Leaderboard

My "beginner" set of screwdrivers weren't that great, but with better blades they got me through. Now I just keep them on my office desk for quick adjustments (okay ... it's more of a horological paperweight than anything else) but the stand it came with always bugged me. It was downright ugly and felt more like a pepper grinder when i spun it. So, me being a cross between Rube Goldberg and Emmit Brown, I decided to make one. Several prototypes later this is what I came up with. The 3D model and the actual print. The bearings are for a pair of sealed bearings for skate wheels and the inserts are removable so the size can match the color between screwdriver brands. The base is weighted and i found that it also holds my Bergeon set just fine, if that stand ever needs to be replaced.

Find a dial for a centre-seconds watch and drill a completely new hole for the sub-seconds, or make your own dial from scratch. Make a paper template, glue it to a sheet of brass and then cut and drill the new dial. Then follow the tips in the thread on dial printing.

Buying second hand, make sure the lathe bed is perfect you don't want it to be scored or pitted. Make sure the bearings are perfect. Ask if it has been dropped.

Here you go: Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

The jacot tool is traditionally used for finishing/ final sizing / polishing and burnishing of staffs. It comes down to preference but realistically the jacot tool requires quite a lot of skill to use - but that isn't all. The jobs done on the jacot tool can be done on the lathe and they're also pretty difficult and expensive to find in good condition.. I've got two due to the condition/ price factors - and hope to eventually switch to doing all jobs on the lathe (sometimes set up as turns). The main accessory for using the lathe as a jocot tool is an offset holder which slides into the tailstock, different runners and lantern / pivot drilling disc can be attached to it. Despite this, depending on the watches you're working on - for a lot of normal watches, the staffs can be finished on the lathe while they're being made (without the tailstock accessories). I'd recommend watching a few videos to see different methods of making staffs so that you can get the best feel for what you will need. I think JR has a video in another section of this forum.

I finally got round to replacing the crystal on this Bifora 115/CLD based "F Hinds" 17 jewel, which has been waiting patiently since December 2018 for me to do something about its cosmetic imperfections. Its one I wear fairly regularly, (hence the slightly scruffy strap), so I thought since I'm on a horrible crystals purge, it deserved "the treatment". The crystal for this one came from our very own luiazazrambo via ebay. He just so happened to be the only seller I could find with the correct high dome in the correct size. I didn't even know it was his seller ID, till he PM'ed me after I had made the purchase. Its a small world. Thanks again for a prompt and painless transaction. Here is a little info about the German manufacturer Bifora. http://www.bifora-ev.de/bifora-freundeskreis/museum.html

I fixed up a 1980 crown-less Timex Big 'Q' minute ticker two hander today. This particular Timex mechanism has a single pusher instead of the crown. I actually have another similar watch, and a ladies (from a junk lot) with the same mechanism. I hadn't had much luck with them, they all stubbornly refused to tick, so today I decided to have another crack at them and see what I could get working. This one was missing the pusher, which I salvaged from the ladies movement, and a brass shim to allow the pusher to contact the module, which I fabricated from brass sheet. I also added a couple of capton tape insulation patches to simplify things, and avoid unwanted contact between the back of the shim and the dial (which was causing random ghost pushes of the pusher). The mechanism was completely dead when I started, but a quick bath, and a little light oiling sorted that out. The crystal will get those scratches removed once I am satisfied that the thing is now running correctly. I'm going to try something similar with the other version of this that I have. Hopefully it can be revived too.

The real question is... are the mountains blue?

Hi Withe the battery out check it withe the attached pictures Timex - Electric Watches.html

I like that a lot!

Nice very well done

Nice work. I've been thinking about printing some tool stands out. Tweezers, oilers, hand pushers etc could all have stands or cases. Bespoke movement holders would be another nice project. I recently bought a dial support and then thought I could have just printed one.

Depends on who’s opening it too I recommend this tool for any watch; new and old. Especially if you need to remove bezels as well.

No need to do that, click on the image in the link and you will find it is a very high definition (2331x3190 pixels) picture, with no water mark on it to spoil it. Down load and save it, then get your local print shop to colour print it for you in A3 or larger........

My Stormtrooper, 6139-7100, arrived yesterday. I had planned to take it all apart for a service. I first placed it on the timegrapher and it is actually running great. So I will leave it until I get the correct inner bezel. Not exactly sure what year this was made as the caseback is not original. I believe it was made in 1975. The seller was in Venezuela and it arrived shockingly fast. Overall a great watch in great shape. I wonder how it earned the nickname "Helmet" ? Ohhh... Now I see the resemblance!

what kind of pocket watch and what can a dial like an enamel dial or metal dial?

I have the exact same one as VWatchie and it works very well. As jdm said its a chinese copy of the Horotec one but a quarter of the price. cheers

Advert? What advert? You are going to get me in to trouble, I'm sure advertising is not allowed under the forum rules..

Hi Daniel To have one made or even make one your self would not be an impossible task but an expensive one as a one off, could be done using sheet brass and an old dial as a pattern and a deal of hard work and imagination. There are water transfers out there for watches so I guess the same for pocket watches. cheers

Maybe its the same as this. I recently removed some links from a MICHAEL KORS watch which I was told is part of the Fossil group. Althought they looked like screws on closer inspection they were actually split pins. On the inside you should see some links marked with an arrow. This is the direction they come out.

Pivot is to rotate in a hole or jewel, wherever two parts rub oil is needed, seconds arbour isn't suppose to rub on anything, it stops the works if it dose. A coat of epilame protects against rust and if I understand nickelsilver right he coats all metal parts of the movement.

Thanks so much for all the great advice. @anilv I think you may have hit bingo with this comment " barrel bridge or mainplate could be worn slightly, that is why it works when you press down the barrel bridge." I did notice the mainplate had almost a rut scratched into one area, and I guess subconsciously that's what made me press on the barrel bridge suspecting something might have been amiss here. I have a spare mainplate so I will try that one and see how it performs. Any ideas what would cause that amount of wear? I guess poor servicing history? Thanks JDRichard, I will take a close look at that as well.

I depends on annealing and tempering requirements and what you what to do with the steel.if you heat up the metal to straw color and let it cool naturally, bending it is not an issue. Afterward you need to heat it and plunge the part into oil at just the right time to make it hard but not brittle. Lots of practice required. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

I seem to be on a bit of a German watches track at the moment. Today it is a diminutive Kienzle Markant circa 1960, with a Kienzle in house pin lever 051 b 53 movement. They appear to be quite popular, with a small bidding war for this one one ebay.de recently. Needless to say, since this is a 404 club member I didn't meet the same eager crowd of bidders, but then again, it wasn't in working condition, and was looking slightly shabby when it arrived. It is now clean and wholesome once more, and beating away very nicely (if a little loudly). All in all quite a fun and attractive little watch.

I should also say.. pretty sure I recently read that if you wish to do all of the BHI distance learning courses in future, a 8mm lathe may be required for the maximum size through the collets, to do one of the pieces of work.

For what is worth. In the same junk bag there was another quite same watch, this one had no marking at all on the plate. Evidently the factory could not get sterile modules all the time. They are true workhorses, 30 years (or more) later all what they needed was a new battery. Too bad they are really too ugly to picture.

Hi Apart from Nucejoe's comment check that the arbour and barrel bearings are not worn causing the barrel to tilt under power. Tech shhet attached for your interest. Poljot 2409.pdf

I am fairly new to so I’m adding my viewpoint as a beginner rather than an expert. To start off I would say that I have never regretted spending more on tools, I have also bought some pretty cheap tools and regretted it. Having said that I have bought some cheap tools which I use all the time. The best way to learn what you need will always be experience. I bought a set of seven pairs of “value tweezers” from Cousinsuk which came in a wooden box, the set is now priced at £11.95. Needless to say, some of these are useless, tips bend easily and don’t meet perfectly. However, I do still use some of these regularly and the box is very nice to have. The set has a range of shapes and sizes so it gives you an idea of what you need. I also have Dumont tweezers at £30 a pair, these are awesome and can manipulate the smallest parts with no problem where the cheap tweezers struggle. Buy a set of good quality, Swiss, screwdrivers with a stand. It is hard to get a good stand afterwards and you will regret not having one. Pegwood and Rodico are essential, get some. Oilers likewise, you can get a set of Bergeon oilers for under £10. You may want something more expensive later but no need to start. An oil pot with at least three divisions will be useful and various oils to go in it. There are many thread on oils so have a read of those. You will have to spend some money on oils and these are frightfully expensive but last for ages and can’t be avoided. Agood quality movement holder is essential. Don’t skimp on this you will throw it away. A Bergeon 4040 or 4040p is recommended. My 4040p fits everything I have thrown at it so far. You will need a good quality eyeglass, perhaps 10x magnification, and I would recommend a Burgeon eyeglass holder (5461) to keep the eyeglass on your eye. I started out without the eyeglass holder and it was a gamechanger when I got it. I also use a binocular magnifier at 3.5 times for general work which I got on Ebay for about £15. It is not ideal as it tends to distort circles but extremely useful if your eyesight is not 100%. A light green plastic or rubber mat is very nice to have as it is an excellent background colour to work on. It is also easy to keep clean. I tend to get tools as I need them rather than trying to predict what I will need. Once you realise you need a tool do some research. Ask in the forums. You may find you don’t need It or need something else. Once you are sure, don’t skimp on the price if possible. You wont regret buying good quality tools but you may regret buying tools you don’t need so don’t be in a hurry and get the rest of the tools as and when you need them.

Keeping with this theme, how about this Ingersoll? Made in Wales I believe.....

I spent a tense hour watching this guy's video for the process. I have to admit, while he goes about it in the wrong way many times, he would be me if I talked to myself while working. His frustration is familiar. RMD < Clearly, editing is too much trouble for him!:;)>

Rolex-3135-tech slandis [ AWCI-DOTT ] Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk