Learning How to Perlage Experiment - Watchmaking Vlog 21

[@jamesriser5305]

Dean, I have a small machine made for doing this. It uses rubber pencil erasers for the rubber tips. These come in long cylinders which can be cut to convenient lengths. The metal is first polished to avoid trying to do the perlage over scratches. Actual diamond dust in oil is used with the rubber erasers. The rubber is not impregnated like a craytex rod. Another method that I have been experimenting with is using small "dots" punched from 3" diameter PSA micro abrasive discs. These are stuck on the end of a chucked wooden dowel and used with oil.

[@DeanDK]

That’s very cool, thanks James for sharing you knowledge and experience with me 🙏🏼🙏🏼 really appreciate it man 😁

[@readrepairs]

Great video. Love this experimental approach.

[@torusbrane5629]

Since the abrasive is impregnated into the rubber, maybe you can have constant air flowing over the piece (maybe from an air compressor) so that way it can keep the brass dust off the piece. That may account for the extra undesirable abrasion you were getting. Also possibly attaching a guide to your jig would allow the drill press to only go down a certain amount. That way it gives you a repeatable hard stop with each pass. I don’t know how you would do it, or if you even can, maybe a long rod attached to the jig that can hit a non spinning part of the press, but it’s just something I thought of. Those patterns are so cool looking! There was one where you mixed the big and small diameters, and that gave a unique look I’ve never seen on a watch before. This is now my second most watched channel on KZbin. I have to watch each video now! Great stuff as always.

[@DeanDK]

Thanks Torusbane, some pretty cool ideas. It’s definitely something I’m going to explore more a bit further down the track. 😁

[@OldSkoolF]

Very Nice job... I will be following your lead!

[@DeanDK]

cheers man! God speed! Wish you all the success 😁

[@boydsargeant7496]

Well done, good try, thanks for sharing!

[@PyroFalcon]

Awesome brother!

[@turlelee2008]

hi, I am a jeweler, and when I was making my final set, in collage nun of my professors even knew what I was talking abought. however, I finally was able to figure out how to do it with a wooden dowl and some 600 wet&dry Dubbel sided taped to the end and simply spun in my normal 10" drill press. I also found the bust eye-watering holographic look, was when I only made an overlap of 50%.

[@DeanDK]

Nice Marcus, that's sooo cool to hear. I think 50% overlap looks the best too! that awesome you did it with wet and dry too 👍

[@ActiveAtom]

Hi Dean, all well said and we are happy to come along while you get this process refined and these processes of finishes honed in on. Thank you for the share. that was a fun experiment on those brass blanks, we think you are doing great here. Lance & Patrick.

[@DeanDK]

Thanks guys!

[@lindboknifeandtool]

Amazing reference, thank you so much

[@DeanDK]

You're very welcome!

[@fabriziodutto7508]

Very well done! Maybe the metal powder can alter the results, you could try to blow out the metal powder between steps.

[@DeanDK]

Thanks for the suggestion, will keep this in mind for the next time I try this out, hopefully very soon. 😃

[@JanBinnendijk]

I like the setup with the pin and the brass "collar" i suggest trying different diameters of the polisher, and different patterns as well.. like going outwards from the center.. I made a "dedicated dril press " for a Proxxon motor with a Proxxon cross-slide, and that suits me well..

[@DeanDK]

Thanks man I will definitely start mixing it up with the different diameters. Yeah that sounds like the best way to do it :D

[@marcn8750]

Well done and thanks for sharing. What do you use for satin finish on stainless steel cases? Thanks

[@WatchRepairChannel]

Looks very nice Dean.

[@DeanDK]

Thanks so much Mark!

[@TheOpera4ever]

Thank you for your video very helpful, beside the tips for the finish what type of holder you are using to hold it in place I’m talking about the one that attach to your drill . Thank you

[@DeanDK]

Glad it was helpful! These can be purchased with the polishing rods. It's the manufacturers collet holder, with straight shank.

[@theselectiveluddite]

Nice; I can identify with the mind set of wanting to make every action the best you've ever done, and then the next one, and so on :)

[@tinker5349]

Hi Dean, very interesting, you may be refering to what is known as the feel. How it feels when you use it, now your bench drill only has a certain amount of feel and you may get a better finish with a sensitive drilling attachement. I wonder if it would help you if you had a horizontal division plate to consistently turn the wheel - disk a set amount around the circomference of the wheel - disk. Your perlage looks good for a first attempt and will certainly get better the more you use the method, hope this makes sense, please excuse any typing errors :-)

[@DeanDK]

Hi Tinker, yes I think I need something a little more sensitive and more speeeeeeeeed! I want to practice and be able to make the division consistent throughout the piece all by hand. So I will practice a lot more, haha. Thank you always providing great advice 😀

[@SavinelliMike]

Awesome stuff mate. Great seeing you learn and progress.

[@DeanDK]

Thanks Mike!

[@LambertZero]

You could try finer abrasives. Finer scratches make it almost into a hologram type effect. It's like giving the surface some depth. Quite spellbinding to look at.

[@DeanDK]

Thanks so much, I will definitely try it

[@LambertZero]

@@DeanDK There's a catch, of course. :-) After you've done that, you can't use any abrasives to clean the surface from dirt or to remove any future scratches. Because that'll take the hologram effect right off.

[@Vinlaell]

I think it would it be cool if you polished same rate whether you're doing the outside or the inside, causing the ones near the center to be more tightly packed I think that would give a pretty cool looking illusion that you're looking down a tunnel

[@Kolmord]

Looks really good, great video! 😀👍

[@DeanDK]

Cheers Kolmord :D

[@LikeDotAudio]

Well done. This was helpful.

[@InfiniteCraftsman]

I don’t know how fast your lathe spins but you could use that and make a jig for the tail stock.

[@DeanDK]

My lathe maxs out around 4000 rpm. I just try to avoid making dust in the lathe if it can avoided. Im super paranoid.

[@JeePeeEs]

yo this was a really great video man!… i bet you’ll make great things in the future

[@tassiespirit]

Great video yet again. Can you give us an show and tell about your lathes please, as I notice you have at least three; Cowell, Myford and Hercus? How and why you use them. :)

[@DeanDK]

Thanks Tassie, hmm that is something I will do later this month I think. Unfortunately I have sold the two Myfords I had before the move.

[@johnvaluk1401]

Another fine video. Some sort of rotary table to control the indexing and hot lapidary wax, superglue or even loctite to secure the work pice to to hold it better and control. Keep it up

[@DeanDK]

Thanks for watching and the advice John, plenty more practice to come!

[@dutchdenson8156]

I wonder if a pitch block would work to secure the work piece.

[@joytekb]

Great journey.Lange & Sohne use pedal instead of lever .

[@robertculliver9120]

If you use Sharpie or Daikin on the piece to begin with it helps with your layout and we'll give you a nice contrast as you work

[@DeanDK]

Thanks thats a good idea Robert

[@newbernwatchmaker3604]

I think I prefer the concentric pattern over a spiral; it looks like the Spirit of Saint Louis!

[@DeanDK]

Thanks man meeee too!

[@dutchdenson8156]

In the movie with Jimmie Stewart I remember them doing the scowling on the Spirit of St Louis on a drill press with a wire cup brush. Now I need to watch the movie again.

[@DavidM2002]

At 4:10 you talk about pumice paste. Google "Clover lapping compound". It comes in many grits. It is also pretty expensive and messy but worth exploring. Even toothpaste is a very fine grit and that will only cost you a walk down the hall to the bathroom. You can buy 3oz tubes of valve grinding and lapping compound online for about $5 and that should be more than enough for an experiment with different grits and much cheaper to experiment with than Clover.

[@DeanDK]

Thanks for watching and making the great suggestions for my next experiments with perlage. 😁

[@jilted1785]

It's aces mate

[@DeanDK]

Thanks Jill 🙏🏼😁😁

[@EmmaRitson]

a straight line pattern might be a better way to get results? finishing parts is something that takes a life time to master.

[@DeanDK]

Cheers Emma, I won't waste a minute in not trying to perfect it :D

[@almaznyshan]

Try these: 1.Lower mill speed to minimum; rub wax on the workpiece; apply linear, not circular. And make another video again if you get better results :)

[@ChoocherFronz]

Great job! Perhaps a light smear of silicone grease could tone things down a bit?

[@DeanDK]

hmm interesting I may give it go next time

[@SnowmansApartment]

i don‘t think it matters if you push hard or soft on the result, but if you use the same pressure everywhere or rather, how far you drill into the object. If you drill the same distance with all points, you will get a perfect result. Those points that are drilled especially deep will show as circles, as the next drill doesn‘t touch the materiel in the deeper circle, right?

[@DeanDK]

hmmm yeah, I think you nailed it right on the money there Snowman! Thanks man :D

[@SnowmansApartment]

Dean DK I actually also want to think about stuff like that soon. I personally don‘t really like patterns like that to be honest. It might take a few years maybe, but if i find something awesome, and think about it, i‘ll let you know haha

[@haruruben]

looks nice, good job! and that's just your first try, I wonder what you'll come up with after some more practice. Good luck! thanks for making these videos!

[@DeanDK]

Thanks man, practice makes perfect!!

[@kolya1803]

Great videos. Are these 1mm pin polishers? Which pin polisher grit did you end up liking the most? Thank you for making these videos.

[@bradmoore4634]

Hey Dean, thanks for the great videos. I really enjoy your videos because the only other source for this information are dusty old books, written in old english that no one understands. Are you using any specific type of brass? I know they have various compositions and I didn't know if you chose a specific variation for certain characteristics. Where do you source the brass from? Thanks again.

[@DeanDK]

Hi Brad, thanks for your comment 😁👍🏼 for machining the watch plates I use C385 brass, or engravers brass. I’m not sure what these brass blanks are, I assume they are engravers brass as I bought them from a jewellery supply house, these are for engraving practice. Thanks for the compliment 😁😁🙏🏼

[@bradmoore4634]

Thank you so much for the reply! I'll be watching you kick some brass ass!

[@bradmoore4634]

Hi Dean, I stumbled upon this discussion on brass. Perhaps it's worth playing around with different grades for ease of watch making: mb.nawcc.org/threads/brass-grades.35821/

[@EricMichalsen]

great job!

[@DeanDK]

thanks Eric :D

[@Goldsmithgod]

Could you not do it in the lathe with an indexing attachment? And you could set your depth/pressure exact that way?

[@DeanDK]

You could but I think the setup will take so much longer. Several hours of practice and one could do it really well by hand 🤚 also with one hand on the material and the other on the lever you have two feedback receptors feeling the work you’re producing.

[@kazsmith8422]

Well done Dean 👍

[@DeanDK]

Thanks Kaz

[@InfiniteCraftsman]

I laughed a little too hard at the uncle comment🤣

[@DeanDK]

Haha thanks man

[@ontheotherhand6490]

Am I right in saying perlage is also used to capture the small particles of metal and keep them away from the movement?

[@DeanDK]

🤔 hmmm not too sure what you mean. I am lead to believe that Watch finishing is only visual and has no technical value

[@dutchdenson8156]

This same process is used on firearms and known as " jeweling" and not only is it for appearance but the tiny grooves provide an area for lubricant. Combined with the retained film of lubricant the surface contact between moving surfaces is reduced thus providing a more friction free moving part. At least that's the theory espoused by the old Gunsmiths.

[@duc696monster6]

So what color did you go for and what diameter?

[@Kairosdex]

Dang it looks surpsingly sexy. Where do you get these circular blocks of brass? I really wanna give this a try (I don't own any of the tools you have though so i'm gonna do it super hardcore manually with a pen or something with sandpaper wrapped round the end).

[@DeanDK]

I think it will work using your method too Herb. I bought these from a jewellery tool supplier. I believe they are for practicing engraving.

[@SighsInternally]

What grit did you use

[@stefankeet]

If you need information for different finishing you are welcome if you have questions. (If you look on Instagram "Ketelaars Watches" you can see some examples of finishes I applied)

[@DeanDK]

Thanks Stefan, whoa you doing some awesome stuff. :D

[@ruannaude4086]

What year are you in with the BHI? I’m writing my Unit D1 Theoretical test tommorow, any tips?

[@DeanDK]

Hi Ryan, sorry I couldn’t get back to you. The weekends I try to spend as much time with family.. I hope you went well in your theory exam, I was going to say make sure you understand and can draw escapement action and all the stages. It’s been a few years since I sat the D1 exam. That’s the main thing I remember

[@Anatheme-]

Can you tell me what bits you're using for this?

[@barrycreed6657]

Check out Memoria Tecnica based in Seattle.

[@DeanDK]

Hahaha yes, I made a video about a while back, they do some awesome engine turning and the automata repairs Nico is a master at her crafts

[@toraodlaw7390]

what is the thickness of the brass pin ?

[@DeanDK]

I think they were around 2-3mm

[@nhanprogaming9987]

did u or did u not make the sping ur self ?

[@DeanDK]

I am modifying an existing movement. Swiss made ETA 6498. This is the first watch I want to make. As I can progress my experience, skills, tools I want to make all the parts of the watch.

[@horlogemaker-antwerpen]

I hope the next episode is you doing geneva striping 😊.. I've been experimenting a bit but without great success

[@DeanDK]

Haha, unfortunately, I don't wish to do geneva striping on this watch. But in the future its definitely on the books, or someone may even do a video on it before me. Keep going with your experiments!

[@ontheotherhand6490]

You can get this effect with a mill by just changing the spindle speed and feed mate

[@horlogemaker-antwerpen]

@@ontheotherhand6490 thx!

[@КругловАндрей-и3о]

👍

[@yt66228]

You can fix anything with tape, and if you cant you are not using enough tape!

[@DeanDK]

LMAO!! exxxxxxxactly!

[@campbellmorrison8540]

Neat tool but doesn't this need to be done in an indexer? The slightest difference in centers I think shows in the reflections

[@DeanDK]

Hi Campbell, I don't think it needs to be on indexer, the eye is perfect for the job, and a lot quicker. A bit of time investment in practice will pay off in the long run!