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I have ordered crystals ftom Tip Top crystals again . And once again they they doubled my order with free crystals . This time I ordered 3 tension ring crystals at $4.95 each and they sent me 6 crystals . They are on ebay , but I use their website . http://tiptopcrystals.com/ Mahalo Tip Top , Louis

The alum that is generally available is hydrated potassium aluminium sulfate (KAl(SO4)2·12H2O), or potash alum, and it is one of those wonder compounds that has many uses including; post shaving treatment for skin deodorant fire retardant leather tanning water purification pickling dissolving the broken steel threads out of brass watch plates/bridges etc Alum also refers to a family of compounds though, all useful stuff but the one you want and which is easiest to get hold of is potash alum. you need to make sure that there are no other steel components in the plate in addition to those that you want to dissolve, and you need also to use a concentrated solution of the stuff. It also helps if it is warm. Other than that you need a little patience as the process usually takes several hours and can take days. Occasional agitation also helps, and I would imagine that the use of an ultrasonic bath may also be beneficial. I have the Bergeon extractor referenced by CB and it is a handy bit of kit to have but it is rather pricey (what else?? after all it has "Bergeon" stamped on it). I was fortunate to find mine at a car boot sale, albeit minus the actual pins, but then it only cost me £1 complete with a rather nice canon pinion tightener so I'm not complaining, and I made my own pins on the lathe. It does only works if the broken screw is in a hole open at both ends though. If it is in a blind hole then it can't be used.

That is the best way I have found to remove rust. Both WASHING SODA and BAKING SODA will work but baking soda does not dissolve as well in the water. I prefer washing soda for this process. For smaller rust spots sometimes I will just soak the rusted piece in Phosphoric Acid for a few minutes. david

HI mcass, Try to use a sharp pick and reverse the screw out, you could even try to screw it in deeper and out thru the back but the watch will need to be dismantled for this.. at the very least the barrel bridge needs to come off. You ARE aware that this particular screw is usually a left-handed thread right? If you weren't, its not surprising you screwed its head off! Anilv

Yesterday we went to visit our old neighbours for tea & mince pies before Christmas. When we arrived they presented me with an old leather bound box, inside was a collection of vintage watches like a mini treasure chest, Swiss makes I've not heard of before plus others, one even working ! enough to keep me busy for a while.

Same here !

Replated this Vostok bezel with nickel.

Hello Ry, Yes you're correct about the pivot under the roller table being the suspected culprit. But it runs better dial side down! I am going to try to get a staking set, but the darn things are so expensive. I am also trying to get a donor movement which will come in handy as well. Thank you for the input. JC

sorry to hear that, oldhippy.

I've used alum a couple of times- once to remove a broken screw and another time to remove a broken stem from a crown. Works quite well provided you are trying to remove carbon steel. It seems to me the real key to success was the temperature of the solution- the warmer the better.

That movement is an ST (standard) 1686? I have about 10 of them in my movement drawer in various "brands". its an ebache movement. you can buy them cheap on ebay, or Dashto.com

Okay, try this link and see if it will work for you: http://mb.nawcc.org/showthread.php?51819-Broken-screw-removal-ideas

I believe my dad used to use alum for this, but I don't know the process. Don't scrap the watch!!! It is a problem with a solution. I'll see if I can find more information on this. Shirley

By ultrasonic cleaner I think you mean the ones used to clean jewelry, one big tank? The watch cleaning machines are also ultrasonic..but with added features to help watchsmiths. Basically an ultrasonic cleaner helps to remove the build-up of old oils and grease in mechanical watches. A quartz watch should not have a lot of oil as the oils used are very light. Cleaning in a cup of lighter fluid and pegging out the holes to make sure they're clean should be ok. There are a lot of plastic parts and electronic stuff.. these do not get soaked in chemicals,, I usually roll them in 'fresh' rodico to get them clean. There is a magnetized rotor.. this does not go in the fluid as it will attract metal particles. This get cleaned in Rodico as well. If you do want to use a 'non-watchmaking' ultrasonic it is doable, you need to put the parts in a small container containing watch-cleaning solution and submerge the container in the water in the ultrasonic cleaner. I 'think' lighter fluid is ok here but as the cleaner does generate some heat I would not recommend this. Buts... 1. The quartz movement is very fragile...especially the coil and circuit block. Be very careful. Coffee helps (for me), beer not so much. 2. Identify the problem first.. if its a bad coil or circuit then a new movement is the only cost-effective solution. Since you mention that you do circuits swaps I imagine that you have verified that the coil and circuit are ok. 3. Handle the parts with care..more so than with mechanical watchs as the gears are very fine and easily damaged. 4. Make sure you post some photos here to show us how it goes. All the best! Anilv

You can put the bridge in a nice solution to eat away the thread left in it. It's called ALUM, or something like that. I can't wait for someone to tell us what it is. Bogdan

Welcome to the board!

Hi, Mark! Welcome to the most soothing frustration you'll ever experience... lol Shirley

Welcome Mark enjoy the forum.

If the upper jewel is removed first (as in good practice when servicing), the pivot is not compromised.

Got the friction fit gear off with little difficulty and the keyless works followed quickly. The only thing left is the little sliding gear spring which is so nicely tucked into crevices I'm afraid of bending it getting it out. I think I have to though, else it will probably trap moisture from the cleaning. Turns out that the Otto Frei watch/jewlry tools shop is just a few blocks from where I work. This is both convenient and dangerous I think, but I picked up a few oils and tools without getting too carried away.