shadeone Posted May 8, 2012 Report Share Posted May 8, 2012 (edited) So I decided to get a new sterlie dial for my Trevor 5517 Milsub. I was wondering if there is any place that you guys know about that would be able to just print only the "T" in the circle on the dial just below the hands?: I have contacted about 6 different dial restoration places and only one of them has got back to me with a price of over $100 PLUS I would have to ship it to Spain. There has gotta be a cheaper (and closer) alternative! Thanks! Jamie Edited May 8, 2012 by shadeone Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rolexaddict Posted May 8, 2012 Report Share Posted May 8, 2012 here in Paris I pay 130 euros for a refinishing or adding text , plus 180 euros for a photo/engraving plate if the shop doesn't have the right design or fonts for the considered dial, also, if the dial is identified as a rep dial , the shop call the police Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drury Posted May 8, 2012 Report Share Posted May 8, 2012 you could use a decal I suppose, there're a few experts on here, maybe the could print one for you! cheers, tim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shadeone Posted May 8, 2012 Author Report Share Posted May 8, 2012 here in Paris I pay 130 euros for a refinishing or adding text , plus 180 euros for a photo/engraving plate if the shop doesn't have the right design or fonts for the considered dial, also, if the dial is identified as a rep dial , the shop call the police Wow, thats a lot of money! ha! And no this isnt a rep dial, its completely blank, I just want the "T" because it is a distinguishing feature of the Rolex Milsub and Im doing an homage watch, not a rep (yet) you could use a decal I suppose, there're a few experts on here, maybe the could print one for you! cheers, tim Now that could work! Hopefully one of them chimes in on here! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lemmy Caution Posted May 8, 2012 Report Share Posted May 8, 2012 Anyone do this in USA/CANADA? I need to add L before and after Swiss Made on a 114 Sent from my DROID BIONIC using Tapatalk 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoeyB Posted May 9, 2012 Report Share Posted May 9, 2012 Ink jet water slide decals come two ways, clear and white. Ink jet does not print white. On the white decal paper anything you print is what you get. JMB has a different setup than I do, and his will print white. The clear decal paper is great for dark printing, but the lighter colors are more opaque, the background shows through. I use the clear on dials because I think the lettering coming from the background looks more crisp. I paint the dial white or creme for the background. You print at photo quality, so it is capable of being sharp and clear. Use Photo Shop or any other photo program to size, tweak, adjust or anything else to the picture to be printed. I print at the highest resolution for sharpness. You can find water slide decals at most any hobby shop. I use Hobby Lobby because they have 40% coupons all the time, so it costs about $8 for a package that will yield more than 50 dials. I use a setting solution called 'Micro Set'. It makes the decal stick better, and easier to work with. You must use a sealer to seal the printing on the decal. The stuff the hobby shop sells makes the ink bleed, especially noticeable on a white dial. Instead use Krylon Crystal Clear spray. It comes in gloss, matte and flat. The ink does not run with this, you can seal about an hour after printing. It is under $4 at Walmart, and over $7 at Hobby Lobby! This sealer will give you the finish you want, aged, spider-webbed, patina or smooth. The most difficult is glossy smooth. It has to be dust free. On the aged dials for my 6542 and 6204 I put it on thick and get a nice aged spider web effect. Very thin will give a patina look. Experiment a bit, and it becomes obvious to get what you want. The pictures you get from the internet will work, but be prepared for them to be a little out of round. Unless the picture is taken perfectly it won't be round. You can fix that with your photo shop program. Then it's practice. Make your picture, size it and print. Then seal it, cut it out, put some Micro Set on the dial, wet the decal and slide it on. Use a Q-tip to smooth it and get any bubbles out. It will move, so be gentle. I use the Styrofoam that comes with meat from the butcher to work on dials. The dial feet sit in the Styrofoam so it doesn't move and doesn't hurt the legs. The tip of your finger on the edge will hold the decal in place while you slide it on. You've got a good minute to position it, so don't rush, but be ready to be quick. It will not look perfectly smooth at first. As it dries it stretches itself taught because of the Micro Sol. I wait at least an hour to trim out the holes using a razor knife. For the date window it is a little tricky. The decals are a vinyl, so when cut they leave a little 'hanging chad'. I tried all sorts of ways and have a method I like best. I cut the decal over the date window in an 'X' corner to corner. Then using a toothpick,. I wet the back of each triangular piece of the decal, one at a time. I then push that triangular part through the window and fold it over onto the back of the dial, and stretch it a bit until it sets. That takes some practice, but is makes a smooth finished look, especially on beveled windows. I use a water based acrylic 'Glow Paint' for lume. I use a kid's 99¢ paint set, those dried ones, to tint the lume. It last about as our Chinese reps do, not a Super lume at all. Pretty much, it takes practice. But once you get the hang of it there is no limit to what you can do. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
archierocks Posted May 9, 2012 Report Share Posted May 9, 2012 i woke to this knowledge just as i was thinking about it awesome i luv RWG :clap2: :clap2: :clap2: :clap2: 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
offshore Posted May 9, 2012 Report Share Posted May 9, 2012 Similar to what joey B is playing with, I am talking to a guy in India atm, who has a "different" dial refinish process. He takes a dial, and photographs it, then removes the indices, and badges, anything which will come off. His photo is taken in a jig of some type to retain dimensions. He then photoshops the dial picture, to repair and generally clean up the dial and then prints that photoshopped image on to an adhesive film. This is attached to the original dial plate, holes are made for the items to be re attatched, and the indices/badges etc are replaced. Quick, simple and almost faultless as I see it...I'm sure its not that easy however...getting a jig for the camera to ensure 1:1, the actual photoshopping process, and what type of adhesive film and printing is being used, are all unanswered questions at this time. However I am continuing my discussions with him, attempting to glean more info. He has done a number of dials for me...most reasonable prices (From $35- $50) and the finished product is excellent, in fact its not like most refinished dials which look like they ARE refinished...his work just looks like a new dial. Offshore Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoeyB Posted May 9, 2012 Report Share Posted May 9, 2012 It sounds essentially the same, but using an adhesive film instead of decal. Using the jig to get the picture perfectly round and 1:1 makes sense. As I said, most pictures off of the internet are not perfectly framed, so they are not perfectly round. I've adjusted those using my photo program, making a perfect circle and positioning the markers and script properly. As Rolexaddict alluded to, the dial is an issue to be aware of. Without factory authorization it is copyright infringement, depending on the country you're in and the laws there, and it is forgery. For your own personal use there would likely be no issue at all, but to resell could be a huge problem. For us here, when building a watch -especially vintage- the cost of the dial, even repainted/refinished, can be from $100 to $450 or more and most of those are not perfectly accurate. Making an acceptable dial for under $10 plus your own labor to me is the way to go. Obviously it makes the project more affordable, but it also gives latitude to adjust date windows for other movements, or special lettering from limited editions, or customizing. The flexibility is great. The oldest dial I have is over 2 years now, and no sign of deterioration at all, no fading or peeling or bubbling up. I tried to 'age' one by leaving it in direct sunlight all day but with no affect at all. I suspect the decals being made from vinyl are the reason. They are sealed. Anyway, it works for me! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shadeone Posted May 9, 2012 Author Report Share Posted May 9, 2012 are there any methods based on the above that would allow me to just put the letter "T" on there without having to redo the whole dial? The sterile dial is perfect the way it is, I just need a simple letter addition... this is the dial: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoeyB Posted May 9, 2012 Report Share Posted May 9, 2012 Not with a decal, it would show. I would find an artist. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
offshore Posted May 9, 2012 Report Share Posted May 9, 2012 Couldn't you photoshop the "T" onto a clear film, and apply it over the complete dial? O/S Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shadeone Posted May 10, 2012 Author Report Share Posted May 10, 2012 can you print white onto the clear film decals? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoeyB Posted May 10, 2012 Report Share Posted May 10, 2012 Not with a regular inkjet printer. They don't print white at all. JMB has a printer that does print white. Maybe he can tell you more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shadeone Posted June 10, 2012 Author Report Share Posted June 10, 2012 another option... rafflestime has this complete milsub dial with all the rolex printing on it: how hard would it be to get all of the printing off of it besides the little circle t? does rubbing alcohol take off printing without damaging the black base? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gavidoc Posted June 11, 2012 Report Share Posted June 11, 2012 Contact local vinyl printing shops. What you need my friend is a simple print of a circle T as a vinyl decal. Once installed all that is left is the vinyl letter. I get them made for my work all the time at an R&D facility I use. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ipcress Posted April 29, 2014 Report Share Posted April 29, 2014 (edited) Hi there, 1st post to this amazing and most interesting site. Now there appear to be a lot of clued-up and knowledgable people here, I shy away from using the term 'experts' ..but that's just for personal reasons, and I'm hoping a little job I need doing will be answered here. I'm about to order a Deep Sea or maybe a Millgauss from Trusty most probably, they seem to do the best rep 'rolex' for the models I'm interested in, but I need a little job doing on some lettering to the dial and wonder who can do it for me. I've seen the advice on decals etc, but really I need a process/technique AND someone honed in the art that will match it up to the 'Superlative' or other wording - just below and in RED - that is fitting and as good as it could be. So is there anyone here who can do that for me please or recommend someone.. Its not 'just no ordinary Rep watch' that I'm looking to do here....its way more than that. Thanks in advance, Kind Rgds Edited April 29, 2014 by Ipcress Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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