4104 dash / switch labels needed

[John Z]

I would like to replace the original switch/indicator bulb labels in the two outer dash panels. Over the years it looks liked they were the victim of too hot of a bulb!

Print shops are willing to design these and print on a transparency or a piece of film designed to be backlit. This is fine but there is no way to "preview" how it will look at night when lit.

Before I start spending money to experiment, I wanted to ask if any of you have already done this. What has worked for you? Thanks.

[Scott Crosby]

For my dash tell tale indicator lights, I just printed them on regular paper then put a colored Rosco light gel in-front of them for different colors.  I have not had any heat damage from them and I have different colors.

The gels are flexible thin colored plastic.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/45189-REG/Rosco_950SBLUX0103_Roscolux_Swatchbook.html

[Scott Crosby]

Thin regular white paper stock, it's fairly transparent when back lit.  I printed them white paper with just black letters in easy to read font. Then with the color overly I used red, yellow, for some and blue for my high beams etc.   

[John Z]

Thanks Scott. Sounds simple enough. Do you have pictures of the finished product? I am unable to picture how it all went together.

[Scott Crosby]

I used the same glass backplate, then the printed paper layer, and on top the color gel.  The back of the metal plate is on top as the top of the sandwitch.  Mine has a metal plate with 5 holes. I put the glass on the back as an insulator to protect the paper from the bulb. If you stuck your finger in my light hole you would be touching the shiny plastic gel. It looks like glass but I didn't want to change the thickness of the original mount by adding another piece of glass.

[RJ]

John -

Somewhere on an external hard drive I have an electronic file another busnut shared with me several years ago with all the OEM switch/light labels for the 4104.  I was just thinking about that the other day, so it's interesting that you should bring up the same topic.

I'll have to look in storage for the HD this weekend and see if I can find that file for you.

FWIW & HTH. . .

[JohnVickrey]

RJ
You mentioned this before.  If you find the file, share it with us please. 

[John Z]

RJ, that sounds great. It should save some design work.

Scott, what year is your bus? Mine is a 59. I am not home right now but I do not remember a metal plate that could be put on top of the "sandwich".

[John Z]

RJ, that sounds great. It should save some design work.

Scott, what year is your bus? Mine is a 59. I am not home right now but I do not remember a metal plate that could be put on top of the "sandwich".

[gus]

John,

I made some on my computer a few years ago. I'm sending them via email to you, hope you can use them.

It took a lot of experimenting and sizing but it was only paper.

As long as you don't use too powerful bulbs there is no problem. Mine had been burned in the past also.

[WEC4104]

For my switch labels, I used paper. I tried direct printing on store purchased transparency materials (both ink jet and laser), but could never get the blacks dark enough.

For the telltale indicators, I got a little more fancy.  First, I created a PowerPoint presentation with a screen for each telltale I wanted. Lot's of flexibility for whatever font size/color/design you want.  Next I loaded 35mm slide film into an SLR camera.  In a darkened room, and a shutter speed < 1/60 of a second, I took a photo of each screen.   I took the roll of film in for developing. When I got the slides back, I removed the plastic frames and cut the film pieces down to size, and installed.   Looks great.

Wayne