America 250 (part 2)

I made six new dial blanks over the last week, beginning with 0.020-inch 260 brass sheet. I sheared the 4-by-36-inch stock into manageable 4-inch squares, then cut the dials in on the 60w fiber laser.

The good news: I am finally happy with my brass-cutting settings. The blanks came out cleanly, released from the sheet without much drama, and needed only a light sanding afterward. That is a meaningful milestone. Cutting the dial perimeter, center hole, small-seconds hole, and orientation notch consistently is the foundation for everything that comes next.

I also etched pads for future dial feet based on technical drawings - let’s hope this is correct!

With six blanks ready, I took the painting outside for another round of tests. I was not patient enough with one of the blue-grey mixes and added too much thinner, so that dial needed a redo. Rather than lose the session, I used the opportunity to try one dial without primer.

The surprise was the blended blue. It is my first attempt at mixing the colonial blue-grey with a slightly richer blue, and I am very happy with where it landed. It has more life than the single-color version while still feeling appropriate for the July 4th project.

One lesson to carry forward: always spray off the dial before starting the pass. The first burst of paint from the airbrush can leave a heavier blob, visible on one of the black dials in the top row. It is a small thing, but on a 36 mm dial, small things become obvious quickly.

These will cure before heading back under the laser.