Tom Walker
Senior Member
I ve wanted an oil pressure gauge and water temp gauge for the Tudor for a while. I like the little 2" gauges, which is lucky cos they ar'nt as dear as the bigger ones. They needed to look well used (like the rest of the car!). I found just the right temp gauge this summer at a jumble for £12, but an oil gauge to match was impossible over here. There are plenty on ebay in the States, so I had to bite the bullet and scored one for $15 plus the same again for p and p.
I cant bring myself to drill holes in the dash, in fact there is not much space on an export car dash, because of the glove compartments on both sides, so it had to be a panel mounted underneath. Also wanted some shape to the face of the panel to match the moulding on the dash.
I roughed out a cardboard template, then cut 2 thick pieces of hardwood to sandwich the steel. I ve never tried this before so it was all new. I radiused the edge of the block on the underside by hand with the sanding belt. Then screwed the steel between the blocks and bashed the edge over.
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so far so good, but I could nt get the metal to form round the corners without wrinkling up, so had to cut slots which will need welding up. I now realize I used sheet too thick. All I had to hand was 16 gauge, I reckon 18 or even 20 would work and be much easier to form. The next bit was even worse! I wasnt sure how I was going to make the "lip" in the panel. So thought I would try pressing it in. Cut out another piece of wood and a former out of 1/4" rod. The idea was to put the rod former behind the panel, the new piece of wood in front and press it in the vice.
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Nothing happenned...it made no impression at all on the panel....
I cant bring myself to drill holes in the dash, in fact there is not much space on an export car dash, because of the glove compartments on both sides, so it had to be a panel mounted underneath. Also wanted some shape to the face of the panel to match the moulding on the dash.
I roughed out a cardboard template, then cut 2 thick pieces of hardwood to sandwich the steel. I ve never tried this before so it was all new. I radiused the edge of the block on the underside by hand with the sanding belt. Then screwed the steel between the blocks and bashed the edge over.
so far so good, but I could nt get the metal to form round the corners without wrinkling up, so had to cut slots which will need welding up. I now realize I used sheet too thick. All I had to hand was 16 gauge, I reckon 18 or even 20 would work and be much easier to form. The next bit was even worse! I wasnt sure how I was going to make the "lip" in the panel. So thought I would try pressing it in. Cut out another piece of wood and a former out of 1/4" rod. The idea was to put the rod former behind the panel, the new piece of wood in front and press it in the vice.
Nothing happenned...it made no impression at all on the panel....
