51 Dash lights question

[lelshaddai]

Just starting to reassemble the dash and am finishing the dash lights. I am not familiar with this type of setup. I have replaced all the bulbs and they work. However the blue glass lenses keep the light from being seen, even when it is dark. Are the ultra violet like blue light? I know they must work that way. Is there a certain watt of bulb needed or is it best to remove the blue lenses.
Jim

[mbstude]

However the blue glass lenses keep the light from being seen, even when it is dark. Are the ultra violet like blue light?

The gauge lettering is painted with a phosphorescent paint, that "glows" after being exposed to the light through the filters. The paint on the gauges usually doesn't glow anymore after this many years. NOS gauges that have been in a box since new are generally still good.

[rockne10]

If they can work as designed the only thing you see at night is the numbers and needles, no illuminated background. For this reason they also do not have a rheostat.
I have memories as a kid of riding in the back seat on long trips to or from visiting family and friends after dark. I couldn't see the dash (Dad was in the way) but I COULD see their reverse reflection on his door window. Lulled me right to sleep.

[8E45E]

A lot of your questions will be answered here: http://forum.studebakerdriversclub.c...ghlight=violet

Craig

[corum]

I sure appreciate all the info in the above thread. Seems like a simple question, but can anyone tell me the best way to remove the black bullet shaped glass in the instrument? I just installed an NOS speedometer in my 49 Champion. I was hoping that the dash lights would glow with the BA9SF-UV-12VAC led white bulbs that I got from Superbright, but no dice. Looks like I will need to remove the black lenses. I tried this on my old beat speedometer, just used a small very sharp pick and gently hammered (rubber hammer) until they broke. I am kind of afraid that I will screw up the NOS speedometer (not cheap but looks and works great) if I do the same thing to it and I do not want to pry it apart to get at the black lenses.

Anyone know a magic way of doing this without using semi-brute force? Thanks so much for your help.

[JohnMSeymour]

See my post on today's thread '49 dash lights.

I sure appreciate all the info in the above thread. Seems like a simple question, but can anyone tell me the best way to remove the black bullet shaped glass in the instrument? I just installed an NOS speedometer in my 49 Champion. I was hoping that the dash lights would glow with the BA9SF-UV-12VAC led white bulbs that I got from Superbright, but no dice. Looks like I will need to remove the black lenses. I tried this on my old beat speedometer, just used a small very sharp pick and gently hammered (rubber hammer) until they broke. I am kind of afraid that I will screw up the NOS speedometer (not cheap but looks and works great) if I do the same thing to it and I do not want to pry it apart to get at the black lenses.

Anyone know a magic way of doing this without using semi-brute force? Thanks so much for your help.

[Jeffry Cassel]

Your passenger could carry a small flashlight.

[TWChamp]

Two days ago I drove home my new 1950 Land Cruiser, and most of the drive was at night. The gauges worked fairly well, though not as bright as back in 1971 when I was driving my 1950 on a regular basis. They were good enough to read, but just barely. I tried LED bulbs, but the standard bulbs must be used, and so far I can't find them in more power than the stock bulb. I just purchased an NOS 1950 Speedometer on ebay, but that one also doesn't glow as well as my gauges did in 1971, so even packed in the original box and away from light, the glow material seems to wear out.