Is it possible to recreate an antique radio dial face in Fusion 360?

[Mike6158]

I am in the process of restoring an Arvin Model 61 radio (roughly 1938 vintage). It has two plastic dials and they have deteriorated to the point that they are unusable. I have a high resolution scan of the dials. I've mic'd the thickness. I have a good idea what the diameter is. There is an oval shaped "notch" in the larger dial that I believe can be replicated fairly easily. My thought is that I can recreate them on a mill. I have an Othermill Pro. I'm not 100% sure that I can use it to create the dials. I thought that I could engrave the numbers and letters with a V-bit, fill the lettering in with black ink (Sharpie?) and cut out the dials, holes, etc with an end mill. The mill will accept a Fusion CAM file (whatever that's called).

Is there a way to use the scans to start the process of recreating the dials?

I have already drawn the two new hubs (for holding the dials) in Fusion 360 (first project actually). I used an 1/8" thick flange, on brass round stock, with 4 small threaded holes for each dial. Measurements lead me to believe that the flange won't cause problems but the original dial holding method was small triangle shaped pieces of metal that were hammered over the plastic at the edge of the hole.

I have not modeled them in CAM. I'm still trying to figure out how to use CAM

The following images are of the two dials in question Note that the large dial (below) has a large piece missing in the middle.

These images are of the dial hubs. They are not perfect as far as hole position on the rim goes but they are dimensionally accurate.

Small dial hub

Large Dial Hub

[etfrench]

I'm guessing the original plastic was clear instead of yellow, but either way I'd make the new ones out of plastic.  You can engrave the letters on either the front or back. 

As far as CAM goes, create the model in the Model workspace, then in CAM workspace create a setup.   Create 2d toolpaths for physical features on the 3d models.  I use tabs plus a layer of masking tape on the bed and one on the stock with CA glue between them.  The engraving and trace operations work better from sketches.  Use engraving operation for the letters and trace operation for the lines.  On the larger dial I might try using an end mill on the wide, dark portions of the lines, but this will leave rounded ends.  An engraving operation with a depth limit might be a better choice. I use 60 degree V bits from this ebay vendor.

p.s. Do the engraving and tracing operations before the 2d toolpath operations.

[Mike6158]

Yes, they were likely to have been clear. After 78 years they turned yellow and are very brittle. The dial material is 0.0370" (0.97mm) thick. I used a Starrett digital caliper and the material was surprisingly uniform in thickness. To within a few 10/1000th's. Within reason, dial thickness isn't going to be an issue.

Buried in my post was a question- Can I use the jpg (or PDF) files of the dial face scans in Fusion 360? Either as a template to follow or as data. I think I can change the yellow to "clear" in Photoshop. Clear = deleted. I forget exactly what that's called since I almost never do that. 

I bought my OtherMill Pro to make circuit boards. I've never engraved anything with it. It doesn't look like I'm going to engrave the big dial on the mill. It's significantly larger than bed. Maybe I can send the files to someone to make the dials? Other than bad dials and a few bad components (I can fix that) the radio is in great shape. I haven't tested the tubes yet though.

I should also add that I've never used a metal lathe. Making the hubs will be my first project on the lathe. 

[etfrench]

There is a generic post-processor for the Othermill, so you shouldn't have any problems there.

p.s. CA glue can discolor some plastics, so don't use too much. 

p.s.p.s. You can import the jpg and use it as a decal.  I think you'll need to use it as a guide for creating the sketches.

[Brady_Fulton]

Yes, using a scan or image converted into a 3d object will usually take longer and will be harder to get the results you're seeking from your mill. The decal method will be a great way to setup your images as guides.

You mentioned Photoshop, do you by chance also have access to Adobe Illustrator? If so, the Image Trace tool can be used to create paths which you can export as a DXF file directly into a sketch. But as I'm thinking about this, even if you only have Photoshop, it may be (depending on your familiarity with each software) more time efficient to generate the text and layout (to scale) there and export/import to fusion 360 for your CAM setup.

[TheCADWhisperer]

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@Mike6158 wrote:

Buried in my post was a question- Can I use the jpg (or PDF) files of the dial face scans in Fusion 360? Either as a template to follow or as data. .... 

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You can Insert the images on to Canvases to use as reference in creating geometry.

Measure the actual parts to Calibrate your images to correct sizes.

I think after completing - I would use a screen printing process or laser burn rather than attempting to mill engrave.