Recreating a hifi amp front panel/faceplate - original as a template?

I love my Rogers HG88 MkII amplifier. It's a keeper and to my ears one of the better sounding tube amps from the golden age of audio.

Sadly, the original front panel is in such a bad condition ( the lettering is almost gone, there's a lot of rust etc.) that I'd like to recreate it in FPD or similar software. The problem is I've no experience in designing front plate templates.

Where would you start? Do you have any great tips up your sleeve? Would it be of help to scan the original front panel and use it as a template?

Any kind of input is very welcomed. 
/Olle

Conviction said:

I love my Rogers HG88 MkII amplifier. It's a keeper and to my ears one of the better sounding tube amps from the golden age of audio.

Sadly, the original front panel is in such a bad condition ( the lettering is almost gone, there's a lot of rust etc.) that I'd like to recreate it in FPD or similar software. The problem is I've no experience in designing front plate templates.

Where would you start? Do you have any great tips up your sleeve? Would it be of help to scan the original front panel and use it as a template?

Any kind of input is very welcomed. 
/Olle

Click to expand...

Ir it a flat fascia or does it have bends? I guess it must be some kind of ferrous alloy, since you mention rust. Are you willing to change for an aluminium alloy?
You could go to a metalworker and ask them to make a copy; many specialeized metal workers offer complet service, milling; drilling, paint, anodization, silk-screening. That could be quite expensive.
You could make a drawing of the fascia with a software package that allows saving the file in one of the commonly used formats, such as .dxf and ask for a quotation from a metal worker.
You could scan the letterwork and try to match it with a drawing package, but I doubt you could find an exact replica of the lettering. It depends how accurate you want to be. Another solution is to scan the fascia and photo-edit the result until you get a satisfactory picture. You'll need a good photo-editing software for that.
Scanning is generally not accurate enough for metalworking. You need the standard tools of the trade, straight ruler, square, caliper and a pair of good eyes. If you've not been formally trained for drafting, you may have difficulties in communicating with a metalworker. Can you post a picture of this front panel?