How to make a true gilt dial on the cheap - Tropical or Black

[chrome72]

@jewelz read this https://kaminskyblog.com/2018/10/31/how-to-patina-a-bronze-dive-watch-at-home/
There is a link to a blue patina for brass. You could just speckle it on by flicking a brush or something creative like that

 

[369mafia]

I used to follow a guy on IG that had an Oris bronze diver and he would patina it all out like that with vinegar fuming

 

[369mafia]

I used to follow a guy on IG that had an Oris bronze diver and he would patina it all out like that with vinegar fuming

 

[rangan]

SULPHUR BEEL is widely used for both brass and copper if you want an oxidized green

 

[chrome72]

Tried out a new oxidizer today. Was supposed to be an orange rusty color but it came out molted brown/black. Waiting for the product manager to help me trouble shoot. Figured I’d post a video to show how lit up the dials get when light hits them.

Made a Tudor 7928 and put it in a case and with the M38 oxidizer I mentioned the dial can appear black or brown depending on the light. These pics are of the same dial with one being in the shade and one in the light. This dial was almost perfect, tiny imperfections in someone the text here and there and then I dropped it right after I rinsed it off post acid bath. The remaining liquid gave almost a wavy look to one portion on the bottom of the dial, almost looks like a tiny bit of water damage. It’s not bad just not what I want. Happy to give this one away if someone wants to lacquer it and lume it. It’s a 26mm dial and will fit the cartel 5512/5513 cases.

 

[369mafia]

hot damn that looks awesome...dude youre killing it. I will take one of everything.

 

[Danza1813]

Anyone able to recommend an oxidising agent available in the uk that will provide a black finish?

 

[chrome72]

Anyone able to recommend an oxidising agent available in the uk that will provide a black finish?

i have used brass black by birchwood casey. its widely available worldwide. Its a deep black.

 

[chrome72]

i have used brass black by birchwood casey. its widely available worldwide. Its a deep black.

here is a test i did way back when and you can see how black it got. Once lacquer on it is a deeper hue of black https://forum.replica-watch.info/threads/making-a-gilt-dial-not-decal.9766386/#post-9778188

 

[Danza1813]

i have used brass black by birchwood casey. its widely available worldwide. Its a deep black.

Yeah just seen it. I’ll give it a go. Can’t wait to give your method a try @chrome72 My waterslide decals keep failing time after time as the krylon thins the print and the gold colour from the dial shines through in artificial light. I’ve even tried to double up on decals but it’s near impossible to get a proper overlay.

 

[Danza1813]

Just need an equivalent thread on how to mix and apply faux radium lume plots now!!

 

[chrome72]

Yeah just seen it. I’ll give it a go. Can’t wait to give your method a try @chrome72 My waterslide decals keep failing time after time as the krylon thins the print and the gold colour from the dial shines through in artificial light. I’ve even tried to double up on decals but it’s near impossible to get a proper overlay.

With my method, the brass lights up like lightning. I have a youtube video earlier in this thread of it.

 

[chrome72]

This is the next zooming I can do and getting a good pic. You can see the crispness of the text. The squiggles on the logo are in the design itself so not a result of the process.



What is also reassuring is I came across a thread on RWI where the poster put a good close up shot of a tropical Vietnam 6542 dial

GMT Master 6542 Project

First I’ll bring you up to speed as this project has been ongoing for years. I can’t count the number of replica 1675’s I’ve built/modified/fantasied. These have been mostly to sell, trade, or modification commissions. I have loads of broken down movements, inserts, crystals, crowns, and GMT...

forum.replica-watch.info

My dials look very close to the various shades of coloration.

It really makes me wonder knowing how a very specific chain of events have to happen at time of plating and post plating to have a dial turn tropical if the Vietnam dial makers are doing exactly what I am doing…forcing oxidation on pure brass via an acid and not plating the Vietnam dials at all.

I have a raffles 6538 case coming in about 2 weeks along with a set of tiger concepts hands and a nh35 movement already waiting for a dial. I will finally get around to luming and bringing my first complete project to life.

 

[chrome72]

I meant to type that the gmt dial in my post above is a Vietnam dial from the thread I linked. Zooming in and studying the Vietnam dial vs looking at my dial in the flesh makes the dials look awfully similar in color and how colors change sporadically.

 

[369mafia]

Awesome.. I think you have inspired me to give this a go in the not too distant future.

Now where is that link to all the art work that everyone did and posted in the decal dial thread. we need to save multiple copies so that those are not lost and it will save us all sooo much time!!

 

[chrome72]

Awesome.. I think you have inspired me to give this a go in the not too distant future.

Now where is that link to all the art work that everyone did and posted in the decal dial thread. we need to save multiple copies so that those are not lost and it will save us all sooo much time!!

I think a lot got lost after the recent change to the site. They used to be on page 47 of the gilt decal thread but no longer. There is a thread over at rwg that still has a lot

Decals print dials

rwg.cc

 

[chrome72]

For those interested I convinced an aliexpress vendor to list bare brass dials for the nh35 on his site for like $3. Pretty darn cheap. Bought a bunch of them.

https://m.aliexpress.us/item/3256804413884378.html?spm=a2g0n.order_detail.order_detail_item.3.2ccbf19ceGRL4P&gatewayAdapt=glo2usa&_randl_shipto=US

 

[chrome72]

The pinion opening hole is 2mm and can easily be enlarged for whatever movement if needed. Can always snap off the dial feet and use dial dots.

 

[jamiex]

For those interested I convinced an aliexpress vendor to list bare brass dials for the nh35 on his site for like $3. Pretty darn cheap. Bought a bunch of them.

https://m.aliexpress.us/item/3256804413884378.html?spm=a2g0n.order_detail.order_detail_item.3.2ccbf19ceGRL4P&gatewayAdapt=glo2usa&_randl_shipto=US

Those dials are aluminium and not brass, there’s a load of them on ebay as well and I know because I made the mistake of ordering some.

 

[chrome72]

@jamiex two of the options are titled brass. They were just listed with the aluminum listing because that’s how I entered into the convo with the seller. So here’s hoping there was no lost in translation for bare brass dials.