Dinki-Die?

[stales]

(Let's see how many of you get that little piece of strine).

OK; item 220888772562 is claimed to be a die for a RR Special dial. Just wondering - shouldn't the elements (numbers, logo, writing) be back to front?

[CometHunter]

The die (+) makes the transfer(-)...the transfer (-) is then used to make the dial (+).

[GeneJockey]

The die (+) makes the transfer(-)...the transfer (-) is then used to make the dial (+).

It looks like the die is steel, and flat. Presumably the transfer medium is flexible, to print on the curved surface of the dial?

[HamiltonElectric]

Looks like the real thing. I have several original Hamilton dies. That one's a bit scratched up, unfortunately, and those scratches would transfer to a dial as small black marks.

The device that lifts the ink out of the steel die and applies it to the dial is essentially a medium-soft rubber ball. Very interesting to see in operation.

[GeneJockey]

Reminds me of offset printing.

[stales]

OK - insert major league head scratching emoticon here....

So I guess I am confusing a die and (for want of a better name) an ink stamp? Coz ink stamps are reverse images. So the die does not pass the image directly to the dial as would an ink stamp?

Are there any pictorial on line references that show the process?

[Indyago]

OK - insert major league head scratching emoticon here....

So I guess I am confusing a die and (for want of a better name) an ink stamp? Coz ink stamps are reverse images. So the die does not pass the image directly to the dial as would an ink stamp?

Are there any pictorial on line references that show the process?

I would find a more in depth demonstation of this process intriguing as well................

[HamiltonElectric]

I found this illustrated explanation online. This is exactly as I've seen it done at a dial manufacturing company, except that after they have everything perfectly aligned, they would rapidly stamp out a large number of them one right after the other. Dial refinishers have to spend a lot of time setting everything up just to print one single piece. A lot of work!

[stales]

I found this illustrated explanation online. This is exactly as I've seen it done at a dial manufacturing company, except that after they have everything perfectly aligned, they would rapidly stamp out a large number of them one right after the other. Dial refinishers have to spend a lot of time setting everything up just to print one single piece. A lot of work!

Rene - thanks so much - that is brilliant. NOW I get it!

Only question I have now is why is there such a range of gelatin tampons? Some of them are almost conical and I'm wondering what sort of dial would require that.