Tools needed:
1. Heat gun
2. Metal bending brake - I used the 18" #39103 Harbor Freight brake w/ C-clamps
3. Drill press w/ 3/16" and 3/8" drills
4. Table saw or similar
5. Two nylon spring clamps - I used HF #69291.
6. Tape measure
7. Masking/painter's tape
Materials needed:
1. 1 sheet of 0.093" acrylic cut (using table saw, etc) or sized at 17" x 6.75"
2. Your old scratched-up instrument cluster lens
Procedure:
Once you have the sheet sized at 17" x 6.75", cover the whole thing with masking tape to prevent any scratches during the remainder of the procedure: IMG_4132.jpg
Mark off 9/16" from each of the LONG ends, and then also mark 1/16" closer to the EDGE. Locate the brake bar at the 9/16" mark, and the brake *seam* on the 1/16-closer-mark. IMG_4134.jpgIMG_4135.jpg
Now clamp it down and heat up that edge with the heat gun as you begin to bend it to approximately 45 degrees. You will know when you've gone far enough when you can slip a 13mm box wrench vertically under the handle to prop it in place: IMG_4136.jpg
Leave the brake propped in place while it cools. LET IT COOL COMPLETELY! If you pull it out too soon, the lens will distort like a potato chip. It will take about 20 minutes.
Now do the other end, bending in the opposite direction: IMG_4137.jpg
Prop it in place and let cool for another 20 minutes: IMG_4138.jpg
Now clamp the "new" lens on top of the old lens using the two nylon clamps. Using a drill press and using the the old lens as a drill guide, drill all of the 3/16" holes. Drill a 3/8" hole for the trip-o-meter reset button. You will want to drill the 3/8" trip-o-meter about 1/4" HIGHER (toward the roof of the car) than the template would suggest. I do this by drilling a 3/16" hole at the TOP of the template hole, then removing the clamps and the old lens, and enlarging the hole using the 3/8" drill bit. IMG_4139.jpg
You will need to trim the lens at the bottom and possibly the top corners so that it fits within your binnacle. This can be done before or after you remove the masking tape/plastic (if you're careful). IMG_4140.jpg
The END!
Note: Polycarbonate is another material that can be used in this application. Polycarbonate does not require heating in order to bend it using the brake. The disadvantages to polycarbonate are that it scratches more easily, turns yellow with exposure to UV, and costs more.
Last edited by Drive Stainless; 06-04-2016 at 03:03 PM.
I made mine with a flat piece of optical grade acrylic (about $20 a sheet). Rather than bending the acrylic, I made Z shaped clips from scrap stainless strapping to hold the lens to the instrument cluster. You can see one of the clips peeking out here (picture is taken looking down from above -- clip can not be see head on):
I was thinking why not buy one new? Then I looked to see if they were NLA...150.00 bucks is pretty steep for a lens.
I like Matt's approach. In my experience with lexan it is quite soft and scratched easy. Just wiping it with a cloth puts fine scratches in it. Is there a hard, more scratch resistant type to use?
I was thinking why not buy one new? Then I looked to see if they were NLA...150.00 bucks is pretty steep for a lens.
I like Matt's approach. In my experience with lexan it is quite soft and scratched easy. Just wiping it with a cloth puts fine scratches in it. Is there a hard, more scratch resistant type to use?
You can get it with coating (clear coat, basically), but you cannot form it afterward.
Not all cast plastics are created equal. Acrylic does not yellow over time as plexiglass/lexan does. And it is more scratch resistant. But it does not tolerate bending and forming well (it also has a tendency to chip while cutting -- *ALWAYS* tape off both sides where you are going to cut). And it is less impact resistant than lexan (but still more impact resistant than glass).
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Originally Posted by Michael
