idea

ceramic gauge panels

[S[S[S

Uh yeah... can you expand on that?

soltz said:

[S[S[S

Click to expand...

What! You can't visualize a ceramic instument panel Soltz? Simple to form to any shape in clay. Use a cookie cutter to make holes for the gauges. Apply the whatchamacallit stuff to color it any fantastic way you want and put it in a kiln.
Stick to the dash with 3M silicone. I remember somebodies wife on here has a kiln.

Ya talkin free thrown pottery style ceramic??? Interesting idea. Surely you could fabricate any kind of shape, but my only doubt would be survival from all the vibrations. Maybe some kind of islolating gaskets between the panel and any metal. Another thing would be attachments. If you were planning to screw it together, you'd have to cast the holes in the material before firing....some other thoughts come to mind but I'm not sure I'm on the right track with what you're thinking right now...[S

Hmmm, I musta been posting when you were Eman....[cl...whadda they say about like minds?

smallfoot said:

Hmmm, I musta been posting when you were Eman....[cl...whadda they say about like minds?

Click to expand...

I put silicone to many uses mainly lenses and bulbs in old light buckets. It eliminates contact to the hard surface and absorbs vibration. Easy to remove with a razor blade if necessary.

Silicone would work. I'd think about providing pretty tight fit and maybe one that would offer some support to the panel piece. Depending on what size you go, it might be somewhat heavy.

My wife is the glass artist eman as well as having a degree in ceramics.
The biggest thing would be to allow for shrinkage during the firing process.
You could also use Fimo which is available at many hobby stores and can be fired in your home oven. It is also easily formed by hand.
Torchie

smallfoot said:

Silicone would work. I'd think about providing pretty tight fit and maybe one that would offer some support to the panel piece. Depending on what size you go, it might be somewhat heavy.

Click to expand...

Good thought. It would be heavy with the gauges included. Hmmmm, have to design in a couple of mounting bolts with rubber bushings for added support. Something like small chrome bullets or fancy cabinet knobs to cover the bolt heads.

Torchie said:

My wife is the glass artist eman as well as having a degree in ceramics.
The biggest thing would be to allow for shrinkage during the firing process.
You could also use Fimo which is available at many hobby stores and can be fired in your home oven. It is also easily formed by hand.
Torchie

Click to expand...

Great info bud. I will look up Fimo right now.

Doesn't look like fimo can be glazed like clay. With the shrinkage would the holes become larger then?

????

Could you cast the mounting bolts in the panel when you make it?

Lynn

Shakey, I asked my daughter, the potter, that very question a while ago and I got the look. "No Dad, You can't put metal in the clay and then fire it." The metal bolts expand a way more than the clay at 1200* to 1300*C and then shrink a way more and, the bolts aren't any good after that temperature, anyhow.
So far she hasn't made me anything for a hotrod at all, but I have some fine, big coffee mugs, the newest one just a few days ago.

You would make the holes where the bolts would go beforhand just like the holes for the gauges. I have a seriously rusty dash in this T roadster and i think a glossy wildly colored gauge panel would contrast nicely and be completly original. There are shops here where you can make what you want and then glaze and fire it right there. My daughter made some one of a kind light switch plates for the house.

Might be an issue keeping the grout in place.lol