UNDER CONSTRUCTION
Howdy RWI's,
I was encouraged by Bonesey to blog a thread on how you, the modding impaired man, can get "the look" at home, yourself with a Dremel and Sandpaper.
I have always been intrigued by the look that guys like Rolex Addict, Bonesey and other created with their builds of vintage Subs and GMTs. Specifically being able to see the sprigbar tips right against the apex of the cases lug holes with this sort of chamfered appearance to the case lug holes. Bonesey patiently told me, over a series of PMs, that, "It is not really chamfered, as Rolex never chamfered the casees shoulder holes, what you see is what replicates 30 years on of polishes and wear. This is the look I am talking about..
Cartel 1675
Cartel 1680/5512/5513 Case
(insert before and after pics here)
Softening The Case
What I have graduated up too is, using a combination of a Dremel...specifically my new 7300 multi speed Dremel. Using varying grits of sanding disks, I take down and roll the sharp edges of the case to simlulate that 30 years of wear. We can get into this technique later if there is a desire.
Softening The Lug Holes
I prsonally used a few different tapered Dremel diamond tips to work the holes sparp edges down. SLOWLY, on low speed just work each hole until I get the sharpness softened. Your own eyes will have to be the judge on how "soft" you go.
Sanding On The Case
I bought various grits of automotive refinishing sand paper, 400, 600, 800 grits specifically. I hand sand the case, every now and again wedging a corner into said hole and giving it a twist, concentrating more on the end case/hole area than the mid case area. (That make sense?)
After just winging it I work the up to the 800 grit paper....I personally stop between grits and dry polish the case to see where I am...and continue to wing it.
The Spring Bars
Here is where it gets really technical and time consuming, at least for me initially because I have about 30 2mm genuine spec aftermarket spring bars from 4 different sources. Having talked to memebrs like Bonesey, jmb and Rick914, they all came to the same conclusion. The style, lenght and tip type all vary from vendor to vendor...no 2 vendors seem to sell the same stuff and 2mm bars for subs usually dont look right in a GMT case and vice versa. I concur with this statement as well. This single issue was the major hurdle for me to finally, over months and months of experimenting, to get to a consistant look. Here is what I did, maybe you can aviod this.
(I suggest taking notes of what item number you buy, what vendor you bought from, what style bar i.e. flat tips, round tips, tight spring tension, spongey tension and measurements of the diameter of bar and lenght. I bag mine in a small zip lock baggies to keep them organized. Having 30-50 bars all loose in a box sucks). Bonesey for example, reworks the tips, whatever style they are to a uniform roundness and polishes them.
End Links
Again Bonesey and jmb both told me that for sure that the Cartel subs and GMTs, the ones we like to use for Tudor Snowflakes and the 1675s, the end links spring bar guides (channels) need to be removed with a grinding disk on a Dremel. The reason is, the cartel cases lug holes are drilled to far back on the shoulders and those guides keep the bars a millimeter'ish to far forward and most times can only snap in one side of the bar...not both without bending the crap out of the bar. In reality the 2mm bar keeps the endlink tightly fitted agianst the cases lugs w/o those channeled guides anyway. THEN the bars snap is effortlessly. :woot:
What bars look better on what case
IMO for Subs, 1680,5513,5512 and Tudor the rounded tipped, tight tension bars work and look best.
For GMTs like 1675s, specifically with a jubilee bracelet, I used flat tipped, spongey tipped bars. Both styles are 2mm bars and roughly 25.xxmm in length.
Unfortunatley I cannot remember what vendor I bought what from but maybe some RWIs can sort that out for us.
Vendors
STime
WSO
Clark
Otto Frei
Here is some data from an order I just made.
Otto Frei
Otto Frei 2mm Rolex Spring Bars
http://www.ofrei.com/page_155.html#9547
Generic 20mm Spring Bar to fit Rolex 23-9291
Special Spring Bars single shoulder, shoulder to shoulder is 19.63mm, pivots 2.8mm long, bar diameter is 2.0.., pivot diameter is 1.2mm.
Populr generic spring bars fit many Rolex cases. Case number 1019-0,1675, 5513/0, 9401/0 Tudor, 9411/0 Tudor, 9402, 9121,9430, 14060, 16800, 16803, 74100, 75304, 76100, 79090, 79160, 79170, 79180.
Swiss Made Spring Bar
Part Number FB-7895
Jules Borel Swiss Made 2mmx1.80mm bar..WOW
These are high high quality....bought these for my Tudor 79280...
Howdy RWI's,
I was encouraged by Bonesey to blog a thread on how you, the modding impaired man, can get "the look" at home, yourself with a Dremel and Sandpaper.
I have always been intrigued by the look that guys like Rolex Addict, Bonesey and other created with their builds of vintage Subs and GMTs. Specifically being able to see the sprigbar tips right against the apex of the cases lug holes with this sort of chamfered appearance to the case lug holes. Bonesey patiently told me, over a series of PMs, that, "It is not really chamfered, as Rolex never chamfered the casees shoulder holes, what you see is what replicates 30 years on of polishes and wear. This is the look I am talking about..
Cartel 1675
Cartel 1680/5512/5513 Case
(insert before and after pics here)
Softening The Case
What I have graduated up too is, using a combination of a Dremel...specifically my new 7300 multi speed Dremel. Using varying grits of sanding disks, I take down and roll the sharp edges of the case to simlulate that 30 years of wear. We can get into this technique later if there is a desire.
Softening The Lug Holes
I prsonally used a few different tapered Dremel diamond tips to work the holes sparp edges down. SLOWLY, on low speed just work each hole until I get the sharpness softened. Your own eyes will have to be the judge on how "soft" you go.
Sanding On The Case
I bought various grits of automotive refinishing sand paper, 400, 600, 800 grits specifically. I hand sand the case, every now and again wedging a corner into said hole and giving it a twist, concentrating more on the end case/hole area than the mid case area. (That make sense?)
After just winging it I work the up to the 800 grit paper....I personally stop between grits and dry polish the case to see where I am...and continue to wing it.
The Spring Bars
Here is where it gets really technical and time consuming, at least for me initially because I have about 30 2mm genuine spec aftermarket spring bars from 4 different sources. Having talked to memebrs like Bonesey, jmb and Rick914, they all came to the same conclusion. The style, lenght and tip type all vary from vendor to vendor...no 2 vendors seem to sell the same stuff and 2mm bars for subs usually dont look right in a GMT case and vice versa. I concur with this statement as well. This single issue was the major hurdle for me to finally, over months and months of experimenting, to get to a consistant look. Here is what I did, maybe you can aviod this.
(I suggest taking notes of what item number you buy, what vendor you bought from, what style bar i.e. flat tips, round tips, tight spring tension, spongey tension and measurements of the diameter of bar and lenght. I bag mine in a small zip lock baggies to keep them organized. Having 30-50 bars all loose in a box sucks). Bonesey for example, reworks the tips, whatever style they are to a uniform roundness and polishes them.
End Links
Again Bonesey and jmb both told me that for sure that the Cartel subs and GMTs, the ones we like to use for Tudor Snowflakes and the 1675s, the end links spring bar guides (channels) need to be removed with a grinding disk on a Dremel. The reason is, the cartel cases lug holes are drilled to far back on the shoulders and those guides keep the bars a millimeter'ish to far forward and most times can only snap in one side of the bar...not both without bending the crap out of the bar. In reality the 2mm bar keeps the endlink tightly fitted agianst the cases lugs w/o those channeled guides anyway. THEN the bars snap is effortlessly. :woot:
What bars look better on what case
IMO for Subs, 1680,5513,5512 and Tudor the rounded tipped, tight tension bars work and look best.
For GMTs like 1675s, specifically with a jubilee bracelet, I used flat tipped, spongey tipped bars. Both styles are 2mm bars and roughly 25.xxmm in length.
Unfortunatley I cannot remember what vendor I bought what from but maybe some RWIs can sort that out for us.
Vendors
STime
WSO
Clark
Otto Frei
Here is some data from an order I just made.
Otto Frei
Otto Frei 2mm Rolex Spring Bars
http://www.ofrei.com/page_155.html#9547
Generic 20mm Spring Bar to fit Rolex 23-9291
Special Spring Bars single shoulder, shoulder to shoulder is 19.63mm, pivots 2.8mm long, bar diameter is 2.0.., pivot diameter is 1.2mm.
Populr generic spring bars fit many Rolex cases. Case number 1019-0,1675, 5513/0, 9401/0 Tudor, 9411/0 Tudor, 9402, 9121,9430, 14060, 16800, 16803, 74100, 75304, 76100, 79090, 79160, 79170, 79180.
Swiss Made Spring Bar
Part Number FB-7895
Jules Borel Swiss Made 2mmx1.80mm bar..WOW
These are high high quality....bought these for my Tudor 79280...
