Watch Buffing/Polishing Book...

[gregdolley]

OK, so I'm thinking of writing an e-book about how to buff/polish Rolex watches and small jewelry (the RIGHT way - i.e. where you can't tell it's been buffed, but still looks factory fresh). Trying to figure out whether it's worth it and would it sell. Not trying to make a million bucks, but if it'd bring in at least few thousand (@ $14.95/copy), so I'd feel like I hadn't wasted my time, then I'd write it.

It was very difficult to find information on this topic back when I originally began doing watch restorations (a few years ago). I learned a lot from trial-and-error, along with little tidbits of info I could find on the internet.

What are your thoughts fellow TRF'ers? Do you think I'd be worth writing? (Wouldn't be just words, but a lot of pics, step-by-step HOW-TO's, etc. -- which would probably take the majority of the time to put together.)

[Grissom]

Maybe an iPhone App......$0.99?? Might not be worth it, though, I suppose.....

[SPARTAN2161]

I would buy it. I was looking for this information recently and couldn't find much.

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[springer]

I see many posts regarding polishing. I say give it your best shot, it would probably do well.

[WyoWatch]

I think it would be worth writing. It would be a valuable piece of information to those who can use it. However, you have to remember you would be writing it for a very limited, niche market. I know one of the biggest challenges when I started making knives was finishing metal. I've worked through it and can put a nice brushed finish or mirror shine on just about any metal now but oh my it was tough for the longest time. If I had some reference material, I probably could have figured it out much more quickly.

[mattpeyton]

Totally down for the app version! Maybe Kindle? Sort of a micropublishing...

[joe100]

Charge for it, maybe make enough to put down on a new watch. But, don't forget about us little guys who helped you get there!

[77T]

An eBook with embedded video showing the techniques could resonate with the folks who want to tackle cleaning up their bracelets and cases.

[Rags]

I like to see a app for it. Good luck which ever way you go.

[brandxbrand]

$15 for an e-book on something so niche is too much. In all seriousness, how much can you honestly write in word about poloshing metals? I would assume this would be very picture heavy. People tend not to want to spend money on pictures but instead want written info..

Find yourself a young app developer willing to work on a project for a small charge and make something for iphone/pas/kindle/whatever. Bunch of pictures, some words and nice instructions... Charge $3 and watch the loot roll in.

[ecsub44]

Worth it?

I don't know. For what it's worth...I wouldn't buy it. But I don't have much interest in this area.

Best of luck though...I hope you're very successful!

[threemonkeys]

I researched on TRF and the info was easily available free of charge.

[Northwestguy]

I think it is a great idea Greg!

[gregdolley]

Originally Posted by brandxbrand

$15 for an e-book on something so niche is too much. In all seriousness, how much can you honestly write in word about poloshing metals? I would assume this would be very picture heavy. People tend not to want to spend money on pictures but instead want written info..

Find yourself a young app developer willing to work on a project for a small charge and make something for iphone/pas/kindle/whatever. Bunch of pictures, some words and nice instructions... Charge $3 and watch the loot roll in.

I'm an app developer (that's my day job), I can program an app myself. But what would the app actually be? An app that just opens an e-book with some embedded videos seems redundant. Why not just make an e-book download...

As far as writing about polishing metals - there's a boat load of stuff actually. It could be 50 pages easily without any pics. The devil is really in the details when it comes to getting a Rolex-like finish. That's what the general public doesn't get; which is what I want to teach in the ebook. So many things need to be explained and so many things come into play when we're talking about getting professional results - the material your buffing wheel is made out of, how you rake it, the size of the wheel, how fast you spin it, how much pressure to use, what kind of buffing compound(s) to use, how to apply the compound, what to do when the metal gets hot, how to prevent the compound's wax filler from sticking to your piece, when to use forward vs. reverse direction on your wheel (and why it matters), how to prevent accidentally polishing off the brushed edge links while polishing PCL's, how to get rid of lap lines (these are the equivalent of "swirl" marks you get when polishing your car), how to polish the nooks & crannies a regular wheel can't reach, the differences between polishing gold vs. SS, how different steel types behave differently under the wheel, how to remove gouges and pits, how to remove deep scratches, how to remove minor scratches, the list goes on... and we are just talking about mirror finishes here...

There's a bunch of things to be said about brushed finishes too, along with the different ways of doing brushed finishes (brushed finish techniques vary widely, whereas there's only two ways to do mirror finishes). There are also hybrid finishes I want to talk about - like the edge of the RG Daytona spring-clasp (the edge that goes under the oysterlock safety clasp), it's a semi-mirror finish. Or the left half of the DSSD buckle hinge - it has this grain finish - neither brushed nor mirror.

So yeah, actually the minority of the book would be pics. Not sure if videos are needed, but that's something I'll think about...

[ronbo710]

... the young (read inexperienced) reps used to try to rip the Rolex off my arm just to polish it for me. That, I allowed to happen, only once. I would enjoy a tutorial on polishing the right way. Though I have done some serious homework on stainless steel and platinum to care for my investments. I personally don't mind the occasional battle scar on my SD. But an interesting treatise could be written on caring for the Day Date in PT I believe. Cheers- Ron

[mlotus95]

i would have some interest

[gregdolley]

Originally Posted by ronbo710

... the young (read inexperienced) reps used to try to rip the Rolex off my arm just to polish it for me. That, I allowed to happen, only once. I would enjoy a tutorial on polishing the right way. Though I have done some serious homework on stainless steel and platinum to care for my investments. I personally don't mind the occasional battle scar on my SD. But an interesting treatise could be written on caring for the Day Date in PT I believe. Cheers- Ron

Yup, those inexperienced reps think that putting a Rolex under a buffing wheel magically does polishing... nope. Let me guess, they either left a ton of fine scratches, gouged part of the watch, or over-polished some area?...

[tripleC]

Would love to see this.. I to have a live for polishing watches as well as cars.....

[HRV]

Could be interesting, keep us posted

[masterserg]

I would buy it (wouldn't polish my watch but find the subject very interesting).

[Luv rolex]

Yep good idea. I would buy it to

[honeybear]

What are your qualifications to write this book? Even if you write an exceptionally detailed book, it takes a measure of skill and equipment to achieve a professional finish, so I really question how useful it'll be to the casual watch owner.

[gwozhog]

Why waste your time with a book when you could make a video instead. For my Harley I bought a video called fix my hog for fifty bucks. The video was great because you pause, fast forward or rewind. Every service i did i saved 400 bucks so i got my money back quick. Some things are better learned visually. I would not waste a buck on a book but would definitely buy a DVD. Think about it.

[Brushpup]

I like the idea and I would buy it just to see how its done. I like the idea of video format as mentioned. However, there is a lot to discuss technique wise.