There is also “plastic paper” that’s safe for laser printers. Comes is A4 and in adhesive and not adhesive variants. The results are quite weather proof; at least long enough for something like this. I used this for the “Caution! Lawnmower crossing!” signs I made earlier this year (I think I posted photos). Adhesive foil, printed with laser printer, mounted on 3 mm “plastic cardboard”.
I concur with @j9c; should be circular or at least have generously rounded edges.
And a lanyard. And a little pouch to go in.
So long as I’m making these in small quantities, I probably won’t have much choice about the materials or UV resistance yet. But all good points, thank you.
Also a good point. Most people will be using these for 72 hours or less, once a year. Cheap and disposable, or costly and durable?
Along those lines… The org I work for, and who manages this race, is dedicated to keeping plastic out of the rivers. If my mileage dials are cheap and disposable, will they end up as plastic trash? Maybe use compostable materials? But would that hold up to many hours in adverse weather?
Lots to think about in the long run. For now, it’s just an idea.
I can think of a possible alternative to using plastic or paper might be to make the wheel guide out of waxed canvas or some other type of fabric. You can probably glue some stiff paper or cardboard to it to keep it stiff. There’s still the matter of the front of the guide that will need to be transparent though.
I don’t really know how these will be used, but would it be useful to be able to lock the dial so it can’t be jostled out of position? If so, a variation on my machine screw idea would be to use a wing nut on the reverse side of the dial to adjust the tension as required.
No need for a lock, I think. All the people using this device will be moving most of the time.
As for use: These devices would be used by participants in a river race, their ground support teams, and safety crews. The idea is to facilitate measuring distance between any two points on the race course, which is often difficult to do mentally, for several reasons: (1) All boat ramps, access points, etc. are designated in “river miles” (navigation markers), not course distance. (2) River miles descend as you travel downstream, from 367.5 (start) to 28.8 (finish). Mile zero, where the Missouri River meets the Mississippi River, is not on the race course. (3) The river flows only one way, as does the race, so calculating distance “forward” (from a racer’s perspective) involves subtraction. (4) Most racers suffer at some point from exhaustion, hallucinations, dehydration, and other physical problems that can affect their ability to do the math. The consequences of under- or overestimating distances here can be substantial and may make the difference between staying in the race or dropping out – or worse.
Perhaps the arrow on the rotary part should be more prominent (“YOU ARE HERE”). But I think most people involved in this event will intuitively get how to use it.
EDIT: I really appreciate all the great feedback from everyone who’s responding. Input from folks not involved with long-distance river racing really helps me think about it from a different perspective.
Those extensions, or tabs, or whatever you might call them, seem like a good idea…something to hold onto, or push with a fingertip, to turn the parts…
ETA: if you didn’t want a part sticking out, maybe the top disc could just have a hole in it for a fingertip, sort of like dialing an old rotary phone.
Laser cut and engraved metal would be durable, reusable and recyclable - and maybe not really that costly, what with DIY laser cutters these days.
It could even have a rough map on the backside.
Possible dual use as signal mirror and pizza cutter, too.
I can get a 6" square aluminum blank with rounded corners for $5.32 here. It’s white with black underneath (i.e. after engraving) so it could work well. I’m not sure my laser is powerful enough, but it might be worth a try. This would be the “bespoke” model, sold at the gift shop, LOL
I’m not really expecting to make a lot of these (yet) or develop an actual sellable product. If it comes to that, I’ll probably go with flexo on plastic (like your bomb-effects computer) from my local printery.
@MrShiv Laser-engraved wood? UV resistant, biodegradable, good contrast with the right choice of wood and finish (maple with clear finish). The only thing you’d have to give up is some weight and probably colors, though if you are producing it in really low quantity, hand-paining would be an option and in large quantity silk screening would be feasible.
ETA: Thin project birch or maple plywood would hold up well, but if you really want to go for maximum aesthetics, branch cookies would look amazing!
If you don’t have a laser strong enough I believe you can use acid to etch into aluminum. There are safety precautions you’d need to take (of course) but you can prep a whole bunch with precut masking.
Arctic birch!
I’ve never seen any wood with growth rings so thin. Seriously, paper thin. And dry.
Very light, too. Any laser labelling should be very legible.
And then a nice clear varnish for waterproofing.
i use that for my type plates! that has such a tight, smooth grain, that i can burn away the non-image areas in the laser, and leave 10 point type to be printed, letterpress, and get clear text imprint. works for the stamp image plates, also.
edit: correction, i use Baltic birch 6mm plywood. the basswood i started with was too flimsy and had voids in the under plys that would break the typeforms when printed.
wow, that’s quite an undertaking. neat!
is this flatwater paddling or whitewater paddling? I grew up with flatwater at camp in MI for many years but did whitewater canoeing a few years as a teen in TN, and guided rafts down the Ocoee one summer in college, which has up to class 7 rapids iirc.
It’s not exactly either. Definitely not whitewater, but there are strong currents / flow and a lot of other hazards. I’ve posted a bit about it in “The Great Outdoors” topic
When we moved into this house, it had a built-in microwave over the oven. That microwave died and I couldn’t find a replacement that fit the space, so we uninstalled the painted metal frame and just bought a regular replacement. A couple decades later, I’m cleaning up the place where the frame was by building a frame to match the cabinets.
