Jump to content

First Step To In House Dials....

DJW

By DJW
in Chat About Watches & The Industry Here

 Share

Recommended Posts

DJW Super WRT Addict

DJW

Posted
Posted

I bought an antique pad printer of the bay yesterday. It was the only such device specific to watch dials for sale, so I made an offer and it was accepted. Hopefully, it will help me do what I want it to do, print my own dials.

I also found a company who makes laser engraved printing plates for pad printers that should work with this setup.

post-90-0-34439500-1411365031_thumb.jpeg

I know it looks pretty beat, but like most tools from this era, it should still have some life in her yet!

The dolly slides from one side to the other allowing the pad to pick up the paint from the etched plate and stamp the dial on the opposing side. The two surfaces are magnetic and are controlled by the 2 mechanical silver colored knobs. I'm thinking a 2 axis clamp on one surface and a rotary table on the other. This way I can fine-tune the position of the printing plate and watch dial. Sounds good in theory!

  • Like 1
Geo Distinguished Member

Geo

Posted
Posted

Good morning Don.

I'm looking forward to seeing how you get on with your acquisition, I saw it on Fleabay a few weeks ago and couldn't work out how it operated. If I had thought of you at the time, I would have given you a shout back then. I wish you every success with it!

Mark Distinguished Member

Mark

Posted
Posted

Like Geo I cannot visualise how it works,  but a handy find all the same,  you will be able to find out whether doing your own dials is viable or not.

 

I think I remember seeing a YouTube video showing how these work.

 

It looks really good fun - you are really raising the bar Don!

 

And to start with $1 bills should see you a return on investment  - clever stuff! :)

  • Like 1
bobm12 Distinguished Member

bobm12

Posted
Posted

What is astounding is the dollar bill comes out already aged! Way to go DJW!

 

I like a lot this new turn in your business: your own in house made dials!. Maybe even as a side service offered, dial refinishing/reprinting for other brands too?

DJW Super WRT Addict

DJW

Posted
  • Author
Posted (edited)

I have found this video on YouTube which shows exactly what pad printing is and how a watch dial is done,  very clever stuff.

This is a great video! I've watched this one many times before. It gives you a good idea on the amount of work that goes into printing high quality dials.

Edited by DJW
DJW Super WRT Addict

DJW

Posted
  • Author
Posted

 

It looks really good fun - you are really raising the bar Don!

 

 

I don't know about raising the bar, but I am raising my credit card balance! :thumbsu:

  • Like 1
colinh WRT Addict

colinh

Posted
Posted (edited)

That video was nice. Anyone know what the pad is made of?

 

 

Don, which file format(s) do they accept for making the laser engraved plate?

Edited by colinh
DJW Super WRT Addict

DJW

Posted
  • Author
Posted

That video was nice. Anyone know what the pad is made of?

 

 

Don, which file format(s) do they accept for making the laser engraved plate?

The pads are made of silicone. the Pads are shaped in such a way that they act in a rolling fashion when the lever is pulled, kind of like a printing press roller.

All they need is a any type of picture file, jpg, png, etc.

colinh WRT Addict

colinh

Posted
Posted

Oh, that's convenient.

 

I was planning to get a company which makes printed circuit boards to make a laser-cut stencil (which is normally used for squeegying on the solder paste, for those tiny surface mounted devices). But they require Gerber files (I think).

 

In the video, you see the guy filling the plate with paint, which is then transferred by the pad.

 

Is it possible to apply the paint directly to the dial, using the plate (stencil). Ie. by "filling" the plate (with the dial underneath), and then just removing the plate. Wouldn't that work, or would it work, just not as well?

DJW Super WRT Addict

DJW

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Oh, that's convenient.

 

I was planning to get a company which makes printed circuit boards to make a laser-cut stencil (which is normally used for squeegying on the solder paste, for those tiny surface mounted devices). But they require Gerber files (I think).

 

In the video, you see the guy filling the plate with paint, which is then transferred by the pad.

 

Is it possible to apply the paint directly to the dial, using the plate (stencil). Ie. by "filling" the plate (with the dial underneath), and then just removing the plate. Wouldn't that work, or would it work, just not as well?

There are probably numerous ways to ad paint to a dial, but think of the reasoning behind this process. Even before automation, this was the easiest and cleanest way to print multiple dials in the shortest amount of time. Stenciling would probably work for a couple of dials before getting gummed up. But, them it would require a good cleaning before continuing. Also, pad printing creates very sharp lines. I believe Stencils can have bleeding, even when pressed tightly to the object being painted...

  • 7 months later...
canwdarose Member

canwdarose

Posted
Posted

Hi guys, years ago I worked at a CD manufacturing place that printed using both screen printers and the transfer printing you see in the process. It was a bit fancier with automated ink wells and squeegees, but same process. I recall the biggest challenge with the transfer process was the viscosity of the ink, the volatility of the solvents in the inks, the relative humidity of the air, and absolute cleanliness of everything. The smallest contaminant would wreck the ink wiper, nick the squeegee blade and you'd have a tiny stripe across your image. The magical part, though, was picking enough ink from the printing plate, transferring it on the silicone pad and while it was moving through air, flashing off some of the solvents, so that the ink would stick cleanly to the target surface - a watch dial face for example. Too wet and the ink wouldn't transfer. Too dry and the ink wouldn't transfer. Or it would string (think cotton candy spinning all those pesky threads). Anyway, getting the machine running and stable was an art, and then multiply that by a 3 or 4 color image....

The machine was called a "Tampo-matic", and the silicone pads were tampons. French, or Latin root, for 'pad' is the source of the word tampon. The guys and gal that ran that machine were whiz kids.

The screen printers were easier to use, more reliable, but the images were not near the quality of the pad transfer printer.

I'm sure ink technology has changed in the intervening 30 years, so I hope Don has an easier time than we did. It was a cool job, though.

Keep us in the loop, Don.

  • Like 1
  • 3 weeks later...
mwilkes WRT Addict

mwilkes

Posted
Posted

Don - I'm jealous. So jealous, in fact, that I think I'm going to get a dial printing machine...

 

However engraving the plates (clichés?) looks like a black art and frightems me - do you (or does anybody else) know of a UK based company that would be able to make them? 

 

Or if you're US-based, I guess they could post it...

 

M

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Restore formatting

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
 Share
Go to topic listing

  • Recently Browsing

    • No registered users viewing this page.

  • Topics

  • Posts

    • BobG
      Gruen 330 balance complete

      By BobG · Posted

      Hi All, I’m having a hard time finding a balance assembly or even a working donor movement for a Gruen 330.  Any leads appreciated.   Gruen doesn’t stamp the caliber number of the movement but lust in the case back.   
    • Neverenoughwatches
      Parts sourcing for FHF 180 movement

      By Neverenoughwatches · Posted

      Why do you think this is Fontainemelon ?  The balance staff you will need to source separately.  But first it's important to accurately identify what you have there. Research Ebauches Sa, see who was in group, to find the brand that made this movement. 
    • donutdan
      Parts sourcing for FHF 180 movement

      By donutdan · Posted

      Hi Watchrepairtalk, I have some questions about part sourcing I was hoping someone here might be able to help with. I'm working on an FHF 180 movement with a broken balance staff, broken regulator pins, and damaged cap jewels (both top and bottom). Some Googling says that this is similar to other FHF calibers like 150s, 160s, 180s and so on but I can't figure out what the functional difference is between these movements.  Is there any reason I wouldn't be able to acquire a donor FHF 150 or similar (with no shock protection) and use parts from that or would it be smarter to source replacements individually? Also are there any sources someone could recommend to get bulk cap jewels like this? Thank you for the help!
    • Nucejoe
      Greetings from Whidbey Island.

      By Nucejoe · Posted

      Hello and welcome to the WRT forum.
    • JohnR725
      A lathe with indexing that won't break the bank?

      By JohnR725 · Posted

      interesting video nice to see the machine what it can do now I wonder what it costs and I'm sure it's not in my budget. Plus the video brought up questions but the website below answers the questions? What was bothering me was the size of his machine 4 mm because I thought it was bigger than that? But then it occurred to me that maybe they had variations it looks like four, seven and 10. With the seven and 10 being the best because way more tool positions in way more rotating tools. Although I bet you all the rotating tools are probably separate cost https://www.tornos.com/en/content/swissnano   Then as we been talking about Sherline. Just so that everyone's aware of this they have another division their industrial division where you can buy bits and pieces. I have a link below that shows that just in case you don't want to have the entire machine you just need bits and pieces. https://www.sherline.com/product-category/industrial-products-division/   Let's see what we can do with the concept I explained up above and bits and pieces. For one thing you can make a really tiny gear very tiny like perhaps you're going to make a watch. Then another version the center part is not separate it is all machined from one piece. Then fills gear cutting machines have gone through multiple of evolutions. A lot of it based on what he wanted to make like he was going to make a watch unfortunately eyesight issues have prevented that. Another reason why you should start projects like this much sooner when your eyesight is really good or perhaps start on watches first and then move the clocks then local we have from the industrial division? Looks like two separate motors and heads. Then it's hard to see but this entire thing is built on top of a much larger milling machine as a larger milling machine gave a very solid platform to build everything.   Then like everything else that had multiple generations are versions the indexing went through of course variations like above is one version and the one below was the last version. Now the version below I mentioned that previously and somewhere in the beginning to discussion and somebody else had one in their picture. As it is a really nice precision indexing. Then I wasn't sure if I had a the watch photos here is his unfinished watch. No he wasn't going to make a simple watch like none of his clocks were simply either what would be the challenge and that.    
×
×
  • Create New...