- 25/4/18
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This tutorial isn't for the faint of heart, it involves butane torches and Rolex dials - oh my!
If you're anything like me the thought of stickers or glue holding your dial in place gives you the shivers. In my opinion there's not place for dial dots or epoxy on a dial next to a swiss movement. For me it's dial feet and soldered connections all the way. But being the frugal curmudgeon I am I didn't want to spring for a $300+ dial foot soldering machine. So I've been searching for an alternative - how to solder without spending a lot of money or burning a hole in the dial.
Well, here it is! Tools:
- Bernzomatic ST500 Butane Micro Torch
- Butane
- Low Melting Point Solder (63% tin, 37% lead, 360 degree F melting pt)
- Flux
- Mini-snippers
- Xacto Blade
- Helping Hands
- Dial holder
- .7mm brass wire
- 2mm drill bit
First I used a printed template to locate the dial feet (check out the technical documents for your particular movement, they typically have the coordinates). I simply printed to scale, placed on the back of the dial, marked the dial feet locations with my Xacto, and moved on. This is a very important point, though. Careful and thoughtful planning goes a long way towards having things in the right spot the first time.
Next, I created a slightly deeper indent for the dial feet using the 2mm drill bit - basically countersinking ever so slightly. And, again, I used the Xacto blade to score a crosshatch pattern surrounding the center point. (Sorry the picture didn't turn out as well as I hoped but I promise you there is a countersunk center point with crosshatch scored around it)
Next, add a bit of flux to the dial and the piece of brass wire.
Cut a small piece of the solder and wrap it around the base of the brass wire.
Carefully position the wire into your center point. Apply some pressure to it so it is firmly in place.
Enlist the help of your helping hand to hold the brass wire in place. Make sure to position it perpendicular to the dial.
Time for some fire! Light your butane mini torch and heat the wire first. Heat it about 1" from the dial. Within about 3-5 seconds the flux should start to melt. At this point give the dial a few brief (emphasis, BRIEF) passes with the torch - alternating between the wire and the dial back. You should see the solder gets sucked right up to the wire and against the dial. All said and done this takes about 10, maybe 15 seconds. Let the dial and wire cool down.
Ooo! You have a nice solder joint holding your new dial foot in place.
Snip your dial foot to length. You can clean up the solder and wire with you Xacto knife, smoothing and cutting away any excess material you don't want. Just don't cut too much, it is holding the foot in place.
Oh! And since there was no direct heat applied to the dial via, say, a soldering iron, no burn marks on the front side of the dial!
I've been practicing on a spare dial I have. I'd recommend doing the same before trying this on some expensive Vietnam dial that only comes with gen dial foot locations (like who can afford a gen movement...ETA all the way!)
Good luck and thanks for looking!
If you're anything like me the thought of stickers or glue holding your dial in place gives you the shivers. In my opinion there's not place for dial dots or epoxy on a dial next to a swiss movement. For me it's dial feet and soldered connections all the way. But being the frugal curmudgeon I am I didn't want to spring for a $300+ dial foot soldering machine. So I've been searching for an alternative - how to solder without spending a lot of money or burning a hole in the dial.
Well, here it is! Tools:
- Bernzomatic ST500 Butane Micro Torch
- Butane
- Low Melting Point Solder (63% tin, 37% lead, 360 degree F melting pt)
- Flux
- Mini-snippers
- Xacto Blade
- Helping Hands
- Dial holder
- .7mm brass wire
- 2mm drill bit
First I used a printed template to locate the dial feet (check out the technical documents for your particular movement, they typically have the coordinates). I simply printed to scale, placed on the back of the dial, marked the dial feet locations with my Xacto, and moved on. This is a very important point, though. Careful and thoughtful planning goes a long way towards having things in the right spot the first time.
Next, I created a slightly deeper indent for the dial feet using the 2mm drill bit - basically countersinking ever so slightly. And, again, I used the Xacto blade to score a crosshatch pattern surrounding the center point. (Sorry the picture didn't turn out as well as I hoped but I promise you there is a countersunk center point with crosshatch scored around it)
Next, add a bit of flux to the dial and the piece of brass wire.
Cut a small piece of the solder and wrap it around the base of the brass wire.
Carefully position the wire into your center point. Apply some pressure to it so it is firmly in place.
Enlist the help of your helping hand to hold the brass wire in place. Make sure to position it perpendicular to the dial.
Time for some fire! Light your butane mini torch and heat the wire first. Heat it about 1" from the dial. Within about 3-5 seconds the flux should start to melt. At this point give the dial a few brief (emphasis, BRIEF) passes with the torch - alternating between the wire and the dial back. You should see the solder gets sucked right up to the wire and against the dial. All said and done this takes about 10, maybe 15 seconds. Let the dial and wire cool down.
Ooo! You have a nice solder joint holding your new dial foot in place.
Snip your dial foot to length. You can clean up the solder and wire with you Xacto knife, smoothing and cutting away any excess material you don't want. Just don't cut too much, it is holding the foot in place.
Oh! And since there was no direct heat applied to the dial via, say, a soldering iron, no burn marks on the front side of the dial!
I've been practicing on a spare dial I have. I'd recommend doing the same before trying this on some expensive Vietnam dial that only comes with gen dial foot locations (like who can afford a gen movement...ETA all the way!)
Good luck and thanks for looking!
