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My First Test Dial Printing...i'm Over The Moon!

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By DJW
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DJW Super WRT Addict

DJW

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So it's been a few months since I posted here...but I've been regularly checking in. Hi Mark and Geo! 

 

So as a few of you know, I have a hobby of building watches. The one thing I hated was relying on some of the very few companies that actually print dials. Here is the USA there are only a handful that do this type of work! I was lucky enough to find an antique dial printing machine on eBay. It was just a vessel to move the dial from printing plate to paint application. I found a willing company to "Fill in the Blanks!" I won't name them here because I don't want to seem like I'm Selling this company!

 

Anyway, they were a very big help when it came to me having questions. The sales, engineering and billing staff were first rate! They helped me pick the proper printing pads, helping me design and then produce my printing plates and then help me choose the proper ink and also recommended how to prepare the inks, pads and thinners to get the best results! 

 

So, here I am....First try at printing a dial....

 

post-90-0-45007000-1429664182_thumb.jpg

 

I designed the dial myself using a free online software. The dial is printed in 3 stages.

The first step was printing the hour chapter. Then, the second step was to print the sub seconds chapter. Lastly, I printed the name of the manufacturer that I will be using for this build.

 

This was more of a proof of concept to me...Now, I can't wait to try new designs and styles! And, Now I have more control of what I build! That's very important to me...Cheers!

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jnash Super WRT Addict

jnash

Posted
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So it's been a few months since I posted here...but I've been regularly checking in. Hi Mark and Geo! 

 

So as a few of you know, I have a hobby of building watches. The one thing I hated was relying on some of the very few companies that actually print dials. Here is the USA there are only a handful that do this type of work! I was lucky enough to find an antique dial printing machine on eBay. It was just a vessel to move the dial from printing plate to paint application. I found a willing company to "Fill in the Blanks!" I won't name them here because I don't want to seem like I'm Selling this company!

 

Anyway, they were a very big help when it came to me having questions. The sales, engineering and billing staff were first rate! They helped me pick the proper printing pads, helping me design and then produce my printing plates and then help me choose the proper ink and also recommended how to prepare the inks, pads and thinners to get the best results! 

 

So, here I am....First try at printing a dial....

 

attachicon.gifIMG_20150421_172832402_HDR.jpg

 

I designed the dial myself using a free online software. The dial is printed in 3 stages.

The first step was printing the hour chapter. Then, the second step was to print the sub seconds chapter. Lastly, I printed the name of the manufacturer that I will be using for this build.

 

This was more of a proof of concept to me...Now, I can't wait to try new designs and styles! And, Now I have more control of what I build! That's very important to me...Cheers!

Been trying to find an antique one too.. outcome looks good

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Geo Distinguished Member

Geo

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Hi Don, it's great to hear from you again!

Last week week I was just wondering how you were getting on, and now we know...............brilliantly. This really is a huge step forward for you, having full control over the design and quality is so important, and I can only imagine the satisfaction you get when seeing your completed watch.

I look forward to seeing more of your high quality productions in the future.

Cheer,

Geo! :)

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icius Watch Enthusiast

icius

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That seriously looks fantastic! Is this screen printing or pad printing?  Or something else?  I would like to try my hand at this sometime down the line as well.  Can you tell us more about the process and equipment?

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jnash Super WRT Addict

jnash

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On the look out for one of these, the only manual ones are in china and i can imagine the tax is a killer that makes it that bit out of reach at the moment, interested how you get on with it...

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clockwatcher WRT Addict

clockwatcher

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I just did a watch with a Studebaker movement... Funny, it took a long time to get the dial back from the refinishers!

 

Don, I thought I was being funny, knowing that Studebaker Automobiles were made in South Bend. Little did I know that the same family had a watchmaking company and called it the South Bend Watch Co.  facepalm-smiley-emoticon.gif

 

I love Studebakers and was fortunate enough to visit the museum in South Bend on a recent visit to the US. Now I think I want a Studebaker watch!

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