Jump to content

First time lumed dial..


Recommended Posts

I'm very satisfied with how this dial turned out. I'm building and Elgin pocket watch conversion into wristwatch and wanted a vintage military dial look. 

I had recently purchased a lume kit but hadn't had the chance to use it yet. I design the dial with bold outlined numerals for the purpose of filling with lume. It really turned out better than I ever hoped!

The first dial I did turned out very acceptable, except that I had another issue with it and had to start over. I learned quite a bit just from doing that one dial.

Once I had the printing plate made I repainted the original Elgin dial to a flat white. I then Inked the plate and printed the new dial. Once everything was dry I then slowly added the lume using a 100 - 0 paintbrush which is about the size of a watch Oiler. I went around the dial 4 times adding a layer little by little. I'm very surprised just how much Lume this process adds. The markers have a nice three-dimensional heft to them...

IMG_20170812_213625.jpg

IMG_20170812_213129041_HDR.jpg

IMG_20170812_214600436_HDR.jpg

IMG_20170812_213512.jpg

Edited by DJW
  • Like 11
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I will try to put together a walk-through of the process of dial printing along with creating the plate itself. Honestly I spend more time on the computer designing the dial layout then it takes two create the actual plate or print the dial.:wacko:

 

IMG_20170813_165330.jpg

IMG_20170813_165420.jpg

IMG_20170813_194608.jpg

  • Like 5
  • Thanks 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...
  • 5 months later...
  • 2 weeks later...
Yes!!! I've been wanting to that to make dials for the Chinese movements that seem to not have any unless you but some brand that uses the dial. I know they have number stickers but if I could design my own I would simply be in heaven!

Hi again DJW, if it makes life easier for you, do you have a suitable link to a website which explains the dial printing process please? As you might have noticed, the natives are restless and want to know more[emoji6]


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

20 minutes ago, Deggsie said:

Hi again DJW, if it makes life easier for you, do you have a suitable link to a website which explains the dial printing process please? As you might have noticed, the natives are restless and want to know moreemoji6.png

It's nothing secret, but beside the printing "machine" itself, the need to use a precisely engraved plate places the job largely outside the domain of the average hobbyist and even professional watchmaker  I think that if you can find someone that makes the plate on your design, or are willing to spend pretty good money on a CNC machine that does that, you could be game. I don't know if 3D printing would do a good enough plate. Fact is, at the present time dial making/reprinting specialists are rare.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 months later...

This is incredible! Awesome job! I have the same movement I've been trying to figure out how to do the dial forever. I've thought about the whole water slide decals, having vinyl made, trying to have someone hand paint it, nothing is ever as nice as the real deal like you have. I bow at you completing a project I've only begun to think about! It's beautiful.

Sent from my Moto E (4) using Tapatalk

Link to comment
Share on other sites



  • Recently Browsing

    • No registered users viewing this page.
  • Topics

  • Posts

    • as you took the mainspring out what did it look like? It's amazing how much amplitude you can get if the mainspring actually has the proper shape. last week I was doing a 12 size Hamilton and was very much surprised with the beautiful back curvature the mainspring had. Then the watch had a really nice amplitude the group would be so proud it was 350 until I dropped the lift angle down to 38 that drop the amplitude quite a bit below 300. then with the beautiful back curve it still had really nice amplitude the next day. I really wish all my mainspring's look like this as the watch had beautiful amplitude the next day. So many of the aftermarket pocketwatch Springs I see now do not have anything resembling a back curve may be a slight curve and that's about all. They still work but they just don't work as nice as a properly made spring. then Omega as all sorts of nifty technical documentation unfortunately every single corner is watermarked with where it came from who downloaded it etc. very paranoid company. On the other hand I will snip out images like from the document on recycling a mainspring barrel. for instance here's the section on what your mainspring should look like. water damaged a lot of times means rust was there rust on this watch?
    • I dont understand why a patreon membership would have limited places ??
    • Welcome to the forum, enjoy. It’s highly unlikely you will be able to purchase a new bezel look on eBay for a pulsar watch for repair to find a bezel.
    • just one little minor reminder here this isn't your normal balance wheel.  pages 17 and 18 are what you really want to be looking at. normally studs don't turn but this watch has the etachron system designed for lots of adjustment. Personally I would try to rotate the stud back to where it's supposed to be. If you're lucky you didn't actually bend it at the stud it just looks really bad as the stud has been rotated grossly out of position.. I think things will look a lot better if you put the hairspring back where it's supposed to be by rotating the stud. it's hard to tell if you actually did bend it at the stud or not we won't know until you rotate the stud back more or less where it's supposed to be. Then you want to pay attention to the manual of how to put the hairspring back in the regulator pins because yes they rotate also and they rotated specific directions otherwise bad things will happen to your hairspring. so initially you can open up the regulator as wide as it can go and don't worry about closing it until thing everything is right then you can close them a little bit
×
×
  • Create New...