Cluster Housing Refurb

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Rustyfish

Rustyfish

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So I pulled my dash gauge cluster to do some work behind with wiring and ultimately refurbish the cluster. I've gotten some good tips on do so, but looking for the best way to remove the plastic rivet tips that hold the bezels in. Those posts are pretty small for reattachment and would like to retain as much of it as possible.

Possiblities:
1. Cutting
2. Grinding (dremel)
3. Melting (small torch, lighter)

Here is the front of my cluster and why it needs doing.
IMG_0666.jpg
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IMG_0668.jpg
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Also, the black area below the gauge name is rusty, dirty, etc and needs addressing.

So looking for the best way to remove the bezels without destroying what is left.
Thanks
 
When I did my 69 dash I heated the plastic rivets up.
Cosgis started a thread on dash bezel diy. If you do a search you will find it. "Rani I'm calling you out" Is the name of it
 
Take your time to do a good job, or it will be a cluster f*ck.... :rolleyes:
 
4spdragtop said:
When I did my 69 dash I heated the plastic rivets up.
Cosgis started a thread on dash bezel diy. If you do a search you will find it. "Rani I'm calling you out" Is the name of it
Click to expand...
4spd, how did you heat up the rivets?
 
Fine pointed butane soldering gun. Heated the gun up. Let it get hot. Shut it off and very carefully was able to remove them. Careful with the heat and definitely no flame. Plastic ain't forgiving lol
rustyfish said:
4spd, how did you heat up the rivets?
Click to expand...
 
Here's the thread I mentioned. Lots of good tips n pics. Pics look like they disappeared, but if you click on the "filename" they show up.
My New FABO Reality Show...Rani, I'ma Callin' You Out!!!

This is the style of soldering iron I used, that way there is no open flame. Get it hot, then shut it off and it stays hot for a while. Be careful the lenses no likee the heat

soldering iron.jpg
 
Electric solder tip will work too. I apply lite seperating pressure while heating the center of each melt stake. I work from one to another when there are several close together. I end up with some number of tiny plastic donuts. Melt those back on? I don't even try. I bring donor abs plastic material to the stakes. It aint gotta be a pretty machine made head. Secure is the main goal.
You could reassemble with epoxy, that 5 Second Fix stuff that is cured with light, etc.., I suppose.
I haven't tried other than melting plastic so I don't know what works best. Good luck with it.
 
Here's what I did.
DIY Dash Bezel Resto - '66 Barracuda

I thought it wasn't too much trouble to dremel away the heat staked posts, this left enough of the post to align the lenses when reinstalling them.

After going thru my own DIY dash bezel resto I would consider having it re-chromed and restored. Or just painting it all argent without all the masking and detail painting.
 
SSVDP said:
Here's what I did.
DIY Dash Bezel Resto - '66 Barracuda

I thought it wasn't too much trouble to dremel away the heat staked posts, this left enough of the post to align the lenses when reinstalling them.

After going thru my own DIY dash bezel resto I would consider having it re-chromed and restored. Or just painting it all argent without all the masking and detail painting.
Click to expand...

Between heat and dremel I was able to get everything apart at this point at least. I'm on the fence right now which way to go as far as painting etc. I was looking into chrome procedures and the like. Even thought about chrome wrap. I'll probably go with Argent and repaint in the border lines like you did. The chrome is either too expensive to difficult to get right.
 
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So I got all the rivets undone with both heat and small help from dremel. Came out pretty well, but one post broke. I think I can jb weld that back anyway. Couldn't get any of the paint to budge with conventional chemicals. So then I put on one coat of oven cleaner yesterday. Here is the result. Pretty good for one try. Another coat or 2 and I think it should all be stripped. Anyone know if oven cleaner is acid or base and what I should use to neutralize before the paint process?
 
Oven cleaner is a alkaline (base) You should be able to neutralize it with vinegar.
 
SSVDP said:
Here's what I did.
DIY Dash Bezel Resto - '66 Barracuda

I thought it wasn't too much trouble to dremel away the heat staked posts, this left enough of the post to align the lenses when reinstalling them.

After going thru my own DIY dash bezel resto I would consider having it re-chromed and restored. Or just painting it all argent without all the masking and detail painting.
Click to expand...
I think I will probably ignore the chrome. There doesn't seem to be any economical way to get that done and I'm not paying $500 to have the whole thing redone or whatever they charge for restoration services. But I would like to get the recess back to black. It wasn't when I got it and didn't even know it was supposed to be that way.
 
There are some new spray chromes that seem to work pretty well.
 
One of the guys here re-did their early A cluster and it looked really good. I don't know what he used. If I ever see the post again I will save it for sure.
 
toolmanmike said:
I can't believe I found it. You can PM the poster and ask what he used. It really turned out good. Post#4

Last plastic painting question, I hope
Click to expand...
Well his use of Spectrachrome is out of the question for me. Way too expensive, so I might try the Spaz Stix Mirror Chrome and see how that works. I feel like I'm already way ahead of the game at this point with just how nicely the piece has cleaned up since I started the Easy Off.
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