Garlic on hairline dial cracks??? And other 'home' watch remedies...

[D.Reed]

I was reading some older postings and it was mentioned by someone that garlic could be rubbed on fine dial hairlines. I'm assuming that this does something to reduce them or their visibility. Does anyone know anything about this? What about the water in the garlic? Wouldn't this penetrate the crack and make things worse?

Anyone else out there have any other 'home remedies' for anything?

" Pressure makes diamonds..."

[D.Reed]

I was reading some older postings and it was mentioned by someone that garlic could be rubbed on fine dial hairlines. I'm assuming that this does something to reduce them or their visibility. Does anyone know anything about this? What about the water in the garlic? Wouldn't this penetrate the crack and make things worse?

Anyone else out there have any other 'home remedies' for anything?

" Pressure makes diamonds..."

[HenryB]

I use the garlic, and it helps(especially hairlines)

I think what it does, is fills the crack with a white substance, that makes the crack less visible.

Some guys swear by sometype of denture cleaner.

I asked my dentist the other day how he enameled teeth. Appartenly first process is a cleaner/primer, then second process is a enamel. Both are readily available at a denture supply house. I am going to try it one day for chips. :biggrin:

[Jon Miller]

I tried the garlic and could see no difference at all.

I have often though about consulting my dentist, who is a wizard at making invisible enamel repairs and matching shades of white in his cosmetic work. If anybody could do a good dial repair, you would think he could. Maybe for my next checkup I'll take a couple of dials with me and see what he says.

Jon

[ljrusso]

I read once here also that garlic could be rubbed on hairlines. I figured it was just leg pulling. There is however one very distinct consideration. Depending on where you store your watch or watches when not in use you may or may not have a lot of Italians fooling around in your drawers. :rolleyes:

[This message was edited by ljrusso on March 09, 2004 at 16:57.]

[Tom McIntyre]

I have spent quite a bit of time talking to my dentist about enamel repairs.

The materials currently used are very hard acrylics on natural teeth and actual enamels on crown and bridge work. The acrylics would be appropriate for dial repairs, but the standard materials are not white enough for dial work. Human teeth are suprisingly yellow and brown as compared with watch dials.

The UV and/or light curing materials look the most promising but someone would need to develop some new lighter colors than the supply houses I have seen have available.

Tom McIntyre
NAWCC 2nd VP
Tommy the JOAT's Web (http://www.AWCo.org)

[Don Dahlberg]

If you are talking about hairlines, just soak the dial straight in an ammoniated cleaner like Top Job for about three hours. Rince and dry with a clean lint free cloth. I believe that Top Job is no longer on the market, but there are other ammoniated cleaners like it. Some folks us an ultrasonic cleaner and have no problems. Others have told me stories how they have vibrated the dial apart. I do not use an ultrasonic cleaner on dials.

If you want a mild cleaner, I used eye glass cleaner.

Either way, make sure the dial has had time to dry before putting it on the movement and trapping the moisture in the case.

Don

[Jeff Hess]

I feel that the moderator should delete the post "vampire in your pants".

I am ashamed and embarrassed by such thoughts in a forum like this.

As to the phrase "rubbing Garlic on your face" or rubbing garlic on your cracks, well you be the judge.

Embarrassed, JPH

JPH

[DavidEFahrenholz]

Jeff,
I am not sure if you mant to be flip, but I sure chuckled at your comments.

David E Fahrenholz
Fahrenholz Clock & Watch
www.Fahrenholzclockandwatch.com (http://www.Fahrenholzclockandwatch.com)
www.definc.com (http://www.definc.com)
NAWCC #0156368
AWI #0156368

[IMHO]

I'm with Jeff. In order to be diversity correct, I never go near garlic. Besides, you never know when you meet a nice vampiress ...

[Timebuilder]

I have several books that were written in the late 18 to early 1900's. These books mention the garlic method of cleaning out hairlines.

I like to use an ultrasonic cleaner with a heater. This gets everything out.

But back to the books. The purpose of using garlic was not so much as to clean the dial or remove hairlines. It was actually used to neutralize the copper underneath the porcelain from oxidizing which is what makes hairlines more visible.

Now you can use products such as Opticon or automotive wax that can seal the dial from exposure to the atmosphere which will eliminate the hairline from coming back. Opticon will also stabilize the porcelain.

Stan Hoffman
AWI 28827
NAWCC 143298
WWW.HOROLOGIST.COM (http://WWW.HOROLOGIST.COM)

[ljrusso]

I took out the part about vampires and pants!
Louis



PS If in fact my previous joke and also the change really was a problem please let me know and I will take care to remove my post completely. Honestly, it is not my intention to offend (particularly at a site which I enjoy very much)!

[Timebuilder]

Louis......you offended no one. I think Jeff was just joking around. It helps to ease the tension of the day.

I enjoy the jokes and the plays on words we encounter here.

So you did nothing wrong...but gee, garlic in your pants???? I thought Germans....nevermind..

Stan Hoffman
AWI 28827
NAWCC 143298
WWW.HOROLOGIST.COM (http://WWW.HOROLOGIST.COM)

[Jeff Hess]

And what about the other comment? About Italians fooling around in your drawers?

Again, I am highly offended...



JPH :wink: :smile:

JPH

[Timebuilder]

OH man, nothing worse than Italians in my drawers messing around with all the little parts.....

Stan Hoffman
AWI 28827
NAWCC 143298
WWW.HOROLOGIST.COM (http://WWW.HOROLOGIST.COM)

[D.Reed]

Well...I had no idea this post would lead us down the path of various and sundry people in others pants...

But I do appreciate the banter and the advice as well! There is nothing boring about timepeices and those who treasure (replace with obsess about?) them, that's for sure!

Is Opticon an eyeglass cleaner???

" Pressure makes diamonds..."

[time4now]

Originally posted by HenryB:
I asked my dentist the other day how he enameled teeth. Appartenly first process is a cleaner/primer, then second process is a enamel. Both are readily available at a denture supply house. I am going to try it one day for chips. :biggrin:[HR][HR]

I'd check and see if your Insurance will cover it first Henry :wink: