hologramet
Getting To Know The Place
- 24/6/13
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Making a gilt dial (not decal)
- Thread starter chrome72
- Start date
Talked to a technical scientist at the Nickel institute (for all things nickel) and I showed him varying tropical dials (black/yellows, browns, light browns, reddish) and asked him if black nickel could oxidize in those colors and he said yes they could. The potential for change is most predicated upon a low ph level for the plating bath and the components of the plating solution and the addition of temp/humidity over time. The breakdown of nitrocellulose lacquer in dials that turned tropical is what could allow moisture to seep in and oxidize black nickel. Makes me wonder how the Vietnam dial makers make tropical dials.
he pointed me to a 1976 NASA research paper which broken down the effects of temp, humidity, ph and one other things in terms of black nickel oxidization.
he pointed me to a 1976 NASA research paper which broken down the effects of temp, humidity, ph and one other things in terms of black nickel oxidization.
The first versions (MKI and MKII) were both lacquered with nitrocellulose and the MKIII’s were lacquered with acrylic which is why the MKIII’s are in much better condition today than the MKI’s and II’s. It’s crazy to think how fast the materials and build process was adapting and improving back then, they were constantly testing and updating and refining to make a better tool watch.
So I may have figured out tropical oxidation thanks to the secret techniques of marijuana growers (not kidding there). Here is a roughly 24 hour forced oxidation (no chemicals, not paint, no heat) of a test black nickel plated dial. Definitely some tropicalization going on. The brass gilt details have remained brass colored. Parts of the black nickel are now turning orangish. The dial was previously 100% black. Kind of reminds me in spirit of this topical dial https://www.isringtime.com/archive/d...y31a6yfir3dpzg
What do you guys think? I think the thickness of the plating is going to play a big part. I am willing to bet this is an unwieldy process to replicate and get consistent results.
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It looks like a distant nebula! Very attractive, and it does look somewhat like the linked dial, but lacks that dial’s fine gradation in tone. And because it lacks graduation, it looks a bit more like a dial with severe damage, rather than long-term UV fading.
It’s still very interesting, promising progress. Bravo!
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
It’s still very interesting, promising progress. Bravo!
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
proof of concept though! Just gotta figure out magic ratio of of degree of exposure and time
8 days in. Browns are coming out. Browns are coming out in random spots too. I have another goof up dial that I am testing but this time tweaking the method to tropicalize.
I’m sure it would look a lot better if the plating was thicker elsewhere and it had lacquer. But again proof of concept of diy tropicalization via oxidation!
My cliche is giving me alignment problems (my fault). I have been tinkering again with toner transfer just to goof around with tropicalizing test dials so when I’m up and running again my coatings are good. Here is one that turned out chocolatey brown.
Another tropicalization reject dial test. Straight up oxidation. Got the browns I’m hoping for.
I am really excited about the color. Laid it on top of my regimariner for contrast. Just gotta nail down my masking technique.
bigtiddygothgf
Active Member
- 7/10/18
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Here is a couple coats of nitrocellulose lacquer. Not polished. I think it darkened the colors a bit.
here is a video showing color changes in sunlight and inside https://vimeo.com/691914749
Another one. I think I finally have my process down for centering the artwork on the dial without actually seeing where it is. My 3 year old woke me up at 4am this morning and af r I helped him back asleep my stupid brain went to problem solving for centering and came up with a stupidly simple idea and it worked (or well it will when I have a more
exact system, I just guessed to see if proof of concept would work…I was just barely off guessing and will be right on next go round)
fresh out of oxidizing the metal
1 fresh coast of nitrocellulose lacquer.dial is half in sun half in shade to show contrast of detail
exact system, I just guessed to see if proof of concept would work…I was just barely off guessing and will be right on next go round)
fresh out of oxidizing the metal
1 fresh coast of nitrocellulose lacquer.dial is half in sun half in shade to show contrast of detail
Tudor 7928 tropical dial. this time in a proper case/crystal. Put in a half sun half shade picture to show the color difference.
