TeeJay Posted September 1, 2009 Report Share Posted September 1, 2009 I was thinking about this photo Nanuq posted a while back, which showed how the lume had been bleached white by the sun, and the UV had also started to 'brown the dial'. When I tried aging my dial, I did so by baking it under the grill for 30 seconds, and achieved the following result... Obviously a bit too much browning on the dial, but also, the markers are similarly much darker. For my second attempt, I was planning on only baking the dial for 10-15 seconds, to get a less browned result on the dial, but, I'm thinking that the result of the indices would still be too dark, so I've had an idea, and wondered if anyone thought there was any validity to it... Might precisely covering each hour marker with blutac protect it from the heat, while the dial is being baked? Has anyone any other suggestions how I might be able to achieve a baking of the dial while protecting the markers to create that sun bleached look? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paralizer Posted September 1, 2009 Report Share Posted September 1, 2009 Looks like you like your dials "well done." Thanks for posting your methods. I'll be aging some pieces eventually and this will help. hopefully the experts will chime in with some great methodolgy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChipSlap Posted September 1, 2009 Report Share Posted September 1, 2009 What about placing it directly under a UV lamp in the back of a closet or garage? Never done this, just brainstorming. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
docblackrock Posted September 1, 2009 Report Share Posted September 1, 2009 If you're looking to replicate the look of Nanuq's DRSD, you have another problem aside from the indices. The dial text. Crisp white and pinky-red. Yours will turn as coffee-coloured as the unmasked indices have on your first attempt. I don't think there's a solution to be honest - as for the indices alone, I doubt blu-tac would hold up to heat anyway even for a short period, it would probably liquify and mess up your dial. You have to remember that it's not just the years of UV exposure that gives that 1665 that effect, it was specific to those Mk.II dials, the type of paint that was used and how it aged generally (same deal with the rare cream dial Explorer II), hence why it is now known as a "chocolate" dial. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TeeJay Posted September 1, 2009 Author Report Share Posted September 1, 2009 Looks like you like your dials "well done." Thanks for posting your methods. I'll be aging some pieces eventually and this will help. hopefully the experts will chime in with some great methodolgy. I'm definitely a fan of the vintage look, much less low-key than modern box-fresh All I did with the dial was stuck it under the grill for 30 seconds, nothing fancy I'm just wondering if something over the markers might protect them from the heat, so the dial surface cooks, but the markers don't... That said, thinking about it, if the base of the dial heats up, then that would heat the markers from underneath... I think the only way to find out for sure is to actually do it What about placing it directly under a UV lamp in the back of a closet or garage? Never done this, just brainstorming. I think it might work, but, would the emissions of a UV lamp be concentrated enough? I don't want to have to leave it running for 20 years to get the look If you're looking to replicate the look of Nanuq's DRSD, you have another problem aside from the indices. The dial text. Crisp white and pinky-red. Yours will turn as coffee-coloured as the unmasked indices have on your first attempt. I don't think there's a solution to be honest - as for the indices alone, I doubt blu-tac would hold up to heat anyway even for a short period, it would probably liquify and mess up your dial. You have to remember that it's not just the years of UV exposure that gives that 1665 that effect, it was specific to those Mk.II dials, the type of paint that was used and how it aged generally (same deal with the rare cream dial Explorer II), hence why it is now known as a "chocolate" dial. That's some really interesting feedback, thanks You're absolutely right about the lettering as well, I think this might be an impossible idea... I have to admit, I've never tried heating blutac, I'd wondered if it might have baked hard, but thinking about it, you're probably right about it liquifying over the dial, and that's not really the result I had in mind That's interesting to know that it was specific paint involved in the process as well Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gavidoc Posted September 2, 2009 Report Share Posted September 2, 2009 Only way I know of is to put the thing in a UV tester. We have one at work and I played around with a dial. It shoots concentrated UV at an object so that it simulates years of use but in a matter of days. Leave it in for 7 days and you have the same effect of IIRC, 25 years. Turned out ok. I'll try and do another one and show the results. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TeeJay Posted September 2, 2009 Author Report Share Posted September 2, 2009 Only way I know of is to put the thing in a UV tester. We have one at work and I played around with a dial. It shoots concentrated UV at an object so that it simulates years of use but in a matter of days. Leave it in for 7 days and you have the same effect of IIRC, 25 years. Turned out ok. I'll try and do another one and show the results. Now that's a good idea Only problem is getting access to one Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChipSlap Posted September 2, 2009 Report Share Posted September 2, 2009 "I think it might work, but, would the emissions of a UV lamp be concentrated enough? I don't want to have to leave it running for 20 years to get the look " Not so, you'd have the inverse square law working for you. Try JC Whitney. http://www.jcwhitney.com/autoparts/Search?catalogId=10101&storeId=10101&sku=ZX473463&zmam=73771597&zmas=4&zmac=78&zmap=ZX473463 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TeeJay Posted September 2, 2009 Author Report Share Posted September 2, 2009 "I think it might work, but, would the emissions of a UV lamp be concentrated enough? I don't want to have to leave it running for 20 years to get the look " Not so, you'd have the inverse square law working for you. Try JC Whitney. http://www.jcwhitney.com/autoparts/Search?catalogId=10101&storeId=10101&sku=ZX473463&zmam=73771597&zmas=4&zmac=78&zmap=ZX473463 Fantastic, thanks for the link Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
If you see Kay Posted September 2, 2009 Report Share Posted September 2, 2009 Here is my attempt at the aged look. very easy to do, in fact so stupidly easy. I used a washable Crayola childrens dark brown felt marker and just coloured in the markers. Used a Q-tip to smooth it out to the right patina-like hue. Best of all, it is washable in case you don't like the first try. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TeeJay Posted September 3, 2009 Author Report Share Posted September 3, 2009 Here is my attempt at the aged look. very easy to do, in fact so stupidly easy. I used a washable Crayola childrens dark brown felt marker and just coloured in the markers. Used a Q-tip to smooth it out to the right patina-like hue. Best of all, it is washable in case you don't like the first try. Interesting Out of curiosity, has that had any impact on the visibility of the lume? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
If you see Kay Posted September 3, 2009 Report Share Posted September 3, 2009 Well, the stock lume on it was pretty bad to begin with. Just half an hour ago I put the watch under a flourescent light for about 20 seconds and shut out the light and in a darkened room, the lume glowed just as bright. The half life of the stock lume is probably around 10 mins. or so. I wasn't expecting huge lume on this model anyways. I figure it the stock lume on a watch is pretty good to begin with, the crayola felt marker wouldn't make any appreciable difference. The only thing with this method is that you can't really do the dial. I tried using the felt marker over the dial as well; it just have it a shiny glossy wet look. So I just washed it off and did the lume markers and the minute markers and the lettering as well. Oh yeah, the hands too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TeeJay Posted September 3, 2009 Author Report Share Posted September 3, 2009 Well, the stock lume on it was pretty bad to begin with. Just half an hour ago I put the watch under a flourescent light for about 20 seconds and shut out the light and in a darkened room, the lume glowed just as bright. The half life of the stock lume is probably around 10 mins. or so. I wasn't expecting huge lume on this model anyways. I figure it the stock lume on a watch is pretty good to begin with, the crayola felt marker wouldn't make any appreciable difference. The only thing with this method is that you can't really do the dial. I tried using the felt marker over the dial as well; it just have it a shiny glossy wet look. So I just washed it off and did the lume markers and the minute markers and the lettering as well. Oh yeah, the hands too. That's cool that it doesn't affect the lume I just had the crazy idea of using a butane lighter to selectively heat certain areas of the dial (avoiding the text and indices) to try and get the brown look I'll have to wait till I get more parts to try it, but given that it's heat (as was the case with the baking under the grill) I'm wondering if it might work Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
P_Diddy Posted September 3, 2009 Report Share Posted September 3, 2009 take it to one of those sunbed places where you pay by slot/coins Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TeeJay Posted September 3, 2009 Author Report Share Posted September 3, 2009 take it to one of those sunbed places where you pay by slot/coins Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ronin Posted September 3, 2009 Report Share Posted September 3, 2009 Just curious if anyone has Bleached before Baking? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TeeJay Posted September 3, 2009 Author Report Share Posted September 3, 2009 Just curious if anyone has Bleached before Baking? Interesting suggestion... I think it would result in a faded dial, but who knows Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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