Where to get gauge needles?

[twisted8]

Hello,
I want to make my own 767 flaps gauge and i was wondering if anybody had any ideas on how to make or where to buy the needle?

Thanks!

[No Longer Active]

I would just use 'clock needles' just search ebay or look in your junk shop, alternatively just buy cheap £1 travel clocks and use the needles.

Or-

Make your own using thin white plasticard (1mm thick), just draw out your very own shape and cut it out, to be honest its no more than a stretched and very long triangle with a rounded end....

I was given some simkits pointers to make my gauges and looking at them they are very easy to self reproduce....

Give it ago, work out the length required, shape it to the desired pointer shape and glue onto a little grommet or small cut of tube so that you can insert it over your servo...

Good luck!

[cscotthendry]

Another option fo DIY needles is the very thin and narrow strips of brass that K&S sell down at the hobby shops. It's fairly easy to shape the end to a point and drill a hole in it. Best of all, you can solder things to brass for the attachments.

[388TH_A]

And would i use a Stepper motor or a servo i know the differences between the two but as far as using it for a airspeed needle and flaps and so on i have no clue on witch one to use. do you guys know at all? O and thanks for the Cheaper needle buying ideas

[blueskydriver]

Not sure what your needles look like, but if you ad some close-up photos of the real gauges in this thread, I might have some Simkits needles that are extra you can have for free...

John

[phil744]

Dont forget that there are 2 needles in the gauge, one for left and one for right, if it was me i would buy a gauge of ebay and rip it tp pieces

Photo attached

[cscotthendry]

And would i use a Stepper motor or a servo i know the differences between the two but as far as using it for a airspeed needle and flaps and so on i have no clue on witch one to use. do you guys know at all? O and thanks for the Cheaper needle buying ideas

Use steppers where you want the pointer to go full circle and beyond. The drawback to steppers is that you have to have a home position sensor of some type.

A servo will usually only turn through about 180 degrees maximum. This can be increased with some kind of gearing between the servo shaft and the pointer shaft, but unless you modifiy the servo, their travel is limited internally.

[twisted8]

Thank you guys for all the suggestions and Phil for posting the picture! I didn't know it uses two needles but that seems really hard to build so I think I will stick to just one!

Not sure what your needles look like, but if you ad some close-up photos of the real gauges in this thread, I might have some Simkits needles that are extra you can have for free...
John

That'd be great, what a kind offer, I will send you a PM!

[cscotthendry]

Thank you guys for all the suggestions and Phil for posting the picture! I didn't know it uses two needles but that seems really hard to build so I think I will stick to just one!

Don't get put off by concentric pointers. You can do it easily with the little brass tubes that you buy in hobby stores. The sizes of those tubes are made so that each size fits nicely inside the next larger size. I have some concentric pointers in my engine gauges.
http://home.exetel.com.au/flightsim/Engine_Gauges.htm

[388TH_A]

Wow thanks for the link and answers i now have a better understanding on how to make a gauge. I have never really wanted to make one untill now. mostly because i was thinking that it would be REALLY hard to do. But looks really easy. Think i might tackle this sooner then i was thinking. And for this GREAT link in there per say better instructions to help me out. or where can i go to learn more about this? Also the Stepper motors i can go to the hobby store and get them. And then i wouldnt need and thing to big right? Just something Strong enough to move the gear for the needle. Vs trying to buy a really expensive one that is rated to move a RC something that weighs a lot. if that makes since. Pretty much i only need a stepper motor that is rated really small and it would work just fine for me then? that way if i get a small rated Motor it should cost less right? what kind of motors would you guys go with or doesn't matter?