Jump to content
When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.
  • Current Donation Goals

New Mod To My Frankensub


Recommended Posts

thanks. very simply, i used some masking tape to protect the top side of the insert and i used, very sparingly, a light sanding disc on the dremel and bit by bit, slowly sanded down the underside of the insert, stoping after every few pases to check the fit.

it definatly took some time, and i practiced first on 2 mbw insertsm which are exceptionally weaker then a gen insert, which was suprisingly strong, even after being thinned out. it was a pretty simple job, just requires some patience and presicion, like any other mod.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

thanks tribal, the dial is from el's sub, which was originally what i was gonna use for this project until i discovered the case size and bezel were slightly larger then gen.

i love the way this watch looks once you get that insert trimmed down and the crystal pops out like the gen, looks soooo good :)

as for a gen dial, i'm sure it can be fitted, but being that the lugholes on this case are not exactly right, i'm not gonna put anymore cash into it. gonna drill them the way they are and hope they look ok

Link to comment
Share on other sites

J! Congratulations on a beautiful watch. The insert makes a huge difference. wear it well! :thumbsupsmileyanim:

@ alligoat...IMHO you don't need to get a genuine sub dial. The noobmariner's dial is absolutely crisp and spotless (under a 10xloupe)...a great dial to use...(as is the bracelet!) :victory:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

thanks tribal, the dial is from el's sub, which was originally what i was gonna use for this project until i discovered the case size and bezel were slightly larger then gen.

i love the way this watch looks once you get that insert trimmed down and the crystal pops out like the gen, looks soooo good :)

as for a gen dial, i'm sure it can be fitted, but being that the lugholes on this case are not exactly right, i'm not gonna put anymore cash into it. gonna drill them the way they are and hope they look ok

that looks outstanding!!!

i would say, don't drill out the lug holes yet. i'm working on the plan to drill them biased towrds the center of the lug like we talked about in our PM's.

our TW Classics are so hard to find, i wouldn't risk ruining a nice piece.

(on a side note, any one that has a gen insert like lions&tigers that they want to sell me, just PM me )

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'd be curious to hear about your plan!

@chief - lions and i have been continuing the discussion that you and i were having regarding the use of a drill press. my talks with machinists has indicated that if the drill bit length is dramatically shortened by keeping the bulk of the bit up inside the chuck, this will minimize the amount of flex that the end of the bit will see.....the bit can then be lowered slowly and thus 'mill' the new hole on the edge of the existing hole. lions and i were considering practicing on an old case to perfect the process. the lug holes are going to be the last thing i do on my frankensub, that is using the tw classic case, so it will give us time to test things.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

@chief - lions and i have been continuing the discussion that you and i were having regarding the use of a drill press. my talks with machinists has indicated that if the drill bit length is dramatically shortened by keeping the bulk of the bit up inside the chuck, this will minimize the amount of flex that the end of the bit will see.....the bit can then be lowered slowly and thus 'mill' the new hole on the edge of the existing hole. lions and i were considering practicing on an old case to perfect the process. the lug holes are going to be the last thing i do on my frankensub, that is using the tw classic case, so it will give us time to test things.

Yes, please do test this on a case that you don't care about first! I'll be interested to see your results. I would be tempted to shorten the drill bit with a hacksaw so that you can get as much as possible up into the chuck and leave almost precisely what is needed to clear the lug sticking out....

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yes, please do test this on a case that you don't care about first! I'll be interested to see your results. I would be tempted to shorten the drill bit with a hacksaw so that you can get as much as possible up into the chuck and leave almost precisely what is needed to clear the lug sticking out....

EXACTLY.....that is exactly the line of thinking that i was taking too!!!

i'll be out of country for most of Nov and plan to do the testing when i am back and around the house for the holidays. sorry lions if that timing is not quick enough.....i have too much travel and work in the next several weeks.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm interested in your expierience of lugholedrilling too...

On my Franken the Lugholes where correct....

I think thats a TW case problem,i've heard this often...

By the way Lion,

when you drill out the hole for the tube...

Drill in more steps,because the material on the caseback is thin...

RG Tribal

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...
Please Sign In or Sign Up