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  • How would you guys do this?.

    Posted by Rod Gray on June 9, 2009 at 9:59 am

    Hiya,

    I have a customer who wants his name to appear on the lighted head board of a Volvo FH12 Tractor Unit.

    What makes this tricky is that he wants a 37mm (1.5 inch) white border around the edge to allow the backlight to shine through. The text is an easy reverse weed job but this outline has got me struggling.

    This light board (as shown in the pic) is curved and i`m struggling to redraw it 2 dimensionally so it follows the curves when applied.

    Any one able to advise on how i can accurately draw this shape so i can plot it?. i`be had around 10 goes at tweaking edges etc but they look terrible.

    In the past, we have just done this by hand with a scalpel but they require us to fit 2 and then send a further 4 kits for fitting elsewhere. 😕

    Would be very grateful for any advice on this.


    Attachments:

    Tobias Redig replied 14 years, 10 months ago 10 Members · 11 Replies
  • 11 Replies
  • Peter Normington

    Member
    June 9, 2009 at 10:15 am

    Rod
    I guess I would make a paper template first, using backing paper that has squares printed on it as long as it is cut accurately so the lines are square, it could then be redrawn in your graphics program using the same size grid as on the paper.

    Peter

  • Rod Gray

    Member
    June 9, 2009 at 10:23 am

    Peter,

    Once you`d traced it on the truck, how would you go about getting that tracing on to your pc without distortion?.

    Simply photgraph it with a digital camera and resize/reshape to squares in signlab ?.

  • Ian Muir

    Member
    June 9, 2009 at 10:30 am

    As Peter says, trace with ‘squared’ backing paper (oracal or mactac are two), then recreate in your drawing program with drawing tools (squares, nodes etc).

    If you try take a photograph of traced area take it from as far away as possible so it does not distort (like about 10 meters) and then magnify and crop to size.

    Ian :lol1:

  • Kevin Flowers

    Member
    June 9, 2009 at 10:31 am

    Rod
    lay up a couple layers of app tape. apply to the panel get a compass let the point follow the rubber & the pencil draw the shape at the distance you require. Remove the app tape & divide in to sizes that fit your scanner, ensure you have alignment marks to put it together on the screen. It is a little long winded to do but you can get a 100% shape once you master it

    Kev

  • Colin Bland

    Member
    June 9, 2009 at 10:32 am

    Hi Rod

    How about taking a template of the panel then transferring this to a piece of clear acrylic / acetate etc then mark inside the template line the thickness of border line you require and cut the acrylic to this shape

    You now have a clear acrylic shape which you can lay over your graphic and cut round by hand – should be ok for 5 or 10 pieces

    a bit old fashion I know – didn’t always have computers !

    Colin

  • John Childs

    Member
    June 9, 2009 at 12:31 pm

    Just read the last bit – multiple copies. 😳

    I’d take the perspex out and do it on the bench.

  • Peter Dee

    Member
    June 9, 2009 at 12:35 pm

    I think I would try a mix of these ideas having done similar procedures before.
    Place conform app tape over the area.
    Smooth it out from the centre.
    Push the tape against the seal edge with a squeegee.
    Draw around the edge against the seal.
    Lift away the tape and stick flat against the lorry side at eye level.
    Every 100mm horizontally mark on the tape the dimension from top to bottom.
    Every 50mm vertically mark on the tape the dimension from end to end.
    Stand well back a take a hi res photo.
    Load the image in to software, create a vector and adjust at actual size so that all the measurements are correct.
    Cut a test piece from cheap vinyl and tape it in place.
    Note any errors and adjust in software.
    Make another test piece and stick it on.

    Should be job done.

  • Rod Gray

    Member
    June 10, 2009 at 12:42 pm

    Thanks guys,

    Used a little bit of advice from everyone.

    Would one kiss do between you all or would you all like one individually?.

    Worked perfectly and the boarder is flawless.

    Thanks again.


    Attachments:

  • Jill Marie Welsh

    Member
    June 10, 2009 at 1:24 pm

    That really turned out nice.
    Love….Jill

  • Martin Pearson

    Member
    June 10, 2009 at 1:27 pm

    Looks Good Rob, can’t help laughing now though because I was expecting something like " Bert Smith" at the top after reading the customer wanted his name up there :lol1:

  • Tobias Redig

    Member
    June 15, 2009 at 5:29 am
    quote John Childs:

    Just read the last bit – multiple copies. 😳

    I’d take the perspex out and do it on the bench.

    You should never remove the Globetrotter fronts from Volvos. Apparently they *will* start to leak, and then you’ve got water running all the way through a brand new truck…

    We’ve had alot of trouble with these fronts in the past, using water when application will cause salts to release from the glass and eat up the vinyl from behind. Removing the glass will result in leaking afterwards.

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