D.I.Y How To Paint Your Needles.

[I heart the SSS]

Disclaimer: The following is provided as a GUIDE ONLY, and neither myself nor Ozhonda take any responsibility for the outcomes of someone else doing the following. You

follow these steps at your own risk!

D.I.Y Orange / Coloured needles!

NOTE! PLEASE, TRY THIS ON A OLD CLUSTER FIRST! IT'LL MAKE YOUR LIFE EASIER, AND SAVE YOU FROM STUFFING UP YOUR CLUSTER! I CAN'T STRESS THIS ENOUGH!

This is my first DIY so be kind!

AIM: To make your needles cool and orange to match your amber bulbs / look cool.

Required:

- 1x Gloss Enamel paint of your choice. I used Birch paint, "international orange" color, 15 dollars from a craft store.

- 1x Cluster (Dummy / Old cluster OPTIONAL but RECOMMENDED!)

- 3x A4 Paper (Any paper will do)

- 1 Masking tape

- 1x White Spirits (good to have if you stuff up)

- 1x Tissue (to wipe excess paint off)

http://hosting04.imagecross.com/image-hosting-03/4082CIMG0439.JPG


Step one: Take your cluster, and remove the plastic casing, so the clocks are exposed. If you want, use white spirit to wipe the needles down (Not really needed as they are covered and I doubt they will be dirty). BE GENTLE! Pressue on the needles = snappage and anger.

http://hosting04.imagecross.com/image-hosting-03/7030CIMG0440.JPG

Step two: Take the paper, make a slight hole in it with the tip of the needle, and slide it down and around the base of the needle. It should look like below. Make sure it fits nice and snug. Doesn't matter if your holes to big, tape can cover that!

http://hosting04.imagecross.com/image-hosting-03/8794CIMG0442.JPG

Step Three: Take your masking tape, and tear a small strip. USE THE SHARP SIDE of the strip, and place it along the side of the needle, masking the base of the needle. It'll again, look like below.

http://hosting04.imagecross.com/image-hosting-03/7121CIMG0443.JPG

Step Four. Do the other side.

http://hosting04.imagecross.com/image-hosting-03/9700CIMG0445.JPG

Step Five: Do the back of the needle too, so it's all masked nicely and won't come out orange! It should look liek below. ALSO, tape up around the paper if your hole is too big. use as much tape as you please.

http://hosting04.imagecross.com/image-hosting-03/2313CIMG0446.JPG

Step Six: Take your rattlecan, and give it a good shake.

http://hosting04.imagecross.com/image-hosting-03/5437CIMG0447.JPG

Step Seven: Begin doing coats starting from the middle, and going outwards. The arrows will show you the direction. Do as many coats as you please, I did about 2 / 3 as it was a demo cluster, and it came it nice and orange! I would do about 4 to 5 on my real cluster.

AFTER 1 COAT

http://hosting04.imagecross.com/image-hosting-03/1571CIMG0449.JPG

AFTER 2 COATS

http://hosting04.imagecross.com/image-hosting-03/3458CIMG0450.JPG

Step Eight: let it dry, remove tape and paper and admire! Then get to work and do the rest of your needles! Patience is needed, I did a rush job here to give you an idea. Mine do look a bit rushed, but spend some time and effort and they can look really good!

http://hosting04.imagecross.com/image-hosting-03/898CIMG0451.JPG

http://hosting04.imagecross.com/image-hosting-03/2533CIMG0452.JPG

Happy DIY kids. +1 rep if you feel like it :)

[I heart the SSS]

I can't seem to see some of the images, but in the preview they were all there? can someone confirm that all the images are there? Should be 11!

[EKVTIR-T]

Yep 11 pics mate.Nice diy but does light penetrate the needles?

[I heart the SSS]

It does, if you keep it under 5 LIGHT! coats or around there.

Gloss enamel is slightly opaque, it looks good at night :)

[rayb3na_]

+1 rep point not gimme a hand doing it mate!

[Vu_civic]

how does it look at night?

[I heart the SSS]

It does, if you keep it under 5 LIGHT! coats or around there.

Gloss enamel is slightly opaque, it looks good at night :)


how does it look at night?

Please actually read before you post.

[SHOGUNOVDDRK]

DUDE!

Nice write up :)

Cant wait to give this a go :p

Btw speedo's working right after i assume :p

[JasonGilholme]

any night pics??

[I heart the SSS]

I'll post them once i dyed my carpet :)

One thing at a time haha

[Vu_civic]

Please actually read before you post.

i did read!
i was asking for a pict of it at night duhh

[Riviera]

nice work lol way to put the needle near the edge of the paper...

did u get overspray on the dial???


what id like to see is UV paint being used and sum1 installing
mini UV L.E.Ds in the cluster... might be a project for me
i thinksssss

[I heart the SSS]

i did, but i didn't mask everything up as well as I should of. (test cluster, CBF going to the effort for no reason)

Take your time with masking and prep and you will be sweet!

[Riviera]

cool as man :thumbsup: how does it light up???
did u happen to change the cluster bulbs at all ??? possibly to white, even
though there is like a light blue plastic thing which turns the colour of the
white bulb blue...

[I heart the SSS]

My cluster bulbs are amber, I need to locate the ones which light the needles though.

They probably have those blue sleeves on them like you said.

And the blue covers just dim the lights, they don't make them blue?

[baeshin]

how'd u get ur cluster to light up amber? is it jus changingthe globes?

[SHOGUNOVDDRK]

how'd u get ur cluster to light up amber? is it jus changingthe globes?

He bought those little light bulb condom things :thumbsup:

Could also spray them :p

[rayb3na_]

eg's dont have needle lights.. or at least i havent found em yet

[kazam]

night pics FTW good write up mate

[thaaznboi]

i gave this diy a go n this is how they turned out....
http://i98.photobucket.com/albums/l279/thaaznboi/100_4133.jpg

[nugget1]

Nice job, looks great.
Just came up with the brain wave to use some touch up paint for the car I got lying around to paint the needles, Inza red pearl needles,cool!

[XcOn]

might wanna make sure u wipe ur fingerprints down incase the goof after u decides to wind the kms down and they find ur prints on there!!

[thaaznboi]

i was supposed to clean it but dunno wat to use.... still got some excess paint on it... would i be using metho or turps or something else??

[I heart the SSS]

Use turps, and don't be lazy!

It'll take a while.. That's why I said pratice first because it's tricky