Decal printed dial

[frankfrank]

Very interesting and calming to watch

 

[Bart Cordell]

Okay...whos is gonna be the first to try this?? I wanna see how it works out for the negative relief dials we do.

I'll give it a try

 

[369mafia]

I'll give it a try

I was hoping you were going to say that my friend. I look fwd to seeing the results..I am sure this is going to be next level!!

 

[Bart Cordell]

I was hoping you were going to say that my friend. I look fwd to seeing the results..I am sure this is going to be next level!!

Ordered…
And it must be possible to print a dial with Red Depth.

 

[djulink]

Ordered…
And it must be possible to print a dial with Red Depth.

Mmm, I like that

 

[Mendota]

Ordered…
And it must be possible to print a dial with Red Depth.

Now you are speaking my language!!!

 

[bigtiddygothgf]

very interested in seeing results from the film-free decal as well but there is one thing I haven't thought of until now. how would one print white text? considering printers just leave negative space where white should be rather than printing with white ink, does anyone have any idea of how make a dial with white text, minute track, coronet etc? is it even possible?

 

[Dan71]

Maybe something like this?


https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https://www.ebay.it/ulk/itm/171660211703

 

[manodeoro]

Maybe something like this?


https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?m...2F171660211703

That decal paper is a 2 layers one ... transparent decal paper applied on a white sheet.
So you can print dial with white parts but you can't get negative gilt.

very interested in seeing results from the film-free decal as well but there is one thing I haven't thought of until now. how would one print white text? considering printers just leave negative space where white should be rather than printing with white ink, does anyone have any idea of how make a dial with white text, minute track, coronet etc? is it even possible?

If you want a black only dial with white printings >>> white decal paper can be the way

If you want to print some white parts on a negative-gilt dial >>> silk-print or pad-print

 

[jimcon11]

Bart Cordell Jsebwc manodeoro
​
The laser process is intriguing but I'm not sure how well it's going to work if you're trying to transfer an entire field of black ink/toner onto a polished brass surface. That's a much different endeavor than what he did in the video, transferring a little bit of text onto white paint. It would be great for adding ink text or for non-gilt dials though.

I think the waterslide inkjet decals are ideal for gilt dials, the only challenge is minimizing the ugly texture of the decal paper.

Has anyone tried other clear coats besides the Krylon Crystal Clear? I find that it is not glossy in the right way, it doesn't help to create a deep black but instead gives off a strange iridescent shine.

Also, what is your technique for sanding the clearcoat? I've been placing the dial face down on a flat surface of polish paper and apply light pressure with my fingers moving it in circular sweeps. But I'm finding that no matter how hard I try to sand evenly, I always get microscopic bumps and divots on my dial. Is there a better technique for sanding/polishing that I haven't considered?

 

[jimcon11]

Here is an example of what I mean. I made the two 5512 dials and the glossy one in the middle is a Vietnam dial. With the Krylon stuff you can never get as deep a black as the VN dial. I sanded these with 1200 grit (to try to eliminate the decal texture) and it gave them a bit of a semi gloss textured surface that looks alright, but I'd like to be able to achieve a deeper black like the VN dial. Any suggestions ?

 

[369mafia]

perhaps try a gloss polyurethane it self levels and is high gloss...slow dry time tho.

 

[bc1221]

I tried to print the template and it came out a bit transparent and not that black as Bart’s. I am not sure where the issue: paper? Printer? Settings?

Can’t you just paint the dial black using spray paint or something before adding the decal?

That’s what I was thinking of trying on one of those explorer dials.



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[WatchN3RD]

Make sure your printer is printing is Black and White mode only. If it is printing in RGB, the results will not be the same. You want pure black on your file, and only black and white on your printer.
Also, automotive clear coats will be better than Krylon. Try a rattle can lacquer and see if that helps. If you’re producing a gang of dials, get an affordable 2k clear coat for optimal clarity and durability.

 

[WatchN3RD]

Forgot to add, never sand in a circular motion. That is a wives tale only good for polishing silver forks and spoons. Sand in one direction, rotate 90 degrees and sand again. Then rotate 45 degrees and so on and so forth. You’ll never get it perfectly flat by sanding in circles.
Lookup some YouTube videos on wetsanding or colorsanding automobiles. Use the same technique but adjust for the miniature size of a watch dial.

 

[jimcon11]

Make sure your printer is printing is Black and White mode only. If it is printing in RGB, the results will not be the same. You want pure black on your file, and only black and white on your printer.
Also, automotive clear coats will be better than Krylon. Try a rattle can lacquer and see if that helps. If you’re producing a gang of dials, get an affordable 2k clear coat for optimal clarity and durability.
​​​​​​
​Forgot to add, never sand in a circular motion. That is a wives tale only good for polishing silver forks and spoons. Sand in one direction, rotate 90 degrees and sand again. Then rotate 45 degrees and so on and so forth. You’ll never get it perfectly flat by sanding in circles.
Lookup some YouTube videos on wetsanding or colorsanding automobiles. Use the same technique but adjust for the miniature size of a watch dial.

Thanks for the advice, it's right in line with some stuff I've been reading. It's starting to look like I should do a batch of a dozen or more dials to take advantage of the 2k clear and limited shelf life of gold electroplating solution.

The one difference between the decal dial and automotive process is that the decal texture needs to be obfuscated somehow along the way. I found that sanding the krylon stuff with 800-1200 grit really does the trick for that, but then the challenge is to somehow restore the color depth and gloss look, perhaps with follow up coats?

I noticed this article suggesting that getting the sanded clear is only the first step, followed by polishing, glazing, and waxing. Do you think any of these products would be useful, specifically the Klasse all in one, sealant glaze, and carnauba wax? It all sounds great but the price of these things adds up quick.

 

[WatchN3RD]

Never wet sand a clear coat with anything below 1200 if you can. It’s almost impossible to take the “sand scratches” out when you go that rough. Some people prefer a final thin coat, but most use compound and polish to restore the gloss. None of the products you’ve mentioned will work. You need a real compound made for actually causing some abrasion. You’re better off trying different metal polishes than any wax or coating, but the metal polishes are still too abrasive for a perfect final gloss. Search eBay for professional automotive compounding products. For instance, Transtar makes a couple that will work. Stay away from the average Joe products intended for a suburban father who has free time on Sundays to wax his car in the driveway. 95% of McGuire’s stuff won’t work. You need something made for people that do that kind of work for a living.

 

[WatchN3RD]

Disregard that “article” you linked as well. It’s only a cookie cutter sales pitch for products, yet it’s disguised as an article. They are extremely common within the realm of non-professional automotive detailing. When in doubt, read the fine print way at the bottom of the article. For instance that article has “We’re a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.” In other words, they are trying to sell you products so they get a sales cut.
Look for a guy on YouTube with a mullet haircut. That’s the guy you can trust! No bullshit!!!

 

[369mafia]

Can’t you just paint the dial black using spray paint or something before adding the decal?

That’s what I was thinking of trying on one of those explorer dials.



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

no...you need the contrast between the dial plate and the decal otherwise the negative space for the text will also be black and you will not see anything..like mentioned set the file to B&W

 

[369mafia]

I noticed this article suggesting that getting the sanded clear is only the first step, followed by polishing, glazing, and waxing. Do you think any of these products would be useful, specifically the Klasse all in one, sealant glaze, and carnauba wax? It all sounds great but the price of these things adds up quick.

If you are talking about the final finish on the decal dial itself before lume then as mentioned never go below 1200 and you can try a scratch and swirl remover. this will polish the surface up to a gloss finish again