We recently were discussing points, timing and dwell angles, and that discussion inspired me to make a nice degree wheel. This post eventually is all about how to make/print your very own professional looking metal one. Degree wheels are handy-dandy for all sorts of stuff -- dialing in your new hot can, setting your valves... Very Happy There actually are lots of other things you can do with them too -- discover your dwell angle, confirm your factory timing marks, play frisbee with your dog, or maybe just impress your friends with your comprehensive collection of tools and technical knowledge. You can always buy one for $19-$50, but I prefer to make this sort of stuff.
I used a useful degree wheel which I scanned from one of my favorite old books . I have included two different versions of the degree wheel that I am using. Please click on the small degree wheel images for a detailed, full-sized, printable image. Below are instructions to make a really nice degree wheel, but if you are in a rush or just lazy you can always just make a fast, easy, crappy one. Just print and cut one out, and glue it to something thin, flat and slightly rigid (maybe a cardboard box), and it should last for a minute or three.
Here is the image for a fast, easy one:
If you do not like that degree wheel, you can always use a different, possibly better one found from Google Images.
And for those of you who would like a NICE, PROFESSIONAL degree wheel, and who are up for a bit of an arts and crafts project, here is how you can easily print one onto metal in the comfort of your own kitchen.
Here's how to do it:
1a. Print the reversed image onto some glossy photo ink jet paper.
However it is absolutely critical that you use a decent laser printer to do it. Make sure it is black and white only. If you do not have any glossy ink jet paper you can tear a glossy page out of almost any magazine and print the image onto it over whatever might already be on the page. However glossy in jet paper works best.
1b. If want, you can always edit the image before you print it to personalize your tool. Maybe you could enter some handy info like spark timing, point gap, dwell meter dwell settings, plug type and gap, float height, and other often need tune-up facts. Or you could print your name on it so the tool will say something like, "Gordon is the god of the garage," "I'd rather be shopping at WalMart," or maybe even go crazy and add some skulls, little bunnies or something completely rad like some unicorns running around the edge of your degree wheel, and then print it out. With a custom degree wheel everyone will know you are probably cooler than them.
2. Find some sheet metal large enough for the degree wheel. I used some 2mm aluminum I had sitting around, but now I wish I had used some brass -- that would be slick looking! (The wheel is about 7" in diameter.) Prep one side of the sheet metal for the iron-on by cleaning it thoroughly. You might even want to use a scouring pad or steel wool to be certain it is clean.
3. It is best if you can cut the metal into a circle now. Remember to make your sheet metal circle a little larger than the paper one. Use a compass or print a spare degree wheel on normal paper and use it as a guide. Make the metal a circle in whatever way you think you can do it. I scored a circle on my aluminum with a compass, used an angle grinder with a cut-off wheel, and then finished up the job by hand filing the edges until it was nice, smooth and round. It may sound like a lot, but it only took about 10 minutes. This is the most difficult step, but with patience you can do it by hand and still make it nice. When you are done make sure the edges are not too sharp and that the surface is still prepped.
4. Preheat your iron to full heat. I am not sure if steam helps or not, but I like to use lots of steam. I have a spare thrift store iron I got for $0.50 for stuff like this. Carefully cut out the mirror image glossy paper wheel and lay it on the prepped metal. (Printed image on glossy side of paper to the clean, prepped metal. Duh.) Make sure it is centered and aligned, then start ironing the back of the paper. Be thorough. I don't think it can get too hot nor that you can do it for too long, but I could be wrong. It takes me about 2-5 minutes, and I like to place an old t-shirt on top of the paper to help keep things from shifting because the iron sometimes wants to stick to the back side of the paper. As soon as everything starts to heat up the paper will start to stick to your metal.
5. When you are done ironing the paper will be completely stuck to the paper, as will the toner from your laser printer. Go to the kitchen, turn on the hot water and get out a plate or pan or anything big enough for your degree wheel/paper mess to sit completely under water. I like to do this under softly running water -- first let the paper sit for about 5 to 10 minutes to soak up the water and become soft and saturated. When the paper begins to get soft, gently rub through it with your finger. Use a circular rubbing motion under the water, and the paper will easily rub and roll off. This might take a few minutes, but eventually all the paper will be gone and only the toner will be left, beautifully stuck to your new degree wheel. After it looks like mostly all the paper is gone I will sometimes use one of those fairly soft kitchen dish scrubby pads to remove any remnants.
I am not sure how long the print will last on the metal, but I think it will last a long time. I have used this toner-to-metal-transfer process many times to make prints for electro-acid etchings, but when I do the electrolysis process and the acid removes the print.... so I don't have a good example of a long lasting one. But like I said, I think this should last a fairly long time.
All in all it might take about 1 hour to make this degree wheel. It went a little faster than that for me, but I was already familiar with making this sort of thing. Of course it might take a little longer if you edit your image of the wheel and add some unicorns and stuff like that before you print it.
Peace and grease
-fang
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