Adhesive vinyl overlays - C47 & WP43 (DM42), WP3xS, DB48X, newRPL variants available!

[johnb]

Well, I received Spiff's nice new (spiffy?) matte overlays this week, and re-did both my WP-34s (which was getting a little ratty from all its use), and my WP-31s (which I was hardly using because of the glare from my desk lamp upon the very glossy overlay that was on it).

I used a trick recommended to me by user @grbrum -- a black sharpie!

1. I removed the back overlay. The key tops were in good condition so I decided not to replace those just yet.
2. Using a black sharpie, I carefully masked out the silver parts of the calculator that were likely to be exposed in the gaps between the back overlay and the keys.
3. Using a fine point black sharpie, I even more carefully colored in the white edges of the keytop overlays so that visually there's no boundary between them and the keys.
4. I applied the back overlay and smoothed everything down.
   

I've included before/during/after photos of my WP-34s. The 31s turned out spectacularly, too, but I didn't have time to fiddle with the lighting to get photos that truly reveal the difference between the glare of the originals and the nice matte surface of Spiff's new ones.

[Edit: attached here, "Before" (ratty and worn).]
   

[johnb]

(07-14-2023 01:02 PM)johnb Wrote:  I've included before/during/after photos of my WP-34s.

Okay, what am I doing wrong?

It says there are attachments but I don't see any files, thumbnails, or images.

[Edit: fixed. Step 1: remove ratty overlay. Step 2: photo here, mask the edges with a sharpie!]

   

[spiff72]

(07-14-2023 01:04 PM)johnb Wrote:  

(07-14-2023 01:02 PM)johnb Wrote:  I've included before/during/after photos of my WP-34s.

Okay, what am I doing wrong?

It says there are attachments but I don't see any files, thumbnails, or images.

LOL at "spiffy"!

Two possible issues:
- File size for attachments on this forum is limited to 500kb (I think)
- When you pick the attachment using the "Choose File" button, you then get a dialog to choose the photo. After you pick the photo, and click OK, you then have to click the "Add attachment" button on the right before you finish the post.

[spiff72]

And FYI - "spiff" is in homage to Spaceman Spiff from the greatest comic strip of all time (Calvin and Hobbes).

[Massimo Gnerucci]

(07-14-2023 04:24 PM)spiff72 Wrote:  And FYI - "spiff" is in homage to Spaceman Spiff from the greatest comic strip of all time (Calvin and Hobbes).

Kudos!

[johnb]

(07-14-2023 04:24 PM)spiff72 Wrote:  And FYI - "spiff" is in homage to Spaceman Spiff from the greatest comic strip of all time (Calvin and Hobbes).

Where is the "Heart" emoji?
Because I love this!

Calvin and Hobbes was indeed the Greatest Comic Strip of All Time.

[Massimo Gnerucci]

[Gilles]

Hi spiff72,

Sorry to post a message here but did you receive my emails about my order? II never get a response.

Greetings

[spiff72]

(07-17-2023 08:51 AM)Gilles Wrote:  Hi spiff72,

Sorry to post a message here but did you receive my emails about my order? II never get a response.

Greetings

I just sent you a PM. I did respond to an email from who I think was you stating that you received them on July 14. Was there another message I missed?

[Sylvain Cote]

I have these overlays:

• 2 x WP31S
• 2 x WP34S
• 2 x HP 50g newRPL
• 2 x HP Prime (G1) newRPL
  

They are very nice and professionally done, very happy with the result.

edit: I have received them two weeks ago but I have not found the time to applied them to the calculators yet.

[spiff72]

(07-17-2023 01:43 PM)Sylvain Cote Wrote:  I have received my overlays:

• 2 x WP31S
• 2 x WP34S
• 2 x HP 50g newRPL
• 2 x HP Prime (G1) newRPL
  

They are very nice and professionally done, very happy with the result.

Thanks for the comments!

[spiff72]

Status update:

I have sent out a total of 65 overlays thus far (not including the goodwill replacements I sent after finding the adhesive on the first batch was lousy). These have gone to locations in the US, France, Canada, and Australia thus far. WP34S are most popular (by far!)...

I have plenty of capacity and material on hand right now if anyone is interested in ordering.

For international orders, I have been doing a $3 shipping fee instead of $1 for most countries (for quantities of 4 or less). I am still evaluating these on a case by case basis.

As mentioned before, I have a DM42 on order - hopefully arriving in the next 2-3 weeks. Once that is here, I plan to do a C47 overlay as soon as I get the fit confirmed. WP43 should follow after that, but it will take a bit longer to get that one refined to my level of satisfaction.

Thanks!

[dmh]

Hi, I emailed you a while back but haven't received a response. Might have gone to spam.

Wanted to know how much to ship to Melbourne, Australia for a few overlays.

Thanks, dmh

(07-17-2023 01:50 PM)spiff72 Wrote:  Status update:

I have sent out a total of 65 overlays thus far (not including the goodwill replacements I sent after finding the adhesive on the first batch was lousy). These have gone to locations in the US, France, Canada, and Australia thus far. WP34S are most popular (by far!)...

I have plenty of capacity and material on hand right now if anyone is interested in ordering.

For international orders, I have been doing a $3 shipping fee instead of $1 for most countries (for quantities of 4 or less). I am still evaluating these on a case by case basis.

As mentioned before, I have a DM42 on order - hopefully arriving in the next 2-3 weeks. Once that is here, I plan to do a C47 overlay as soon as I get the fit confirmed. WP43 should follow after that, but it will take a bit longer to get that one refined to my level of satisfaction.

Thanks!

[spiff72]

(07-19-2023 01:43 PM)dmh Wrote:  Hi, I emailed you a while back but haven't received a response. Might have gone to spam.

Wanted to know how much to ship to Melbourne, Australia for a few overlays.

Thanks, dmh

(07-17-2023 01:50 PM)spiff72 Wrote:  Status update:

I have sent out a total of 65 overlays thus far (not including the goodwill replacements I sent after finding the adhesive on the first batch was lousy). These have gone to locations in the US, France, Canada, and Australia thus far. WP34S are most popular (by far!)...

I have plenty of capacity and material on hand right now if anyone is interested in ordering.

For international orders, I have been doing a $3 shipping fee instead of $1 for most countries (for quantities of 4 or less). I am still evaluating these on a case by case basis.

As mentioned before, I have a DM42 on order - hopefully arriving in the next 2-3 weeks. Once that is here, I plan to do a C47 overlay as soon as I get the fit confirmed. WP43 should follow after that, but it will take a bit longer to get that one refined to my level of satisfaction.

Thanks!

If it is less than 4 overlays $3 US should cover it. I can't find any email from you. Maybe send me PM here instead? I did send out one order to Australia last week, so I assume that one wasn't you!

[spiff72]

Hello everyone...

I have updated the first post of this thread to change the ordering process since some emails don't seem to be coming through correctly when using the email link within my profile.

I created a new email address for overlay orders:
calc.overlays (at) gmail.com

Send an email to this address with the subject line "Overlay Order". State the type(s) and quantity of each overlay you want, along with your location (if not in the US).

I will respond with pricing and my Payment and Venmo IDs for sending payment.

I won't restate the rest of the first post - please check there for pricing details...

Thanks again for all your interest in these - it's turned into a fun hobby for me!

Thanks!

[johnb]

I promised before/during/after images, and finally here's the "after."

I guess my eyesight is no longer 20/15.
The photo reveals little imperfections that I cannot see when holding the calculator.
Those little edges between the main overlay and the keys are really quite invisible in practice.

Again thanks to fellow collector @grbrun for the idea of masking with a sharpie. A little painstakingly careful effort, and (in person) it looks like the calculator was built this way and is not "wearing" an overlay.

   

[spiff72]

(07-20-2023 03:34 PM)johnb Wrote:  I promised before/during/after images, and finally here's the "after."

I guess my eyesight is no longer 20/15.
The photo reveals little imperfections that I cannot see when holding the calculator.
Those little edges between the main overlay and the keys are really quite invisible in practice.

Again thanks to fellow collector @grbrun for the idea of masking with a sharpie. A little painstakingly careful effort, and (in person) it looks like the calculator was built this way and is not "wearing" an overlay.

Nice!

I should add the sharpie suggestion to the instructions/tips document I email to buyers. I have done this myself, but wasn't sure if everyone would be OK with that. I find that some elbow grease and a cotton round with 91% isopropyl alcohol can remove the sharpie if you wanted to.

EDIT:
This video shows the sharpie masking method described above:
https://youtu.be/diJA2cCQenI?t=627

[johnb]

(07-20-2023 04:10 PM)spiff72 Wrote:  I should add the sharpie suggestion to the instructions/tips document I email to buyers. I have done this myself, but wasn't sure if everyone would be OK with that.
...
This video shows the sharpie masking method described above:
https://youtu.be/diJA2cCQenI?t=627

Thanks for posting that video!

And I know just what you mean by "okay with that." I have to laugh at myself here...

It was deeply ingrained to me ages ago from my Mom and my Grandmother to take very good care of my stuff (and even better care of anything borrowed). So my immediate visceral reaction to @grbrum's initial mention that he'd used a sharpie was one of horror: "What? Destroy the pristine 30b that's underneath those overlays?" Then, rationality kicked in. I don't have a 30b flashram image. And I've got a vintage-run 12c in mint condition for any financial calculations I might have, and a copy of Excel on every computer in my care. Every other calculator I have is a scientific... This machine will never be a 30b again! It will always be a 34s or something similar.

I wonder how many other folks have experienced the exact same thing?

[spiff72]

Yeah I totally get that.

I have zero use for a financial calculator - I don’t even know how the basic functionality of the 30b works! The sharpie method works well and improves the aesthetics for WP31S and WP34S so it’s a no brainer for me.

[Eric Rechlin]

The Sharpie wipes off without a trace if you use isopropyl alcohol again to clean it, so you are not harming the calculator permanently.

However, some 30b calculators (a small percentage, well under 5% I'm sure) have the blue legends printed on with an alcohol-soluble ink, so the alcohol will wipe the blue key legends off too. But 95%+ of the time this won't be a concern. I've long wondered why some were like that -- I am pretty sure they were towards the end of the production run, maybe even at the end.