Dymo confessions, show me a better way

[Platefire]

Yeah I have been using a Wal Mart Dymo for my lettering on my amps. The problem with that is as follows:

1-my Dymo died, so I'm looking for some better options
2-The Dymo clear tape was never completly tranparant. Text appearance was OK, but you could still see the outline of the clear tape. I don't want to see nutten honey but the text(no tape outline).
3-The text styles are very limited in differnt text style options. I need more options.

At work we use to have a "Kroy" lable machine about the size of a typewritter. The clear tape quality was very good, and when you applied it to a chassis, you couldn't see the tape, only the text. That machine is long gone but that's what I'm after with more text options.

After doing a little reserarch I'm thinking maybe the best options to create the most inventive professional appearance in "stick on Lables" would be computer based software and printing out to good quality clear/tape/adhesive page that could be cut out and stuck on to a amp chassis. Of course the quality of the pages would have to be a good quality adhesive and the clear paper that  would stay stuck and remain durable for years to come through the life of the amp.

Somebody in the know on this, your knowledge sharing would be greatly appreciated!!! Plate

[Heinz]

I have used transparent film (A4, for overhead projector) and a laser printer with very good results. When the chassis is done I paint it with a solid color that is not too dark (e.g. silver, red). This also gives me the opportunity to smooth out any dents that I may have made. Then I design the faceplate with the pc and print it mirrored to the film. I bend the film around the chassis (slightly scratching the film with a knife helps) with the laser print on the inside and glue the edges to the chassis. The central area is held in place by the nuts of the switches and pots. This way of mounting has two advantages: you don't see glue and you can't wear off the letters by touching.

The film will not be perfectly flat but it still looks pretty professional IMHO. It may not be very durable when it comes to scratching but adding a thin sheet of plexiglass on top of the film will solve the problem.

If you design the faceplate before working on the chassis you can print it out on paper and use it as a drill guide.

The only drawback of this method is the limitation in size. Since the complete faceplate is printed in one piece you are limited to whatever size film your printer can handle.

[PRR]

Brother P-touch labeler. $30 at the crafts store.



M131  1/2" Black on Clear M tape (26.2 ft)  

[LooseChange]

I've got a P-Touch that connectss to my PC USB port, total interface with windows and fonts, etc.... It even has black with white lettering!

[FYL]

Yeah I have been using a Wal Mart Dymo for my lettering on my amps.

A vintage-style Dymo is a must for some vintage restoration works: a lot of then-small builders - Mesa to Trainwreck - used them for back panels. An Express or a Boogie wouldn't be the same without proper Dymo labels on the back...
 

(Pix from the net)

[Ritchie200]

A vintage-style Dymo is a must for some vintage restoration works:

Yeah, Marshall used yards of Dymo Gold in the 60's and early 70's.

Jim

[FYL]

Yeah, Marshall used yards of Dymo Gold in the 60's and early 70's.

I had forgotten these. Dymo labels for fuse ratings on 117V export versions - European models didn't need them.

[Ritchie200]

A vintage-style Dymo is a must for some vintage restoration works:

Yeah, Marshall used yards of Dymo Gold in the 60's and early 70's.

Jim

Thanks for cleaning that up PRR, I'm not sure what happened!

FYL, yeah, take a look at my Major pic below - that's it!

[FYL]

take a look at my Major pic below - that's it!

Yep. Also this one from Vintage Amps BB:




Not what I call a clean Bulgin to IEC conversion...

[PRR]

> Thanks for cleaning that up PRR, I'm not sure what happened!

Probably a missing {quote} or {/quote}, I forget. Maybe even just a missing bracket? Computers are stupid things.

If you used the Quote tool, you may have accidentally deleted part of the code while composing.

[FYL]

Using the (Preview) button allows to check the message before posting it. Quite useful.

[PRR]

> Using the (Preview) button allows to check the message before posting it.

There is also the Modify button above-right on your own messages.

If you post then say "Ooops!", you can fix it. Often before anybody else sees it.

[Ritchie200]

PRR,
Yeah, I used the quote feature and deleted some stuff, that 'splains it.  

FYL,
Preview?  PREVIEW!?!?  Hah!  I like to live dangerously!

Not what I call a clean Bulgin to IEC conversion...

Looks much better than the exposed Mains Voltage "selector", yeow!!!  Those plastic (maybe bakelite?) knobs would fall off of those pins if you just looked at them wrong!  Those early output selectors were the cause of many a smoked tranny.

Thanks!
Jim

[FYL]

Looks much better than the exposed Mains Voltage "selector", yeow!!!  Those plastic (maybe bakelite?) knobs would fall off of those pins if you just looked at them wrong!  Those early output selectors were the cause of many a smoked tranny.

Our Brit friends always had problems with things electric: they used the wrong components in nearly every project, from amps - Dagnall transformers insulated with masking tape anyone? - to cars - remember the infamous Lucas wiring in (real) British cars?

Maybe it was a consequence of post-WWII shortages. Or yet another silly form of humour...
 

[simonallaway]

Maybe it was a consequence of post-WWII shortages. Or yet another silly form of humour...
 

It was probably a conversion problem. For instance, up until 1952 there were only 2 bushells to a fortnight, not the standard 2 and 9/22 nds.  And that's only if you don't round to the nearest groat-winkle 

[Ritchie200]

Maybe it was a consequence of post-WWII shortages. Or yet another silly form of humour...
 

It was probably a conversion problem. For instance, up until 1952 there were only 2 bushells to a fortnight, not the standard 2 and 9/22 nds.  And that's only if you don't round to the nearest groat-winkle 

Maybe so, but they make GREAT beer - and the backroom cider with bits of unidentified objects floating in it is pretty darn good too!
Jim

[FYL]

For instance, up until 1952 there were only 2 bushells to a fortnight, not the standard 2 and 9/22 nds.  And that's only if you don't round to the nearest groat-winkle 

Except in Wales, where a hobbit was equal to four pecks or, if you prefer, two and a half bushels.

[simonallaway]

For instance, up until 1952 there were only 2 bushells to a fortnight, not the standard 2 and 9/22 nds.  And that's only if you don't round to the nearest groat-winkle 

Except in Wales, where a hobbit was equal to four pecks or, if you prefer, two and a half bushels.

You are so right. My father would often comment that it made buying underwear quite awkward.

[Ritchie200]

A good friend of mine is from Wales.  After talking to him I found out that regardless of what the maps show, Wales is NOT a part of the UK. 

Jim

[simonallaway]

A good friend of mine is from Wales.  After talking to him I found out that regardless of what the maps show, Wales is NOT a part of the UK. 

Haha! So very true. And quite rightly so. I spent plenty of time camping/hiking there in the Scouts. The landscape is often quite stunning, and the language completely unintelligible if all you know is English and a bit of French.

[FYL]

Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers,
A peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked;
If Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers,
Where's the peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked?

[simonallaway]

Mae fy hofrenfad yn llawn llyswennod   

[FYL]

Miért nevet - annyira rosszul beszélek magyarul?

[simonallaway]

haha! no, but my Welsh is.

[Platefire]

Wow! This thing took a left turn somewhere--now lost in space!

Back on the subject of Labeling! Attahed is lettering I did with at "Kroy" Labeling machine from work. The clear tape was real high quality and tranperant where you can't see the tape, only the lettering. Of course the problem with the "Kroy" is I will be retiring and will no longer have access.

My problem with Dymo is the clear tape is not completly transparent--so you not only see the lettering but the tape also---I guess that's just my hangup because the old vintage dymo black tape on the Boggies with white lettering sure wasn't concerned about tranparency. It just seems that with all the new technology the lettering machines would give you more varied selection of text--only PC seems to offer a good varity. Plate

[Ritchie200]

Hay Plate, I was just at my local Wal Mart and found Dymo embossers and every color you would want in tape.  They were cheap too.  So, if you want the vintage look, they are still out there.

Jim

[67polara]

Hey all found this on the internet, what about this stuff?

http://www.texascraft.com/hps/product.php?productid=16577&cat=0&page=1&featured

Only draw back I see is it is only 11 inches but being a water decal you should be able to position 2 pieces with no problems.

Since it is covering the whole thing there should be no difference in shading.

Tony

[Platefire]

Thanks for the suggestions. I bought a new DYMO LetraTag. Will be using the clear tape with black text. The thing about buying things off the net is you can tell what you really got until you get it in hand. Not perfect but will haf to do. Plate

[supro66]

JUST AN IDEA

Silk Screen Printing Kit

http://www.artsupply.com/speedball/silkscreenkitsframes.htm

[Boots Deville]

JUST AN IDEA

Silk Screen Printing Kit

http://www.artsupply.com/speedball/silkscreenkitsframes.htm

I've silk screened a few faceplates.  A bit of a steep learning curve to getting good results.  Even then there were a lot of do-overs where I'd lift the screen, see something that wasn't quite right, and have to clean the acrylic and screen, wait for 'em to dry and try again.

[Platefire]

Well here is the results of my DYMO LetraTag with clear tape/Black Letters. Not perfect for sure but not bad either for an el-cheapo quick and easy method. You have to be very careful in pealing the paper back off of the tape because If if the emulsion picks up any body oil from your fingers it will tend not to stick as you can see along the edge on some of the pieces. I will probably have to pull those off and re-make them. Platefire

[LooseChange]

Nice job! It's difficult to lay those things down straight and in line.  I use this method on amps with mods all the time. I use a tweezer to handle them.

[Platefire]

I was using my small pocket knife to stick the pealed lables on the end of the blade. Then very carfully sitting on the floor to get my line of sight with the tag in an effort to get it straight as possible. Platefire

[G._Hoffman]

For my new amp, I sanded the front and back smooth, and then etched everything in much like you would a PCB.  On my other amp, I glued a printed piece of paper to the back of a piece of Plexiglas.


Gabriel