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Content Count
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DouglasSkinner last won the day on September 15 2017
DouglasSkinner had the most liked content!
About DouglasSkinner
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Rank
WRT Addict
- Birthday January 16
Profile Information
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Gender
Male
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Location
Berkeley Springs, West Virginia, USA
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Interests
Restoration of vintage watches. Servicing watches. I also worked as a scientist (chemical physics) and statistician. I have recently tied my love of science with watchmaking by undertaking a mathematical study of the Archimedes spiral which forms the hairspring in most watches.
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DouglasSkinner started following ETA 2750 Mainspring, Horia tool, Oil Pallet Arbor Jewels and and 4 others
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Oil Pallet Arbor Jewels
DouglasSkinner replied to DouglasSkinner's question in Watch Repairs Help & Advice
Thanks, guys! I don't oil the pallet pivots but having endstones threw me. I'm not going to oil them (or the hole jewels either).- 8 replies
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- watch lubrication
- pallet arbor
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I have been taught that one should not lubricate the pallet arbor jewels. I have a watch in which the pallet arbor jewels have endstones. In that case should I lubricate the endstones the way one should, say, the balance staff endstones? Or should I not? Thanks!
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- watch lubrication
- pallet arbor
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Making a brass impulse pin
DouglasSkinner replied to DouglasSkinner's question in Watch Repairs Help & Advice
Yes, I think I'm gonna do that. Thanks!- 5 replies
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- roller jewel
- impulse jewel
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ETA 2750 Mainspring
DouglasSkinner replied to DouglasSkinner's question in Watch Repairs Help & Advice
Just to let you know, I got a mainspring from Jules Borel. Thanks again!- 3 replies
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- eta 2750
- mainspring
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Making a brass impulse pin
DouglasSkinner replied to DouglasSkinner's question in Watch Repairs Help & Advice
One problem I've had with that is that after I file it to a "D" it's difficult to hold in a pin vise.- 5 replies
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- roller jewel
- impulse jewel
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Is it difficult to re-lume a watch face & hands
DouglasSkinner replied to RyanGreerMcGilloway's question in Watch Repairs Help & Advice
Mark has done a video on this. I followed his approach and I've been successful so far--though I'm variable on getting it right the first time. Key is to get the right consistency: neither too thick or too runny. (Hope it's okay if I post a link to the video?) -
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I have an old Waltham pocket watch movement which is missing the impulse pin (roller jewel). I have a limited number of actual jewels and since this is just a practice movement I thought I'd try to make one out of brass. I've seen this several times in old pieces--usually a very sloppy job. So I got some brass stock of the same diameter as the "D" in the roller table, filed it and burnished it to a high gloss. Then I took a small, very fine diamond file and filed it half flat to form the "D" I then polished the face using progressively finer sandpaper on a steel block. This works fine--so far! Problem is separation of the piece from the stock. Again I used a small cutting file to do this but it doesn't leave the end very pretty. So what I've done so far is to fit the good end into the roller table. I then plan to shellac it in place and see if I can very carefully adjust the length and clean up the end. Has anyone done this before? Any suggestions as to how best to do it?
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- roller jewel
- impulse jewel
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Cleaning balance and hairspring
DouglasSkinner replied to PeterS's question in Watch Repairs Help & Advice
Horosolv looks to be the same as One Dip, which is what I have. Both are a modified carbon tetrachloride. I think it should be ok. I've soaked balance completes in it and haven't had any problems. Don't soak in any alcohol because that will dissolve the shellac. I also use Zenith hairspring cleaner which doesn't leave a residue like One Dip. https://timesavers.com/i-22336011-zenith-hair-spring-cleaner.html -
Watch Doesn't Fully Wind Down
DouglasSkinner replied to DouglasSkinner's question in Watch Repairs Help & Advice
Thanks much! What you said makes a lot of sense. Will do and will let you know. -
Recently replaced the mainspring in a vintage watch (a Westfield 7j). Cleaned and lubricated watch. Worked fine for several days. Now I have a problem in which it stops before the mainspring is fully unwound--power reserve appears to be less than 24 hrs, but I haven't done a precise check. Just noticed this morning that it was stopped at about 0530. Prior to this the watch had good power reserve and the mainspring fully unwound--power reserve over 30 hrs. What kinds of things might cause this?
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ETA 2750 Mainspring
DouglasSkinner replied to DouglasSkinner's question in Watch Repairs Help & Advice
Thanks noirrac1j!- 3 replies
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- eta 2750
- mainspring
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I have an ETA 2750 movement and I need to replace the mainspring. My catalogs don't cover this caliber. The current mainspring, based on my measurements has the dimensions Dennison (Metric), W: 5 1/2 (1.45 mm), T: 9 (0.13 mm), L: ~ 14 1/2" (368 mm). However, due to its age and the fact that it's been serviced before I'm not completely sure the old spring is the correct one. So my first question is are these the right dimensions for the proper mainspring for the 2750? My second question is does anybody know some part or catalog numbers for the correct mainspring by some different manufactures of springs, such as Marco, Nu Vigor, Sandsteel, etc.? I have some cabinets of mainsprings from which I might be able to get one but I need to know the a catalog/part number--some number I can cross reference to what I have. Hope this makes sense. Thanks.
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- eta 2750
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Best Stock for Making Balance Staff
DouglasSkinner replied to jdrichard's topic in Watch Repair Tools & Equipment
Thanks for the help, especially the tips about making the staff. I can see if I can get some CO2 cartridges. Didn't know N2O cartridges. Not sure you can get them here in the US. -
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Best Stock for Making Balance Staff
DouglasSkinner replied to jdrichard's topic in Watch Repair Tools & Equipment
I got some stuff from Esslinger and have had a hard time working with it. It's almost impossible to cut into pieces. Tried using a jewelers saw, no luck. Graver won't part it--at least not in any reasonable length of time. Doesn't want to be cut into pieces with snips either. Definitely not getting curls of sworf and, yes, I am making dust. Takes forever to make any progress. Tried to anneal it but still application of my graver still yields a kind of brittle powder. Didn't think about finishing down to size with the Jacot tool. Thanks! -
Good steel for staffs
DouglasSkinner replied to DouglasSkinner's question in Watch Repairs Help & Advice
Sorry! Didn't just learned that this topic has already been addressed pretty thoroughly here: However, if you have any other comments they'd still be appreciated.