millemiglia Posted November 6, 2007 Report Share Posted November 6, 2007 (edited) Hi everyone! I was wondering how to get rid of the "inaccurate" black inking on the back of the Aquaracer. I know I need some kind of abrasive paste, but being a noob at this I don't know the following: 1)What kind of paste 2)which brand 3) where to get it (as in:what kind of stores/shops feature this kind of paste) Any help would be much appreciated! Edited December 1, 2007 by millemiglia Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pix Posted November 6, 2007 Report Share Posted November 6, 2007 Hi, why not use Acetone ? It does not affect (plain) steel and should remove any type of ink / varnish. It is highly recommended to remove the caseback first, so that Acetone does not affect any other soft or non metallic part. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
millemiglia Posted November 6, 2007 Author Report Share Posted November 6, 2007 nice suggestion! The fact is I heard someone else did it with an abrasive paste so I guessed it's the best method... Did anyone actually used acetone on watches? (by the way, the back is full SS so a cotton stick with acetone could work even without removing the case-back?) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pix Posted November 6, 2007 Report Share Posted November 6, 2007 Probably yes, but the job might be longer, as you won't be able to soak the thing into acetone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rolexman Posted November 6, 2007 Report Share Posted November 6, 2007 (edited) You can also use cloth with some paint thinner. Just make sure you cleanse it with water afterwards! Edited November 6, 2007 by Rolexman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
millemiglia Posted November 6, 2007 Author Report Share Posted November 6, 2007 You can also use cloth with some paint thinner. Just make sure you cleanse it with water afterwards! That is something I would like to know:what shops sell it, which brand should I go for? For Pix: my problem with removing the case is that you lose water-proofing (if there's any). It is not sufficient to re-close the case tightly, a new perfectly compatible gasket must be installed (and the old one tossed away). If I can avoid that it would be nice, otherwise there is some extra work waiting for me... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rolexman Posted November 7, 2007 Report Share Posted November 7, 2007 That is something I would like to know:what shops sell it, which brand should I go for? No particular brand.... you can buy it in every hardware store. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
z3k0 Posted November 7, 2007 Report Share Posted November 7, 2007 ... For Pix: my problem with removing the case is that you lose water-proofing (if there's any). It is not sufficient to re-close the case tightly, a new perfectly compatible gasket must be installed (and the old one tossed away). If I can avoid that it would be nice, otherwise there is some extra work waiting for me... Are you aware you are talking about rep here ? I fairly doubt any of gaskets in our watches are "perfectly compatible" let alone changed every time caseback is opened Maybe some of the resident watchmeisters may correct me, but if gasket is not damaged it is enough to put some silicone grease on it, place it correctly and tighten caseback - if it was waterproof before it will certainly remain that way. regards Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
docblackrock Posted November 7, 2007 Report Share Posted November 7, 2007 Honestly guys you don't need to remove any caseback, that's just overkill IMO. Paint thinner/remover from any model shop combined with a Q-Tip/cotton bud and a cloth to wipe does the job just fine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
millemiglia Posted November 7, 2007 Author Report Share Posted November 7, 2007 Thank you guys, I'll go for the paint thinner and see what results I get... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sammalone Posted November 8, 2007 Report Share Posted November 8, 2007 Can't wait to see pics of the finished project! Good luck! PS: Do it in a well ventilated area....that paint thinner can make you woozy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
millemiglia Posted November 9, 2007 Author Report Share Posted November 9, 2007 Since I had it at home I tryed Acetone first (the kind used for nails) it didn't even remotely work!! Not even a taint of black on the q-tip/cotton bud!!! Is that normal? Tomorrow I will try some ultra powerful paint thinner from the local hardware store... My question is:is it sufficient to soak a cotton bud in these solvents to work on the inking, or should I detach the case back and submerge it in paint thinner completely (and leave it there for hours)? That balck inking looks extremely sturdy... :cc_confused: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pix Posted November 9, 2007 Report Share Posted November 9, 2007 The Acetone for nails is in fact a soft thinner that contains very few acetone (fortunately for our ladies ) Acetone should be the one used for varnishes or painting, i.e. pure one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
millemiglia Posted November 9, 2007 Author Report Share Posted November 9, 2007 The Acetone for nails is in fact a soft thinner that contains very few acetone (fortunately for our ladies ) Acetone should be the one used for varnishes or painting, i.e. pure one. Told you I'm a noob! When I called the hardware store yesterday they told me they have a powerful solvent that mixes pure Acetone and Nitro (???) that sould work... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pix Posted November 9, 2007 Report Share Posted November 9, 2007 When I called the hardware store yesterday they told me they have a powerful solvent that mixes pure Acetone and Nitro (???) that sould work... Better to remove the caseback then... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
docblackrock Posted November 9, 2007 Report Share Posted November 9, 2007 Posted this quick and dirty pic in my review back in August.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
P4GTR Posted November 9, 2007 Report Share Posted November 9, 2007 (edited) man, paint thinner will work just fine. If they ask for specifics say its for enamel. Airbrush thinner or model paint thinner is what your looking for if you have a hobby shop nearby. Dont remove your caseback if you dont have to. Like Doc said, overkill. Just keep it away from the seams, that stuff will melt plastic, let alone eat up an o-ring. Have you even checked the caseback? It may be loose from the factory, most of the time they are. Edited November 9, 2007 by P4GTR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
millemiglia Posted November 12, 2007 Author Report Share Posted November 12, 2007 I had to do with the nearest hardware store for now, they game me a powerful solvent used to clean "Graffiti". I'll try it out tonight, fingers crossed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
millemiglia Posted December 1, 2007 Author Report Share Posted December 1, 2007 (edited) After sometime I finally got to do the work and here is the result (sorry for all that dust): It wasn't that easy though, it took 1 hour of work not 5 minutes and no qtip worked (I had to stick a needle in, and work every letter one by one!!) The wrong thinner maybe? Edited December 4, 2007 by millemiglia Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slartibartfast Posted December 1, 2007 Report Share Posted December 1, 2007 After sometime I finally got to do the work and here is the result (sorry for all that dust): Worth all the effort though. It looks good! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
millemiglia Posted December 4, 2007 Author Report Share Posted December 4, 2007 Worth all the effort though. It looks good! Indeed, still I wonder if a better solvent/thinner would have saved me from 1 hour of hard work :cc_confused: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ruelcortez Posted December 20, 2007 Report Share Posted December 20, 2007 Indeed, still I wonder if a better solvent/thinner would have saved me from 1 hour of hard work :cc_confused: Don't spend too much time and causing damage to your watch. I used only Acetone (used for nail paint removal) and a piece of cotton ear bud. It safer to your fingers and to your watch as well. I tried to use a sewing needle once but it sometimes scratches the entire back so I stopped and changed option. It worked really well. I only spent 15 minutes to give it a flawless look (just like the gen) Here's the technique: 1. Put the end of the cotton bud into the bottle of acetone. 2. Rub it gently first to each word, Then as it start to get the acetone into each letter, rub it quite harder. Do this to each word. Until no sign of paint is visible. 3. Wipe it with a dry soft cloth. Should give you result like this: now its 99% accurate to gen... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
millemiglia Posted December 23, 2007 Author Report Share Posted December 23, 2007 maybe I tried the wrong acetone, the one I used at first (fingernail type) didn't do a thing to the paint. I then used a mixture of Nitro and Acetone and still I needed a metal needle and a lot of time. A friend of mine suggested absolute Nitro as it melts even plastic (go figure paint, absolute nitro is used to remove car paint when they do paint jobs). The important thing is to avoid both scratches and 3 hours hard work... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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