-
Tired of adverts on RWI? - Subscribe by clicking HERE and PMing Trailboss for instructions and they will magically go away!
Decal printed dial
- Thread starter Bart Cordell
- Start date
Well I could put a sunburst effect on the dial plate prior to paint.
then using a semi transparent candy paint where you build up the color with more coats while retaining the pattern underneath I think would give it the right look. then apply the text via decal and then seal with a clear coat which should give it some depth
It could work. Piercing holes in the decal for the indices might be a little tedious to do carefully, but not terrible. Going through a layer of lacquer on top of that would make it more annoying, but I think it could be done. The gold color from an inkjet would be OK, but you might need to fake a metallic look in Photoshop/image editor. (Note that unless you have a white ink tank for your inkjet, which is a possibility, you have to consider your color choices if trying to fake a metallic look since white = no ink = transparent on waterslide decals.) A simple test would be printing on inkjet transparencies (while you wait for your order of decal paper to arrive) and you'll get a sense of what it will look like. The waterslide decal process is quite simple and you shouldn't have any problem. Maybe practice on a few spare dials first, but it took me only a few to get it all figured out.
A second option would be to just print the entire dial as a waterslide decal. Just like a gilt dial, but instead of black print your blue colors. You would probably lose the sunburst effect, but I don't know how well it would be preserved with airbrush paint. (Would you need metallic paint?) Then just apply the indices.
A third option, with its own learning curve, would be silk screening the text on the dial with actual metallic paint. That's what at least one Vietnam maker does. It's also why the SCOC text on Explorer dials from Raffles etc. is larger than gen. Silk screening doesn't let you get small enough on the Explorer dial, but I think the text on a bluesy is large enough that you could. You'd have real metallic gold paint with depth.
A related option, depending on the budget, would be to paint a few dial blanks and send them to a Vietnamese supplier to custom print the text for you. It would be more expensive, but you avoid having to learn how to silk screen.
But you should be able to do it with a decal.
those blues/aqua greens could be gotten by acids on the bare brass. Seeing as how the pattern in the dial isn't uniform, you could probably do a pretty good job at replicating something very close for the base color.
metalandmettle.wordpress.com
I am not sure if that is gilt or not, but once you have the color you like, you could apply toner transfer to it by running the dial/art through a laminator. Once you have your art on the dial, you could then apply a gold foil over the dial with transferred art, and run that through a laminator, peel off and the foil will stick to the toner.
I am sure there are more matt gold foils out there that wont be as bright. Downside, is you would lose dial feet unless you find a heat press and dial in the righ temp/time/pressure.
Thats my 2 cents!
green and blue patinas – metal+mettle
Posts about green and blue patinas written by metalandmettle
metalandmettle.wordpress.com
I am not sure if that is gilt or not, but once you have the color you like, you could apply toner transfer to it by running the dial/art through a laminator. Once you have your art on the dial, you could then apply a gold foil over the dial with transferred art, and run that through a laminator, peel off and the foil will stick to the toner.
I am sure there are more matt gold foils out there that wont be as bright. Downside, is you would lose dial feet unless you find a heat press and dial in the righ temp/time/pressure.
Thats my 2 cents!
I would not need metallic paint as the air brush paint is transparent so the metal plate will provide the metallic effect from behind,
If this dial was black text it would be very easy to achieve but with the gilt text it adds an element of complexity , however the text could be off color I think since it would be blemished somewhat from the tropical effects and paint degradation on the dial (in gen land) .
I think this idea would work and if I nail it...I think they are going to of quite interest to the gold bluesy crowd... I know I will probably build myself one for sure too if this works
those blues/aqua greens could be gotten by acids on the bare brass. Seeing as how the pattern in the dial isn't uniform, you could probably do a pretty good job at replicating something very close for the base color.
green and blue patinas – metal+mettle
Posts about green and blue patinas written by metalandmettle
I am not sure if that is gilt or not, but once you have the color you like, you could apply toner transfer to it by running the dial/art through a laminator. Once you have your art on the dial, you could then apply a gold foil over the dial with transferred art, and run that through a laminator, peel off and the foil will stick to the toner.
I am sure there are more matt gold foils out there that wont be as bright. Downside, is you would lose dial feet unless you find a heat press and dial in the righ temp/time/pressure.
Thats my 2 cents!
I thought of that too , using the acids and film free decals. however the learning curve seems to be a lot steeper
I do like the idea of the lamination I think that would be great, especially over the acid treated plate.
what would be easier using a gilt plate and doing the film free decal technique and blue acids or using the foil laminator ??
I redid my dial file and finally figured out how to use Sunnyscopa. Unfortunately, the glue is much more important than the directions suggest. Now I to flatten the toner to crisp up the edges and remove the waffle texture.
Do you have a link to the jeweler's punch? I know I can drill a hole and spend 4 hours trying to file out the correct rectangle for the date window. Perhaps a link to the vendor that makes this punch? Again, I have the tools, and I can punch a hole. I need a specific punch for the date window though.
You would have to design your own and have it made. It would just be a rectangle that is flared out you could have someone on Etsy actually make it for $25 or so.
think this but with a rectangle. If you were to go this route it might be easier to stamp it in a sheet of brass then cut the circle out with snips and smooth out the cut. It might be hard to get alignment on an already made dial.
