I did a search and came up empty. Can anyone advise what to use to fill in the red engraving that is on some of the Illinois movements? Sometimes it looks like the original is a transparent red material, but that may just be my imagination. I’m hoping someone has had experience at renewing the red stuff and can offer some suggestion on what to do and maybe what not to do.

Thanks,

Bruce

Bruce,
You might want to try poster paint. Mix some black & red until you get the color you want and then brush it over the lettering. The nice part is, you don't have to be neat. After the paint dries, (about one minute or so), take the tip of a sharpened toothpick and rub it across the plates. The paint on the plates will flake off, leaving paint in the engraved area. With a little practice it is quite easy. When the watch is next cleaned, all of the poster paint will be removed, but it will NOT affect any of the original paint, so NO permanent change will have been made to the watch.

Ed Ueberall
NAWCC 49688
IHC Member 34
The Escapement

I've heard of people using diluted fingernail polish of the appropriate color, but I've never tried it myself. On movements with black print, I've had good success using plain India ink.

Since fingernail polish is relatively thick, and intended to cover in one coat, it's necessary to "thin" it with an appropriate thinner in order to make it more like the original paint. I don't know for sure, but I doubt that an ordinarly cleaning solution would remove fingernail polish, although it can be effortlessly removed with acetone.

I have no idea what to recommend as a thinner for fingernail polish, but I'd try mineral spirits, or laquer thinner before trying anything else.

===================

Steve Maddox
Past President, NAWCC Chapter #62
North Little Rock, Arkansas
IHC Charter Member 49

Ed and Steve,

Thank you both for your suggestions. If I can't get one to work I can try the other.

Bruce

This doesn't have to do with the movement plates but I just finished restoring an old English Dennison military case back. I first polished the case, then used a toothpick dipped in alcohol to clean out the engravings. Black model enamel was applied with a very small bristle brush to fill the engraved letter/number areas. A clean piece of white paper was rubbed across the case back (twice) to remove any excess paint and then set aside to dry.

Sorry but I forgot to take a picture of it before returning it to the owner.

John D. Duvall
Vice President, Education

What has worked well for me is DyKem (sp)... Most mackine shops have it. It's for painting on metal before scribing it to give yourself a nice visible line for machining parts where a regular scribed line might not be seen. It comes in bottles or spray cans and is available in either blue, red or other colors. It has the appearance of a "candy apple" paint...translucent, but colored. Using a toothpick or some other small applicator as John suggested works well for applying and even after drying the excess can be removed with a cloth and a small amount of acetone quickly wiped over the surface. Anything in the engraved recesses will remain. It comes out great. I've been doing this for years on engraved products that I manufacture and it's always worked well. You can also buy "metal marker" which is opaque...It works well too... It's what auto parts dealers and junk yards use to mark their returns and used parts...
Here's a photo of a faceplate I did this way.....Sorry about the photo, but maybe you can at least get the idea...

[This message was edited by Bill Cobb on January 22, 2004 at 11:56.]

Before & After photos of the old English Dennison military case back John Duvall referred to in his post:





I wish that all doctors were as meticulous as John is!

(If anyone knows what military unit this represents I’d sure like to know!)

Stu

John;What do you mean by"white paper"? Watch paper or just plain copier paper?
"Inquiring Minds Want To Know"

Sam Williamson
NAWCC 154312
IHC Charter Member 14
Member Chapters 96 and 185

John and I were discussing this before he did it. I believe he used paper because he felt it wouldn't conform to the engraving and get down inside it to remove any of the paint. A cloth stretched across your finger will work just fine...