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Showing content with the highest reputation on 08/02/18 in all areas

  1. It seems I have been defeated so many times already that I don't even care anymore - Spent 5 hours making a new component, only to ruin it on the last operation? Just start over. The second time you can do it in 4 or 3 hours anyway. - Bent hairspring by catching it on center wheel again? Learn to be more careful and spend 2 hours spring-tweaking under the microscope. Even more fun if it's a ladies watch. - Some part pings into oblivion? Scout for new one on ebay. I actually force myself to purchase a new (old) part as a form of self-punishment, even if the watch is not worth the expense (unless extreme, hehe). One part of learning watchmaking is to stay calm in the face of soul-crushing defeat. A few days ago I assembled and cased an ETA 2824 in a miserable front-remove case. The watch ran great on the timing machine without the automatic module installed. I installed the module, closed the back and wore it for testing -- and it stopped after just a few minutes. I haven't quite figured out what's wrong, but if the ratchet driver wheel of the automatic module exerts pressure on the ratchet wheel, the wheel train loses power somewhere. Most likely there's something wrong with the barrel, or the intermediate wheel. So, start from scratch! Cheers! Rob
    2 points
  2. Thanks for all the support guys. I tried to follow as much advice as I had the competence to and cleaning it again has made a massive difference. I agitated it fairly carefully for a few minutes in IPA and helped it to dry carefully with my blower while it was flat. I did then dangle for a minute or two more to let final vapours evaporate (sorry@jdm I couldn’t resist!) Looked much better even by eye and here is the result from a half wind after a few minutes adjusting and regulating. Whilst I accept that’s not perfect I’ll take that; it’s a 20 year old cheap Seiko with a slightly distorted HS that didn’t work at all last week. Again, thanks for all the advice and support guys. Pip Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
    2 points
  3. Good call WM on the ebay seller. Just placed an order for 2! I've never checked out Cousins' web site, will have to do that. willy
    1 point
  4. If it is the hairspring that is at fault you need to shorten the h/s a little and re-pin it. You will then need to set it in beat.
    1 point
  5. There definitely seems to be a hair spring issue but this will have no impact what so ever on the refitting of the train bridge. Your photos imply that you have installed the barrel bridge, pallet bridge, and balance cock before attempting to install the train bridge. Or that you've removed the train bridge without removing anything else and are now trying to reassemble. This I believe will only make life difficult because the pallet fork will seriously restrict the movement of the escape wheel, and as all the wheels are meshed together, all of the other train wheels as well, thus considerably reducing your ability to jiggle pivots into place. I always follow a specific assembly order (which may or may not be an accepted standard practise) which seems to make relocating pivots as painless as possible. If the movement has a separate escape wheel cock then I start with that, otherwise I start with the train bridge. With nothing else on the main plate there is plenty of room to fiddle everything into place and all of the wheels are clear of obstructions that could limit movement. Once I'm happy with the freedom and function of the train I then I install the barrel bridge. At this point it is possible to properly test the transmission of power all the way from the main spring to the escape wheel, and once this has been proved satisfactory I then install the pallets and the balance. It is sometimes necessary to install the barrel and train bridges together but the pallet and balance should always go in last otherwise it is impossible to test the freedom of the train. Hope this helps.
    1 point
  6. Also, check the hairspring terminal curve is sitting inside the indexing pins! A common fault.
    1 point
  7. Thanks for the warm welcome. @TimFitz :: Down near Geelong in the south.
    1 point
  8. I think that's because it's recommended in old books like DeCarle which is then blindly followed. But since then the world has evolved and many more products have become easily available.
    1 point
  9. Cousins poor shipping limitations derives probably from lack of understanding of the actual shipping regulations (which can vary from one service to another) so when in doubt they choose not to ship overseas. For example, if an UK seller can ship practically worldwide, then Cousins could as well. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Petroleum-Ether-80-C-100-C-500ml-Petroleum-Spirit-Shipped-Same-Day/142061406816 Note, the above is just an example, because the cost is prohibitive anyway. And if you read the description you'll find the other most common English names of what, in the end, is basically spark engine fuel. Also note, all these petrol derivatives do not dissolve shellac.
    1 point
  10. Hi, I just wanted to place a tipp here. While I like the Felsa 4007N movement inside my Ulysse Nardin, I wanted to place a hughe tipp here. My watch was sometimes working for days and then it seems to stop but on manual winding it was always working solid. Thus I suspected the auto winding mechanism, especially the bearing. It was not the case. After having disassembled this watch so many times and replacing the mainspring etc I finally found the fault. Its an driving Wheel which is transfering the power from the Autowinding to the ratchet wheel. The correct part number for my caliber was 1482. The wheel consist out two wheels/gears which are just pushed into eachother. I guess this was done with a staking set initially. So the fault lies in the detail that this smaller gear was becoming loose enough that sometimes the auto winding was not able to turn the ratchet wheel anymore. So in practical, this wheel was acting like a loose clutch. I missed this for quiet a while during any visual inspection but at a certain moment in time i tried to turn it with my tweezers and noticed the issue. I was not able to fix it with my staking set as I am not experienced enough and just bent the Gear and the "closing" stump was not working as expected for me. Anyway.. I ordered the replacement and boom. Works. So if you work on an automatic felsa with these symtoms, check that part. Greetings Max
    1 point
  11. Another source for old rolex parts is Michael from tswisst: www.tswisst.de Ask for what you need, he has tons of parts which are not registered on the website yet.
    1 point
  12. Hmm there are some interesting things in the public domain on the web about Robert Crowder and proclocks, he has been warned in the past by the Nawcc to alter his conduct regarding selling repo clock's and having less than accurate descriptions, there is also a story that he had a table at a selling meet run by the Nawcc his table collapsed sending all his ware's crashing to the ground and smashing them, the rest of the sellers all stood up clapped and cheered.
    1 point
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