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Wanted: Push Button Face Plate
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PolyJ
Posted 2022-04-26 3:15 PM (#621122)
Subject: Wanted: Push Button Face Plate



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Location: Denver, Colorado, USA

Before fabricating my own out of flat aluminum sheet, I'd like to find a ribbed 3-speed push button face plate like the one pictured. Please let me know if you have one. Thanks.



Edited by PolyJ 2022-04-26 3:17 PM




(shifter.jpg)



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Attachments shifter.jpg (6KB - 57 downloads)
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56D500boy
Posted 2022-04-26 5:11 PM (#621127 - in reply to #621122)
Subject: RE: Wanted: Push Button Face Plate



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PolyJ - 2022-04-26 12:15 PM
Before fabricating my own out of flat aluminum sheet, I'd like to find a ribbed 3-speed push button face plate like the one pictured. Please let me know if you have one.


Justin: Before you fire up the milling machine, please be aware of two-related thinngs:

1. The R. N. and D push buttons are in the same position in the 56 era Powerflites and Torqueflites.
2. The Powerflite L button and the Torqueflite 1 and 2 buttons are all in the same horizontal plane in the 56 era Powerflites and Torqueflites.

As a result, if you are careful and clever, you could modify to Powerflite shifter plate to work as a Torqueflite shifter plate.

I mocked this solution up for Glenn R. who is installing a cast-iron A-466 early Torqueflite in a 1956 Plymouth. I am confident that this approach would work with a 56 Dodge Powerflite shifter plate.

See below:



Edited by 56D500boy 2022-04-26 5:14 PM




(56PlymouthPowerFliteShifterPlate_small.jpg)



(56PlymouthTorqueFliteShifterPlateMock-up_small.jpg)



Attachments
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Attachments 56PlymouthPowerFliteShifterPlate_small.jpg (70KB - 48 downloads)
Attachments 56PlymouthTorqueFliteShifterPlateMock-up_small.jpg (73KB - 53 downloads)
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PolyJ
Posted 2022-04-26 6:08 PM (#621128 - in reply to #621122)
Subject: Re: Wanted: Push Button Face Plate



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Thanks, Dave. I wish I still had a mill available! This will be drill bits and files. I found the same conclusion when measuring the button locations and mocking up the mechanism. The issue will be with the ribbed divider between 1 and 2. The two horizontal saw cuts will remove approx. 1/8" of material when combining the top and bottom cuts, and that's with a very steady cut, so there will be gaps at the top and bottom of the divider. With the '56 Dodge ribbed plate being chrome, it will be difficult to get epoxy to match without being obvious. For the amount of work all that splicing and massaging would require, it would likely be easier and in the end cleaner to fabricate a new face plate out of a piece of engine-turned aluminum sheet or similar. Another option I'm playing around with is using plain sheet and painting it the same color as the housing. I like the ribbed face plate, however, and I think engine-turned would look great too.
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mstrug
Posted 2022-04-26 6:29 PM (#621130 - in reply to #621122)
Subject: Re: Wanted: Push Button Face Plate



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this is plastic, might be fun to mess with: https://www.lowes.com/pd/Fasade-Sample-Rib-1-Brushed-Aluminum/500199...
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mstrug
Posted 2022-04-26 6:44 PM (#621132 - in reply to #621122)
Subject: Re: Wanted: Push Button Face Plate



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ribbed:

https://www.hobbylinc.com/evergreen-metal-siding-styrene-plastic-she...
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mstrug
Posted 2022-04-26 6:51 PM (#621133 - in reply to #621122)
Subject: Re: Wanted: Push Button Face Plate



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This looks interesting: https://modelshop.co.uk/Shop/Item/Corrugated-aluminium-sheet-1-5mm-s...
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56D500boy
Posted 2022-04-26 7:16 PM (#621138 - in reply to #621128)
Subject: Re: Wanted: Push Button Face Plate



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Just my opinion but....

I think because the Dodge Powerflite shifter button plate *IS* ribbed it would be easi(er) to hide the cut loss than with, say, the Plymouth Powerflite shifter plate.

I would cut out the wider space need for the 1 and 2 buttons and them trim that material you cut out to create a 1 - 2 spacer and either epoxy (JB Weld) in place alone or onto a larger piece of material that would then get epoxied to the back of the modified Powerflite plate.

If I had a spare Powerflite plate, I would take the modification on as a challenge with a fairly high probability of success.

*IF*....

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PolyJ
Posted 2022-04-26 11:45 PM (#621145 - in reply to #621138)
Subject: Re: Wanted: Push Button Face Plate



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I would use a similar method taking the drop from one of the holes and epoxying it in with a sheet-metal backer for support. The issue with the '56 Dodge ribbed configuration is that the button holes have a 1/16" tall rib right above them that will be lost to the kerf, so that rib in the divider will be noticeably shorter. That being said, I'm not sure many people would ever notice since the 1 2 buttons are so close together, but I'd have to stare at it. An alternative is to have my machinist buddy mill me a sheet of aluminum with ribs, which might be the way I go if I can't find a factory unit easily and affordably enough. As I said, I'm also leaning toward engine-turned aluminum since I think it would complement the round gauges nicely. 

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