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Hand luminous repair and stabilization...

M'Bob
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Let's say you have a Speedmaster white hand where the Tritium lume is partially flaked off. Is it desirable to first try and color-match the loss, fill that in, and then apply a binder later for preservation? Or is the act of simply applying the color match to the spot, and extending it along the length of the back of the hand, sufficient for helping to prevent further luminous loss? Thanks.
 
Archer
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It depends on how badly the remainder of the lume is cracked...it can crack in more than just one location.



 
M'Bob
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Thanks. So, given the two examples above, would you just stabilize these with clear binder on the back, or attempt a color match and try to fill in the cracks?
 
eugeneandresson
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My head says : filling in the cracks implies applying pressure... those cracks imply reduced stability ... the chance of totally destroying the lume by trying to 'fill' the cracks is quite high. Maybe a 'hole' is a slightly different story...

But then I am not a watchmaker...Archer will no doubt set me straight.
 
Archer
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Just clear binder...the "cracks" are not really visible with the naked eye, which is why I check hands under a microscope with back lighting.
 
M'Bob
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eugeneandresson eugeneandresson
My head says : filling in the cracks implies applying pressure... those cracks imply reduced stability ... the chance of totally destroying the lume by trying to 'fill' the cracks is quite high. Maybe a 'hole' is a slightly different story...

But then I am not a watchmaker...Archer will no doubt set me straight.
Archer Archer
Just clear binder...the "cracks" are not really visible with the naked eye, which is why I check hands under a microscope with back lighting.

Let's say, though, that the crack was visible without magnification. In either case, isn't the technique to spread the liquid across the back of the hand? So, if you did that with a color match liquid, I'm guessing it's actually too viscous to fill the crack, but would it lessen the appearance of the crack?
 
Archer
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M'Bob M'Bob
Let's say, though, that the crack was visible without magnification. In either case, isn't the technique to spread the liquid across the back of the hand? So, if you did that with a color match liquid, I'm guessing it's actually too viscous to fill the crack, but would it lessen the appearance of the crack?

Not something I've done so I can't comment.
 
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