Integrated key/fob - add TVR logo?
Discussion
I’ve just succeeded in integrating my fob and key, using a kit from Abacus Alarms. It has worked surprisingly well given how cack-handed I am.
The kit is a lot of money for what it is (£15 IIRC). It consists of a hexagonal captive nut and corresponding screw, together with a selection of plastic spacers of various differing sizes and thicknesses.
I bought a couple of key blanks from eBay. Mark 3 Cavalier is what you need. The tricky bit was finding a shop that could cut them - Timpsons refused to do it if they hadn’t supplied the blanks. I eventually found a shop that could do it, run by an Iranian chap so we had a good gossip about pre-revolution Tehran (my family lived there for a couple of years when I was a small boy).
I then had to hacksaw the shaft away from the body of one of the keys, and drill a 4mm hole in just the right position for the aforementioned screw and captive nut to go through. This was the bit I was most likely to f
k up, but it went amazingly well.
Then it’s simply a case of fitting the blade into one of the spacers, inserting the hexagonal captive nut into the hexagonal hole in the key body, and screwing it up tightly. Then you snap the other half of the key body (containing the PCB) into place, and you’re done. I might at some point disassemble again and put a tiny dab of thread lock on the screw, but it seems fairly robust as is.
Now, not wanting to risk messing up my one remaining original key fob, I have used a replacement key fob body, also bought from Abacus. The only slight downside is that it lacks the TVR logo. This is not ideal, because the ladies won’t know what a stud I am when the key is placed into the bowl at parties.
So, to my question:
Can anyone suggest a way of printing a TVR logo onto the button in a reasonably resilient way?
Or are there companies that could do this on a one-off basis without charging the Earth?
The kit is a lot of money for what it is (£15 IIRC). It consists of a hexagonal captive nut and corresponding screw, together with a selection of plastic spacers of various differing sizes and thicknesses.
I bought a couple of key blanks from eBay. Mark 3 Cavalier is what you need. The tricky bit was finding a shop that could cut them - Timpsons refused to do it if they hadn’t supplied the blanks. I eventually found a shop that could do it, run by an Iranian chap so we had a good gossip about pre-revolution Tehran (my family lived there for a couple of years when I was a small boy).
I then had to hacksaw the shaft away from the body of one of the keys, and drill a 4mm hole in just the right position for the aforementioned screw and captive nut to go through. This was the bit I was most likely to f
k up, but it went amazingly well.Then it’s simply a case of fitting the blade into one of the spacers, inserting the hexagonal captive nut into the hexagonal hole in the key body, and screwing it up tightly. Then you snap the other half of the key body (containing the PCB) into place, and you’re done. I might at some point disassemble again and put a tiny dab of thread lock on the screw, but it seems fairly robust as is.
Now, not wanting to risk messing up my one remaining original key fob, I have used a replacement key fob body, also bought from Abacus. The only slight downside is that it lacks the TVR logo. This is not ideal, because the ladies won’t know what a stud I am when the key is placed into the bowl at parties.
So, to my question:
Can anyone suggest a way of printing a TVR logo onto the button in a reasonably resilient way?
Or are there companies that could do this on a one-off basis without charging the Earth?
Edited by Dr Mike Oxgreen on Wednesday 11th December 12:35
QBee said:
Any worthwhile female will immediately know you are a proper man because you start your car with an actual key.
She will prize you because she will know that the chances are that your car won't have been nicked by some oik with a scanner when time comes to take said female home.
I thought females were more impressed if you could get things started with a prod of the buttonShe will prize you because she will know that the chances are that your car won't have been nicked by some oik with a scanner when time comes to take said female home.
ChimpOnGas said:
Wow, that looks really good! That would really get the ladies going!Seriously, that has given me a new way of looking at the problem. One could simply print a logo onto a circular piece of paper or plastic film, stick that to the fob button and then stick a suitable dome shaped plastic button over the top. Hmmm...
Right, I’ve just ordered some of these, in a half-inch size.
I have a feeling my printer can probably print onto plastic film, so I’ll experiment to get the best effect.
Many thanks to CoG for the new approach to the problem.
Will report back when I’ve got something to show!
I have a feeling my printer can probably print onto plastic film, so I’ll experiment to get the best effect.
Many thanks to CoG for the new approach to the problem.
Will report back when I’ve got something to show!
Edited by Dr Mike Oxgreen on Wednesday 11th December 18:05
bobfather said:
I have a couple of spares. Make me a decent offer bearing in mind they're no longer made. I'm a bit of a hoarder, I acquired these in 2003 just in case mine fell to bits
Many thanks for the offer, but I think I’ve hatched a plan. I’d keep those if I were you, because it’s only a matter of time before they do fall apart. One of mine has disintegrated, and the other has cracked across the button. If I can be arsed, I intend to bolster it up with a decent dollop of epoxy. But for the time being the generic replacement will take over active service.Edited by Dr Mike Oxgreen on Wednesday 11th December 18:53
If you Google 'Locking Vynl' you get this website...
http://www.locking-vinyl.co.uk/about-us
Try contacting...
darrenharding59@hotmail.com
It looks likely he's made TVR logo dome stickers for TVR key fobs before.
http://www.locking-vinyl.co.uk/about-us
Try contacting...
darrenharding59@hotmail.com
It looks likely he's made TVR logo dome stickers for TVR key fobs before.
Thanks CoG!
Before you posted that, I found a company that allows you to design stickers, and they can do domed stickers...
https://www.stickersinternational.co.uk/products/d...
So I’ve designed a 12mm domed circle with the TVR logo taken from Wikimedia on a black background. So I’ll see what that looks like, and if I think I can do better then I’ve got the clear domes coming as well.
Will report back when things arrive in the post!
Edited to add: Here’s an artistic representation of what it might look like....
Before you posted that, I found a company that allows you to design stickers, and they can do domed stickers...
https://www.stickersinternational.co.uk/products/d...
So I’ve designed a 12mm domed circle with the TVR logo taken from Wikimedia on a black background. So I’ll see what that looks like, and if I think I can do better then I’ve got the clear domes coming as well.
Will report back when things arrive in the post!
Edited to add: Here’s an artistic representation of what it might look like....
Edited by Dr Mike Oxgreen on Friday 13th December 18:06
Dr Mike Oxgreen said:
Thanks CoG!
Before you posted that, I found a company that allows you to design stickers, and they can do domed stickers...
https://www.stickersinternational.co.uk/products/d...
So I’ve designed a 12mm domed circle with the TVR logo taken from Wikimedia on a black background. So I’ll see what that looks like, and if I think I can do better then I’ve got the clear domes coming as well.
Will report back when things arrive in the post!
Cool, if you end up with any spares I'd love one Before you posted that, I found a company that allows you to design stickers, and they can do domed stickers...
https://www.stickersinternational.co.uk/products/d...
So I’ve designed a 12mm domed circle with the TVR logo taken from Wikimedia on a black background. So I’ll see what that looks like, and if I think I can do better then I’ve got the clear domes coming as well.
Will report back when things arrive in the post!
I received the stickers today, and to be honest they’re a bit crap. The TVR logo is very faint indeed, and you can only really see it in bright light.
I think I know what mistake I’ve made: the version of the logo I’ve used is too detailed. It has 12 horizontal stripes, and by the time these are scaled down they practically disappear.
Looking at the logo on the original fob, it’s a different version of the logo that only has 5 horizontal stripes. No wonder it looks better at the small size!
I can’t actually find that version of the logo online. I might have a go at modifying the logo I’ve got, to merge the stripes into fewer, thicker stripes.
I think I know what mistake I’ve made: the version of the logo I’ve used is too detailed. It has 12 horizontal stripes, and by the time these are scaled down they practically disappear.
Looking at the logo on the original fob, it’s a different version of the logo that only has 5 horizontal stripes. No wonder it looks better at the small size!
I can’t actually find that version of the logo online. I might have a go at modifying the logo I’ve got, to merge the stripes into fewer, thicker stripes.
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