Insert Bleaching With Drano (Lye)

[Martyd3]

WSO insert soaked for 2 - 3 minutes.

Gen insert soaked for 4 - 5 minutes.

I've posted this technique in another post asking why bleach is not doing the job in fading inserts. In my opinion, bleach is not a strong enough agent to do the job. If it's working for you, the insert is not of a very high quality.

I've gotten lots of question about how to use the Drano. Any drain cleaning product containing lye (sodium hydroxide) will work.

I use straight drano in a small glass bowl. Please be very careful. The stuff is very caustic. It can blind you! I recommend using rubber gloves and eye protection. A small amount is a glass bowl is not going to asphyxiate anyone. You can safely do this indoors.

Put the insert in the drano and stir it around for 30 seconds or so. Take it out, rinse with water, dry off (you wont see how well it's faded when wet) and check the color. Redo the process until you are happy with the amount of fade. It will take anywhere from a minute to five minutes, depending on the quality of the insert.

WARNING: Remove the plastic pearl before you start. The Drano will dissolve it. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!

Good luck.

Marty

Edited September 19, 2011 by Martyd3

[HauteHippie]

Good stuff, Marty.

[prdubis]

Really love it!!

Maybe better than gen!!!

Martyd3 =

[cib0rgman]

That's what I need I have tried to bleach a Gen insert with bleach with no luck. I guess I have a good quality insert..

[AsiadeCuba]

that gen insert looks amazing. i love that blue-ish color. you can only get it with a gen. whats the specs on the 1680?

[Martyd3]

MBW case aged and drilled for gen spring bars

CG's shaved and gen crown/tube installed

Gen crystal

Aged and relumed MBW red dial

Clark hands lumed to match dial

Serviced Swiss 2836 movement

Aged Gen insert

PT rep bracelet with 580 ends modded to fit the case

Edited September 20, 2011 by Martyd3

[HauteHippie]

did you stick the dial in the lye?

[Martyd3]

Sure did I've got more balls than brains, but I think it turned out beautifully.

[dublinlad]

Clorox Clean Up works very well too and might be a bit safer.....regular Clorox Bleach never worked for me either

[woof*]

Marty, after you posted about the drano in the other thread... I tried it on a few inserts today with great results.

It does work fast, I checked every 30 seconds or so, and seems that three or four times were enough to at least take the shine off and softly fade.

Thanks for posting that!

[Martyd3]

My gen insert went in five or six times for about five minutes total. I would have been very easy to overdo it. As you said, the key is to check it every 30 seconds or so.

[Ephry73]

It appears bleach is not what it used to be.

E

[woof*]

that gen insert looks amazing. i love that blue-ish color. you can only get it with a gen. whats the specs on the 1680?

I thought that too, only gens turned bluish...until I saw LHOOQ's new sub's bluish insert.

Maybe it's just dumb luck how chemicals react. This is a stock Josh 5512 insert that turned bluish.

After about six times in drano for apprx 30 seconds at a time. It's more amazing in real life than I can show with my iPhone.

Recognize the watch?

[kbh]

Use pool chlorine instead of laundry bleach and you can get the same effect.

[Watchmeister]

Looks really good. The funny thing is I prefer the bleached look to what really happens to the watches I have owned or seen. All that happens over 40-50 years on watches I have is a couple of scratches and the color and finish looks roughly the same as new.

[asf]

Unless my bleach at home is super ultra strength, thats all I used. Then I sprayed a matte clear varnish