My BCE Datewheel design

[szvwj]

I'm working on making a datewheel for my BCE. The picture is a model of my current design.

I'm not sure how accurate I am to the gen. Are the ticks on the 1's correct? Are the 1's on the 11 spaced too far apart (or too close)?

Any comments would be appreciated. I'd like to get this as close as possible before I go out for fabrication.

Thanks

[importr]

Not quite there yet, I'm afraid.

There should be serifs on all the ends

[szvwj]

Thanks for the input, I see those little serif's now.

I'll get that fixed.

[LordRasta]

Looking forward to the serif changes. So far so good though.

[szvwj]

Here's an update. I tried to add the serifs. Too small, too big? Should there be serifs on the bottom of the 7's?

Would it help if I posted close-ups of all the numbers?

Thanks a lot for the input, I really appreciate it.

[UB7]

here's my gen on some different dates if it helps, but i think it looks good..the only problem with lello's dw is that the font is too thin, your's is little better, maybe a tad bit too thick

[LordRasta]

Gen with bling.....so unfair

Looking MUCH better szvwj

[szvwj]

UB7: Thank you so much, the pictures are extremely helpful!

Very nice of you to post them!!

[Slartibartfast]

UB7: Thank you so much, the pictures are extremely helpful!

Very nice of you to post them!!

Your attempts look good. What software have you used, and how have you printed these out? I have tried using Autocad and a 600dpi laserjet, but your datewheel looks a lot crisper!

[szvwj]

I modeled it using Pro-Engineer. It was the best tool I could think of to get the correct alignment of the gears to the text.

I'm planning on having the parts fabricated (cut) out of a blank sheet of brass, directly from the CAD file (no loss of resolution).

[Sir-Lancelot]

Looking good my man.

Cant wait to see the finished product.

Good luck and keep us posted with your findings and results.

There are some seriously talented people on this forum. I am amazed each and every day.

Cheers to all of you.

[szvwj]

Here's my latest update with serif's added everywhere I think they belong. I'm a bit unsure about the 4 and 5.

Thanks for the input (and kind words), it's very much appreciated.

[bwhitesox]

In comparison yours looks pretty spot on.

[Sir-Lancelot]

bwhitesox, is that a genuine DW? Looks like it.

[importr]

Yes I think that is the gen DW

even if it wasn't, its as near as dammit for a rep!

SZVWJs just needs to be a little bit thinner overall, as mentioned earlier. The single digit numbers from 4 - 9 need to be a tad wider

Edited June 27, 2008 by Importr

[szvwj]

Thanks for the input. It actually looks like I still have a bit of work to do. Compared to the Gen, I really need to thin up my fonts.

I'll work on fixing it this weekend.

[italiano17771]

wow this looks great so far. will you be producing these and selling them?

[chillininla]

Looks pretty nice, i'm impressed. The Font seems pretty much dead on in your latest update, but comparing it my brother's gen, your font from #2 - 19 appears to be a little too bold, otherwise looks good.

[The Mentalist]

Why can't you just do a high res scan of a gen DW, clean it up then print an adhesive overlay for the Asian DW? Sounds like the simplest way of going about it rather than creating the font from scratch.

[szvwj]

Mentalist: Making a decal is a good (and inexpensive) idea and maybe other people are more skilled than I am, but I haven't been able to make that work. I tried and tried, but I just couldn't get it aligned properly on the datewheel. I always ended up with some numbers aligned, others off (really frustrating).

[szvwj]

Thanks to input from other members, I think I'm about ready to try to have one made. If you see any errors, I'd appreciate your feedback:

[Sir-Lancelot]

Looks damn good to me.

Nice work!

[takashi]

You have done an excellent job, down to font colour. It's indeed a dark gunmetal grey colour (not black).

[andreww]

If the earlier posted pic of the gen datewheel is accurate, I think your font is still lightly too bold. Once there is bound to be some shrinking or swelling which could work in your favor or against you. You should consult with your printer and find out which way it will go, and adjust your artwork accordingly. My fear is that it swells, and your already too bold font gets bolder. Great work thus far though, and I'm following this thread with great interest. Also, if you really want to make some cash, produce a datewheel for the 3,6,9 navitimer with single digit fonts pointed in the proper direction

[windyzz]

WOW nice work Mate! I cant wait for you to produce one for the Navitimer serie speciale :D