance, I'll dig it out for comparison, and maybe try the dials in it.

The moment of truth will come when I eventually apply the transfers to glass!

Hope that's of interest.

David

[Gordonc]

Hi Guys,

I have eventually managed to produce a couple of dial glasses for my DAC90A using the technique described by Radio Dave. I have attached a couple of thumbnails to let you see the results. They are OK, but aligning the paper print with the transparency (and without smudging the ink which takes some time to dry), is a real pain. Then they have to be sandwiched between two pieces of thin glass. I would have to say that this solution works but I would have to admit, a screen printed dial glass is definitely better.

Cheers

Gordon.

[gary_crutchley]

The tuning scale image on the left looks very bright for a DAC90a, usually the 3.5 Volt 0.15 Amp dial light bulbs make for a very dull experience indeed. Would the reproduction scale look better/acceptable with the original scale light level?