You are welcome to use anything I have posted, any way you like.
Any plans for a 308 replica?
I've designed my own Team Ring
Moderator: Styles Bitchley
Re: I've designed my own Team Ring
Very happy to give a good review, Tony, you did a fantastic job on this project.
You are welcome to use anything I have posted, any way you like.
Any plans for a 308 replica?
You are welcome to use anything I have posted, any way you like.
Any plans for a 308 replica?
"C'mon TC...nothing can go wrong!"
Re: I've designed my own Team Ring
A 308 ring replica?308GUY wrote:Very happy to give a good review, Tony, you did a fantastic job on this project.
You are welcome to use anything I have posted, any way you like.
Any plans for a 308 replica?
Well, I've made some cool keychains for the 308!!!
https://www.shapeways.com/product/6MDZZ ... d=42620158
https://www.shapeways.com/product/WZQXU ... d=43553137
You can browse my Automobilia gadgets!!
https://www.shapeways.com/shops/308bits ... utomobilia
Cheers
Re: I've designed my own Team Ring
Tony, I was attempting to make a "joke" , cause I know if you ever made an actual 308 replica, it would be hard to tell from the real thing! I also know I wouldn't be able to afford one!
The key fobs/chains look great, but that's what we've come to expect from you, so no surprise to me.
You are very talented, and I'm glad you used your talent to bring an MPI memento to life.
Keep up the good work!
, cause I know if you ever made an actual 308 replica, it would be hard to tell from the real thing! I also know I wouldn't be able to afford one! The key fobs/chains look great, but that's what we've come to expect from you, so no surprise to me.
You are very talented, and I'm glad you used your talent to bring an MPI memento to life.
Keep up the good work!
"C'mon TC...nothing can go wrong!"
Re: I've designed my own Team Ring
Many thanks pal!308GUY wrote:Tony, I was attempting to make a "joke"
The key fobs/chains look great, but that's what we've come to expect from you, so no surprise to me.
You are very talented, and I'm glad you used your talent to bring an MPI memento to life.
Keep up the good work!
Glad to be useful!
Re: I've designed my own Team Ring
Long time lurker, first time poster, so hi guys!
Ok, so over the years I've had a few team rings - none of them really worth wearing except for the stainless steel one on eBay, it's actually pretty cool. Completely inaccurate but pretty cool. I've always wanted a nice one and I've been thinking about ordering one of Tony's and finally pulled the trigger on May 1st. I did spring for next day shipping and it showed up yesterday. How is it? Check it out:
First off, how's the quality? Amazing. No joke, this ring is extremely nice. You've all seen it before but I was actually blown away by the quality. The details are extremely crisp and the shape of the ring is better than any of the others I've seen and/or owned.
You all know how it's made, 3D printed wax, plaster cast, lost wax. I was curious how long it would take shapeways but they delivered in 10 days. That's pretty good if you ask me. I also ordered the plastic insert and it's, well, inserted in the picture. The insert truly does slip right into place and I can't imagine it ever falling out. It fits that well.
Now, I didn't opt for the gold plating, just went with the polished brass and it looks great. The only downside...it turns my finger black within a couple hours. Keep in mind that everybody has different body chemistry so you may have a different result. I had decided IF it discolored my finger I would take it to my local jeweler and have it plated.
So today I dropped it off. Now, if you carry a piece of brass "costume jewelry" into a high end place, the sales person is probably gonna look down his/her nose at you, lol. I'm shameless so it didn't bother me. Actually, I knew the owner is the head jeweler so after the sales guy said "I'm sorry, sir. We don't work on costume jewelry", I asked to speak to the jeweler/owner. He loved the ring, which actually didn't surprise me. Went on about the quality of the cast and design (hats off to Tony) and then asked where I got it. Oddly enough he'd used shapeways for a few projects so he wasn't put off at all.
We discussed the ring and he said he'd be glad to plate it, so long as I understood it would wear off eventually and have to be redone. I did and said I'd just bring it right back and he could charge me to replate it and I'd leave happy every time. So he's going to rhodium plate and then gold plate it.
I'm also having him inlay enamel epoxy in the recess. NOT because I'm unhappy with the insert, I am very pleased with it. i just can't leave well enough alone, if you know what I mean.
One last thing - if I order another (and I might, just to compare the gold plating) I'm gonna order it a half size larger. I measure out at an eleven and all my other rings are elevens but this one is just a tad snug. Again, your results may vary.
I'd like to thank Tony for the work he put into making his ring and for working with shapeways to make it available to everyone. If you're on the fence - get off and order one of these rings!!
And since someone will be wondering, I paid 40 bucks for the rhodium/gold plating and another 40 for the epoxy enamel inlay. However, I've been a semi regular customer at this jeweler for 25 years. But I can't imagine it would cost much more at any local jeweler.
I'll post up more pics of my ring after it's finished.
Ok, so over the years I've had a few team rings - none of them really worth wearing except for the stainless steel one on eBay, it's actually pretty cool. Completely inaccurate but pretty cool. I've always wanted a nice one and I've been thinking about ordering one of Tony's and finally pulled the trigger on May 1st. I did spring for next day shipping and it showed up yesterday. How is it? Check it out:
First off, how's the quality? Amazing. No joke, this ring is extremely nice. You've all seen it before but I was actually blown away by the quality. The details are extremely crisp and the shape of the ring is better than any of the others I've seen and/or owned.
You all know how it's made, 3D printed wax, plaster cast, lost wax. I was curious how long it would take shapeways but they delivered in 10 days. That's pretty good if you ask me. I also ordered the plastic insert and it's, well, inserted in the picture. The insert truly does slip right into place and I can't imagine it ever falling out. It fits that well.
Now, I didn't opt for the gold plating, just went with the polished brass and it looks great. The only downside...it turns my finger black within a couple hours. Keep in mind that everybody has different body chemistry so you may have a different result. I had decided IF it discolored my finger I would take it to my local jeweler and have it plated.
So today I dropped it off. Now, if you carry a piece of brass "costume jewelry" into a high end place, the sales person is probably gonna look down his/her nose at you, lol. I'm shameless so it didn't bother me. Actually, I knew the owner is the head jeweler so after the sales guy said "I'm sorry, sir. We don't work on costume jewelry", I asked to speak to the jeweler/owner. He loved the ring, which actually didn't surprise me. Went on about the quality of the cast and design (hats off to Tony) and then asked where I got it. Oddly enough he'd used shapeways for a few projects so he wasn't put off at all.
We discussed the ring and he said he'd be glad to plate it, so long as I understood it would wear off eventually and have to be redone. I did and said I'd just bring it right back and he could charge me to replate it and I'd leave happy every time. So he's going to rhodium plate and then gold plate it.
I'm also having him inlay enamel epoxy in the recess. NOT because I'm unhappy with the insert, I am very pleased with it. i just can't leave well enough alone, if you know what I mean.
One last thing - if I order another (and I might, just to compare the gold plating) I'm gonna order it a half size larger. I measure out at an eleven and all my other rings are elevens but this one is just a tad snug. Again, your results may vary.
I'd like to thank Tony for the work he put into making his ring and for working with shapeways to make it available to everyone. If you're on the fence - get off and order one of these rings!!
And since someone will be wondering, I paid 40 bucks for the rhodium/gold plating and another 40 for the epoxy enamel inlay. However, I've been a semi regular customer at this jeweler for 25 years. But I can't imagine it would cost much more at any local jeweler.
I'll post up more pics of my ring after it's finished.
Re: I've designed my own Team Ring
Welcome JAFO!
Beautiful ring....great post....excellent review!
Looking forward to seeing the end result of the plating/enameling.
Is that a GMT Master in your picture......
Tony really did a fantastic job on this ring, and your review definitely does it justice!
Again, welcome aboard!
Beautiful ring....great post....excellent review!
Looking forward to seeing the end result of the plating/enameling.
Is that a GMT Master in your picture......
Tony really did a fantastic job on this ring, and your review definitely does it justice!
Again, welcome aboard!
"C'mon TC...nothing can go wrong!"
Re: I've designed my own Team Ring
Thank you and thanks for the welcome!308GUY wrote:Welcome JAFO!
Beautiful ring....great post....excellent review!
Looking forward to seeing the end result of the plating/enameling.
Is that a GMT Master in your picture......
Tony really did a fantastic job on this ring, and your review definitely does it justice!
Again, welcome aboard!
And yes, that's a 1675 in the picture
Re: I've designed my own Team Ring
I received a message from one of the members here who wasn't able to get an insert for his ring - shapeways said they couldn't make one. And I just may have a solution for anyone else in that boat OR if you simply want yours painted instead of using the insert. Again - the insert is great, this is just another option.
Take a look at this and then I'll explain how I did it below:
Take a look at this and then I'll explain how I did it below:
Re: I've designed my own Team Ring
Ok, see the bezel - the part of the watch surrounding the crystal with the numbers on it is the bezel, which I'm sure most of you already know that 
Anyway, that watch does not have an insert in the bezel like a 1675, for example. It's all one piece. And the bezel was brushed stainless, just like the case, and the numbers weren't painted. So I took a Cape Cod cloth and polished the bezel up to make it shiny and to make it pop compared to the case. Then I used a process I've used on lots of bezels and inserts that actually come out of the bezel - aluminum, stainless, ceramic. What does this have to do with the ring? Well, I believe you could paint it just like I did that watch.
Here's what you need:
Testors enamel paint - I'd use gloss black, same stuff you paint a model airplane or car with
Testors paint thinner - get the larger jar
Several paint brushes - get at least two very fine tip brushes of the same size, this is important
Paint palette - I use one that kinda looks like an egg tray with multiple wells. A bowl will work in a pinch
Paper towels
Beer
Take your ring and clean it really well with thinner. Fingernail polish with acetone will work too. Make sure the recessed area is cleaned well and then let that dry completely.
Now you have to figure out a way to prop up your ring so it sits upright for at least 10 hours without falling over. Once you've got it in a little padded vice or whatever, it's time to mix your paint.
Shake the paint jar really well then take one of your fine pointed brushes and completely submerge the brush in the paint and transfer one drop of paint to your palette or bowl. Do that again so you've got two drops of paint in the palette. Then take your identical brush and dip it in the thinner. This time though you're going to press it against the side of the palette and let the thinner run down the side - you do this so you do not contaminate this brush. You'll need about 8 drops of thinner for two drops of paint. Mix that up really well with a toothpick or whatever. Clean off your black brush and dip it into the mixed paint. You do not want the brush dripping paint, just load it up.
Then go over to your ring and touch it to the bottom of the recessed area. You do not have to "paint" it in, capillary action will draw the paint out. Repeat until you have a thin coat on the bottom of the ring. Now go clean your brushes and palette and leave the ring alone for at least 8 - 10 hours. It has to fully dry and even though it's gonna look dry in 20 minutes or so, because the thinner evaporates really quickly, it ain't gonna be dry. Once it is, repeat the process until you are thrilled or eventually run out of beer.
Now, as far as the inside ridge of the top of the ring, that's going to take some experimenting if you want to paint it. If it was me, I'd probably do that inner ridge first then do the bottom. Or just leave it as is. Again, you're probably gonna have to experiment here but it's really not as hard as it seems. Plus, you'll only spend about 10 or 15 bucks for the supplies.
Of course, I can't guarantee this will work because I've never done it. But I've done enough watch bezels and inserts to know the process works on other materials. Plus it's pretty fun and after you're done you can sit back and stare at it and know you're way cooler than anybody else
Anyway, that watch does not have an insert in the bezel like a 1675, for example. It's all one piece. And the bezel was brushed stainless, just like the case, and the numbers weren't painted. So I took a Cape Cod cloth and polished the bezel up to make it shiny and to make it pop compared to the case. Then I used a process I've used on lots of bezels and inserts that actually come out of the bezel - aluminum, stainless, ceramic. What does this have to do with the ring? Well, I believe you could paint it just like I did that watch.Here's what you need:
Testors enamel paint - I'd use gloss black, same stuff you paint a model airplane or car with
Testors paint thinner - get the larger jar
Several paint brushes - get at least two very fine tip brushes of the same size, this is important
Paint palette - I use one that kinda looks like an egg tray with multiple wells. A bowl will work in a pinch
Paper towels
Beer
Take your ring and clean it really well with thinner. Fingernail polish with acetone will work too. Make sure the recessed area is cleaned well and then let that dry completely.
Now you have to figure out a way to prop up your ring so it sits upright for at least 10 hours without falling over. Once you've got it in a little padded vice or whatever, it's time to mix your paint.
Shake the paint jar really well then take one of your fine pointed brushes and completely submerge the brush in the paint and transfer one drop of paint to your palette or bowl. Do that again so you've got two drops of paint in the palette. Then take your identical brush and dip it in the thinner. This time though you're going to press it against the side of the palette and let the thinner run down the side - you do this so you do not contaminate this brush. You'll need about 8 drops of thinner for two drops of paint. Mix that up really well with a toothpick or whatever. Clean off your black brush and dip it into the mixed paint. You do not want the brush dripping paint, just load it up.
Then go over to your ring and touch it to the bottom of the recessed area. You do not have to "paint" it in, capillary action will draw the paint out. Repeat until you have a thin coat on the bottom of the ring. Now go clean your brushes and palette and leave the ring alone for at least 8 - 10 hours. It has to fully dry and even though it's gonna look dry in 20 minutes or so, because the thinner evaporates really quickly, it ain't gonna be dry. Once it is, repeat the process until you are thrilled or eventually run out of beer.
Now, as far as the inside ridge of the top of the ring, that's going to take some experimenting if you want to paint it. If it was me, I'd probably do that inner ridge first then do the bottom. Or just leave it as is. Again, you're probably gonna have to experiment here but it's really not as hard as it seems. Plus, you'll only spend about 10 or 15 bucks for the supplies.
Of course, I can't guarantee this will work because I've never done it. But I've done enough watch bezels and inserts to know the process works on other materials. Plus it's pretty fun and after you're done you can sit back and stare at it and know you're way cooler than anybody else
Re: I've designed my own Team Ring
That is so awesome - I'm going to get sized and order one!
"Don't look at the dogs, work the lock."
Re: I've designed my own Team Ring
Finally got my ring back today. The enamel epoxy turned out great. The plating...not so much. Looks like I'm gonna have to send it off to have it heavy gold electro plated and I'm waiting on an estimate for that. Anyway, here's how it looks now:
I'm really happy with it so far. I'll update the thread once I get the estimate for the plating and then hopefully not long after that I'll be able to post up pics of the finished ring!
I'm really happy with it so far. I'll update the thread once I get the estimate for the plating and then hopefully not long after that I'll be able to post up pics of the finished ring!
Re: I've designed my own Team Ring
Looks pretty good in those pictures!
What do you find "wrong" with the plating you had done?
What do you find "wrong" with the plating you had done?
"C'mon TC...nothing can go wrong!"
Re: I've designed my own Team Ring
It just didn't "take" well. Having it electro plated would solve the problem but it would still wear off after a while. But...I have found an option that I'm gonna try before I decide to ship it off. There's a product called everbrite protectaclear that seals all sorts of metals and is virtually invisible, or so I'm told. I'm gonna order it tonight and give it a shot when it comes in. And there will be only two possible outcomes - awesome or complete disaster, lol. Either way, I'm posting up the results here.308GUY wrote:Looks pretty good in those pictures!
What do you find "wrong" with the plating you had done?
And again, I'm only doing this because my skin almost immediately reacts to the brass. The color of polished brass is absolutely beautiful and you can see my pictures - it looks like we would expect it to look. I just need to keep it from turning my skin green.
Re: I've designed my own Team Ring
Well I finally got around to polishing and dipping my ring tonite in the Everbrite Protectaclear. This should completely seal the brass and hopefully no more black/green finger lol. The stuff has to dry for like an hour before I can dip it a second time and then tomorrow it's going in the oven at 180 for an hour to cure it. It's either gonna be great or horrible and I'm hoping for great.
If this works it's going to be a real plus for anyone who wants one of these rings but has the same skin reaction I do.
If this works it's going to be a real plus for anyone who wants one of these rings but has the same skin reaction I do.
Re: I've designed my own Team Ring
Here's a pic after the first dip. This stuff is invisible:
