Laying down some primer

I cut a 29mm dial blank with a date window, then spent time bringing it closer to shape by hand — filing, sanding on the whetstone, washing it thoroughly, degreasing it, and finally laying down primer. It is now curing overnight, and tomorrow I’ll see how the surface takes paint.

Today’s main lessons were practical ones.

First: wear gloves.

That sounds obvious, but it becomes more obvious after you have spent real time getting paint off of your hands.

Second: I need a comfortable airbrush cleaning rhythm.

The airbrush itself is not complicated, but it clearly rewards discipline. Cleaning cannot feel like an interruption or a separate chore. It needs to become part of the painting process — something automatic, repeatable, and boring in the best possible way. If I am going to use this tool regularly, the cleanup has to be as familiar as loading paint.

The primer mix was also a reminder that “close enough” may not be close enough forever. Today I eyeballed the thinner-to-paint ratio at roughly 1:10. That may be fine for early experiments, but as the work gets more serious, I suspect this is one of those variables that needs to become more surgical. Dial work is too small, and surface quality too unforgiving, to leave too many things to feel.

For now, I am trying to resist the temptation to rush. The dial is primed. It can cure overnight. Tomorrow it gets paint.