TankSticker Forensics
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 2,801
Likes: 0
From: NJ
TankSticker Forensics
O-Kay gang you are going to love this one!! :yesnod:
My car is undergoing a frame off restoration, and I found the tank sticker.
Needless to say after 33 years it was covered in grime and gunk.
My wife spent a few hours carefully brushing off whatever dirt she could with a small artist brush. This helped some, but it was still mostly unreadable.
Now for the cool part!
If you own a digital camera with night shot your in luck.
The infrared beam that the camera uses to video at night will also allow you to see through the dirt and grease. :cool:
It took us a little time and there were some items we could not read, but with the help of a few books and knowledge of our car we were able to piece it all together.
Just a little helpful trick.
If you are going to try this make sure that you brush off as much dirt as possible! After that you should be in for a nice surprise.
My car is undergoing a frame off restoration, and I found the tank sticker.
Needless to say after 33 years it was covered in grime and gunk.
My wife spent a few hours carefully brushing off whatever dirt she could with a small artist brush. This helped some, but it was still mostly unreadable.
Now for the cool part!
If you own a digital camera with night shot your in luck.
The infrared beam that the camera uses to video at night will also allow you to see through the dirt and grease. :cool:
It took us a little time and there were some items we could not read, but with the help of a few books and knowledge of our car we were able to piece it all together.
Just a little helpful trick.
If you are going to try this make sure that you brush off as much dirt as possible! After that you should be in for a nice surprise.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 752
Likes: 1
From: Springfield Oregon
Re: TankSticker Forensics (70blueshark)
When I was cleaning mine up, I found that even a soft brush was deteriorating the paper before it got clean enough to read. With nothing to lose I thought, I Prell glue sticked the pieces together onto a piece of heavy card stock and sprayed it down with brake cleaner(non-chlorinated) until the dirt ran off the page. Suprisingly enough, it removed all the grime and left the printing in tact and very readable. I recommend it only as a last resort. :cheers:
[Modified by ORVette, 10:14 PM 8/20/2003]
[Modified by ORVette, 10:14 PM 8/20/2003]
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 2,801
Likes: 0
From: NJ
Re: TankSticker Forensics (70blueshark)
Man I hope I'm doing this picture thing right.
Here is the sticker after my wife cleaned it with a brush:
Now here it is through a night shot camera:
Dave
It Worked!!! :party:
:hurray: :hurray:
[Modified by 70blueshark, 10:11 PM 8/21/2003]
[Modified by 70blueshark, 10:16 PM 8/21/2003]
Here is the sticker after my wife cleaned it with a brush:
Now here it is through a night shot camera:
Dave
It Worked!!! :party:
:hurray: :hurray:
[Modified by 70blueshark, 10:11 PM 8/21/2003]
[Modified by 70blueshark, 10:16 PM 8/21/2003]
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Drifting
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 1,861
Likes: 2
From: New Zealand
Re: TankSticker Forensics (70blueshark)
I've got the gear to try this.......my tank sticker (unreadable under normal light) and the camera, so I'll give it a shot ASAP......
Just curious though....what made you decide to try the camera?????
Just curious though....what made you decide to try the camera?????
Racer
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 397
Likes: 0
From: Morganton GA
Re: TankSticker Forensics (hunt4cleanair)
Kewl!! :cool: Is that one of those nightshot video cameras that "supposedly" can see through clothing??? :eek: I heard an urban legend about that once...
:jester
:jester
Safety Car
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 4,734
Likes: 2,484
From: Buckeye, AZ
St. Jude Donor '12-'13
Re: TankSticker Forensics (70blueshark)
Nice trick....I was able to keep zooming mine up on a copier and use different copy intensities to read it. I am going to try this one now.
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 2,801
Likes: 0
From: NJ
Re: TankSticker Forensics (standup)
Just curious though....what made you decide to try the camera?????
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 2,801
Likes: 0
From: NJ
Re: TankSticker Forensics (MYBLU71)
Kewl!! :cool: Is that one of those nightshot video cameras that "supposedly" can see through clothing??? :eek: I heard an urban legend about that once...
:jester
:jester
Melting Slicks
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 3,407
Likes: 2
From: Carmichael CA
Re: TankSticker Forensics (70blueshark)
Awesome!!! Thanks for sharing. My tank sticker had no dirt on it whatsoever. It came off in one piece too. That's the benefit of buying a low mileage (40K when I bought it) and from owners who appreciated what they had and garaged it as well as avoided driving it in the rain. It's still kinda hard to read due to deterioration of the ink even after scanning it at 1200dpi, but I will definitely pull out my night-shot camera and see if that helps.
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 2,801
Likes: 0
From: NJ
Re: TankSticker Forensics (70blueshark)
If anyone is interested in the science behind how the infrafred camera works just go to the link below.
http://www.kaya-optics.com/products/how_it_works.shtml
Dave
http://www.kaya-optics.com/products/how_it_works.shtml
Dave
Racer
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 432
Likes: 0
From: Manchvegas NH
Re: TankSticker Forensics (70blueshark)
That's a really neat trick!
Dod your sticker also have the gob of glue in the middle? That has prevented me from reading the bottom half of my sticker, it's all bunched up.
Dod your sticker also have the gob of glue in the middle? That has prevented me from reading the bottom half of my sticker, it's all bunched up.
Melting Slicks
Joined: May 1999
Posts: 2,897
Likes: 0
From: Moon Township PA
Re: TankSticker Forensics (70blueshark)
Another trick is to use Photo Shop, or equivalent, and manipulate the contract, background, etc. My72 tank sticker was about 75% readable. By using Photo Shop, I got it up to about 98%. It now reads almost like new.
Gary
Gary