Ted Mooney, P.E. RET
- Pine Beach, NJ
The authoritative public forum
for Metal Finishing since 1989
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Can you force a white patina on zinc?
Q. Is there any means to force a uniform white patina on zinc? I am looking to create a watch dial that has a white dial I was told is "somewhere between paint and patina". I don't want to paint the dial as I will have a resist mask on there and the paint would adhere to the resist mask.
(I am not aiming to recreate this watch, just the idea of how to get zinc to turn white so I can make my own design.
)
- Houston, Texas
October 11, 2024
A. Hi Thomas
I don't personally have much confidence in that approach, but it's interesting.
Other possibilities might include making the dial of titanium and oxidizing it (I believe titanium oxide is a white pigment), or making it of aluminum and anodizing it and dying it white; white anodizing isn't quite conventional, but people say it can be done (search the site).
Luck & Regards,
Ted Mooney, P.E. RET
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey