Obsessive pedal lettering

[Erik S]

First off, a disclaimer: I don’t mean to recommend this method to anyone. The last time I posted about this someone said they tracked one of these lettering sets down on eBay, and I worry that I led them down a frustrating path. This is slow, complicated, and difficult, and there are about 1000 easier/ better ways to label your controls.

That said, this is how I’m doing it.

First I install pots in all the holes and mount whatever knobs I’ve decided on.


Then I layout where all the edges of the knobs are to ensure the knobs won’t overlap the lettering. I run 1/8 masking tape under the edges of the knobs.



Then I write out each word on a taped over enclosure, measure the width, and put dots on the tape indicating where to start the word.



Then the enclosure gets clamped down and lettered with a vintage K&E Leroy lettering set.



Then it’s out to the yard for clear coat


While I don’t think the pantograph lettering set is necessarily a great option, I do think that masking tape trick works out pretty good, and might be handy for anyone doing hand lettering.

 

[Funnel]

I love the look, but do not have that level of patience.

 

[szukalski]

I absolutely love the end result. It may be labour intensive, but for self builds it's really great.

 

[iamjackslackof]

Thank you so much for this! I have a similar drafting set and I wasn't exactly sure how to go about using, and this will make it super easy to start trying. Whether I have the patience and tolerance for tedium it requires remains to be seen

EDIT: Oh and this is probably me! I think I know what I'm in for though.

The last time I posted about this someone said they tracked one of these lettering sets down on eBay, and I worry that I led them down a frustrating path

 

[Erik S]

Thank you so much for this! I have a similar drafting set and I wasn't exactly sure how to go about using, and this will make it super easy to start trying. Whether I have the patience and tolerance for tedium it requires remains to be seen

EDIT: Oh and this is probably me! I think I know what I'm in for though.

Were you able to track down an adapter to hold a full size pen? I looked at some eBay listings after we talked about it, and that’s the only part I wasn’t able to locate. Mine doesn’t have any markings on it, so I’m not sure who made it.

 

[iamjackslackof]

Not yet! I need to go through all the things it came with and see if I can jury-rig something that will work equivalently if I can't find one.

 

[giovanni]

I had to look up how the lettering set works. Very fascinating and so so cool! I definitely wouldn’t have the patience for this but I find this method really hip! How do you get the right spacing between letters?

 

[Erik S]

How do you get the right spacing between letters?

The system doesn’t provide any guidance for spacing, you just slide the rig back and forth until it looks like it’s in the right spot. It definitely takes some practice.

 

[MBFX]

Where did you buy your Leroy lettering kit? I've been looking around for one.

 

[Erik S]

Where did you buy your Leroy lettering kit? I've been looking around for one.

I scored mine in a big box of drafting stuff I got at a yard sale. I didn’t even know what it was when I bought it. They can definitely be found on ebay, but the pen-holder attachments to hold a standard pen are pretty scarce.

 

[Gordo]

THAT is one of the coolest things I've seen in a very long time. Thanks for posting that, I love the look of hand lettering but this takes it to a whole 'nuther level!

 

[MBFX]

I scored mine in a big box of drafting stuff I got at a yard sale. I didn’t even know what it was when I bought it. They can definitely be found on ebay, but the pen-holder attachments to hold a standard pen are pretty scarce.

I bet we could 3D print one!

 

[KR Sound]

I’ve always wanted to get one of those, and I assumed there was a way to set the letter spacing, but I guess not. I remember in an old drafting class I took, we worked on our printing for a while semester and my crossword puzzles looked amazing back then.

 

[owlexifry]

This is slow, complicated, and difficult, and there are about 1000 easier/ better ways to label your controls.

While I don’t think the pantograph lettering set is necessarily a great option, I do think that masking tape trick works out pretty good, and might be handy for anyone doing hand lettering.

idk man..
for someone who only ever builds one-offs / 'self-builds' - this looks way more appealing and workable than trying to figure out the incomprehensibly difficult pathway of graphic design software, and then the ultra-specific constraints of UV printing.

 

[Feral Feline]

I'll have to look through my Dad's draughting supplies — still got the table, old-school transit, rod... — hopefully can find the lettering bits'n'bobs.

 

[Gordo]

3D print might have a bit too much slop, but then again that might add a bit of randomness to it as well. I like the idea and reminds me that I've been away from the printer all year and need to get my head back into it.

 

[Erik S]

idk man..
for someone who only ever builds one-offs / 'self-builds' - this looks way more appealing and workable than trying to figure out the incomprehensibly difficult pathway of graphic design software, and then the ultra-specific constraints of UV printing.

I mean... I obviously came to the same conclusion. If I ever did a run of 10 of the same pedal I might figure out a way to get them printed, but doing the work to develop a quality graphic to only ever use it once does seem like a lot.

I just didn't want to misrepresent the ease of lettering using one of those drafting jigs, have folks run out and buy one, then be disappointed. It's not exactly a plug and play solution. If someone else decides to try it though I'd love to hear about it.

 

[Erik S]

I bet we could 3D print one!

3D print might have a bit too much slop, but then again that might add a bit of randomness to it as well. I like the idea and reminds me that I've been away from the printer all year and need to get my head back into it.

The font-set templates can be found used for pretty cheap, and I don't think a print of those would be great. Printing an attachment to hold a pen on the stylus-piece could be a viable option though.

 

[Feral Feline]

I know nothing about 3D-Printing, but I would've thought the opposite — easier to print a static flat piece with the fonts, than figure out how to print the pieces for stylus-apparatus. Might need to get one of those micro-millers to clean up the fonts...

There's a guy in my car-club who does 3D-printing, I'll have to go visit him (he's doing some laser-etching for me once I finalise the graphics). Gotta get him to show me how these things operate, maybe get him to do up some custom knobs or whatever.

 

[MBFX]

I was thinking a pen holder would be easy to print, as long as you can get the measurements of an original. You could clean up the edges with sandpaper