Jump to content

Made a Full “How To Make A Balance Staff” Movie

jdrichard
 Share

Recommended Posts

jdrichard Distinguished Member

jdrichard

Posted
  • Author
Posted
I would think you will have to anneal the old pivot.Although when searching on the net know-one seems to do this. 

A book I have suggests that you need to anneal it as well but recommends not to if it can be avoided. As well, the part is so small and the pivot is in the pinion side so very hard to heat. And the new balance was working so well.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
Link to comment
Share on other sites
bobbyglover New Member

bobbyglover

Posted
Posted

a little off topic but here goes I went to machinist school, and I used to think that you blasted a drill bit through steel with high speed, in actuality old drill bits were hand cranked so HIGH SPEED could mean anything above that, now I use the slowest rate I can to drill, 50to 100 rpm,  and I use a mixture of olive oil and dawn dish detergent in a little water, shake it up  each time!!  it work especially well on stainless steel, rate of feed is force, to the object, so if you feed hard or press hard you are heating the bit NOT allowing it to cut but wearing away the sharpened bit, I cant take a COBALT it and put it to stainless with no lube press to hard and it will sit there and spin,  ADD the goo, spin slowly with lighter pressure and you will see curls of stainless coming off the bit.. cobalt its are much larger here in the USA, not for watchmaking, I have only found just steel bits, but the principal applies, I did 3 pivots on and old LaPhare  Moonphase pocket watch  I used 2 bits , the first one I have an involuntary jerk from time to time and that occurred breaking the first one, chucked up another one and hand pushed it against the staff so I could Feel the pressure , and it went in, and YES you may have to anneal if you know all this I apologize not trying to tell you what to do, just my experience

 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites
jdrichard Distinguished Member

jdrichard

Posted
  • Author
Posted
a little off topic but here goes I went to machinist school, and I used to think that you blasted a drill bit through steel with high speed, in actuality old drill bits were hand cranked so HIGH SPEED could mean anything above that, now I use the slowest rate I can to drill, 50to 100 rpm,  and I use a mixture of olive oil and dawn dish detergent in a little water, shake it up  each time!!  it work especially well on stainless steel, rate of feed is force, to the object, so if you feed hard or press hard you are heating the bit NOT allowing it to cut but wearing away the sharpened bit, I cant take a COBALT it and put it to stainless with no lube press to hard and it will sit there and spin,  ADD the goo, spin slowly with lighter pressure and you will see curls of stainless coming off the bit.. cobalt its are much larger here in the USA, not for watchmaking, I have only found just steel bits, but the principal applies, I did 3 pivots on and old LaPhare  Moonphase pocket watch  I used 2 bits , the first one I have an involuntary jerk from time to time and that occurred breaking the first one, chucked up another one and hand pushed it against the staff so I could Feel the pressure , and it went in, and YES you may have to anneal if you know all this I apologize not trying to tell you what to do, just my experience
 

Really appreciate the help. Not sure how to anneal when the pivot is so close to the wheel and leaf gear, pinion.

Sent from my GT-N5110 using Tapatalk

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Mark Distinguished Member

Mark

Posted
Posted

I can recommend carbide drills from eternal tools. See my second to last video on YT, repairing a broken pivot. and you will see They cut through like butter.

 

 

Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk

 

 

 

 

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Pip WRT Addict

Pip

Posted
Posted

This thread is fast becoming a favourite! Hopefully next you’ll break a wheel and have to re-machine one from scratch, or find a broken jewel as could do with learning that too! [emoji897] [emoji3047]


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites
jdrichard Distinguished Member

jdrichard

Posted
  • Author
Posted
I can recommend carbide drills from eternal tools. See my second to last video on YT, repairing a broken pivot. and you will see They cut through like butter.
 

 
Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk
 
 
 
 

Thanks Mark. Btw I bought your training session on watch repair and am going thru all the training now. I am picking up tips on diagnostics hear and there, appreciated. I will check out the carbide bits.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
Link to comment
Share on other sites
jdrichard Distinguished Member

jdrichard

Posted
  • Author
Posted
This thread is fast becoming a favourite! Hopefully next you’ll break a wheel and have to re-machine one from scratch, or find a broken jewel as could do with learning that too! [emoji897] [emoji3047]


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I made a jewel replacement video on YouTube a while back. jdrichard01


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
Link to comment
Share on other sites
jdrichard Distinguished Member

jdrichard

Posted
  • Author
Posted
I can recommend carbide drills from eternal tools. See my second to last video on YT, repairing a broken pivot. and you will see They cut through like butter.
 

 
Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk
 
 
 
 

Mark, these are on eBay. Have you used these in the past.5dffe6989d2ef1d5408d52faa9781398.jpg


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
Link to comment
Share on other sites
clockboy Distinguished Member

clockboy

Posted
Posted
9 hours ago, jdrichard said:


Mark, these are on eBay. Have you used these in the past.5dffe6989d2ef1d5408d52faa9781398.jpg


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

I have purchased some from eBay and I found them crap. I then purchased some from Eternal tools and the difference was remarkable. I also have purchased some larger drill bits from Axminster tools which were also very good. As the old saying goes "you gets what you pay for". 

 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites
oldhippy Distinguished Member

oldhippy

Posted
Posted

Axminster is where I went to school and in the town I served my apprenticeship. I can remember when Axminster Power Tools first started. Now they ship all over the world. They supply the UK army with engineering equipment such as lathes and power tools. The chap that started it all up is now in a home in Seaton poor old boy, such a nice person too.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites
jdrichard Distinguished Member

jdrichard

Posted
  • Author
Posted
I have purchased some from eBay and I found them crap. I then purchased some from Eternal tools and the difference was remarkable. I also have purchased some larger drill bits from Axminster tools which were also very good. As the old saying goes "you gets what you pay for". 
 

I think you are right and I may need to pay the high price for a single drill bit. The price of the drill bit is almost the same price of a new part.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
Link to comment
Share on other sites
 Share
Go to topic listing


  • Recently Browsing

    • No registered users viewing this page.

  • Topics

  • Posts

    • ManSkirtBrew
      1972 Bulova President "E" Sea King 11ACACB movement

      By ManSkirtBrew · Posted

      Unfortunately I'm not that lucky. I started on the train side and after I noticed the binding I pulled everything out except the driving wheel to rule everything else out. It still binds. I'm going to double check that the pinion is fully seated on the staff first, then if no joy I'll push the bridge jewel up a fraction of a mm. Fingers crossed!
    • Waggy
      Rado rotor removal

      By Waggy · Posted

      Happy to have helped, great way to start the day with a win! 🥳
    • doober
      Rado rotor removal

      By doober · Posted

      Thank you for the advise!! It worked. The setting screw was a lock/unlock to remove the rotor. 
    • GuyMontag
      1972 Bulova President "E" Sea King 11ACACB movement

      By GuyMontag · Posted

      I have that French tech sheet too, it is a little different than the English one (eg, it doesn't have the auto works diagram). BTW, it looks like you are looking up the case number in the 1979 ABC supplement. The 1974 ABC catalog does have the 3093 case. As you determined it takes the 1222-5 crystal.  When I serviced my President 'A' (which also takes that crystal), I was able to fit a 29.8 crystal from my DPA crystal assortment. Those are, in my opinion, a great deal. The assortment comes with 10 sizes each from 27.8mm to 32.4mm in 0.2 increments. I pretty much use them for any non-armored crystal that takes a high dome crystal. I think they no longer make them but Cousins has still has some in stock but when I bought them they were around $40 for the set and now they are around $100. Still, at 40 cents a crystal it's still a good deal. For the large driving wheel, I remember I once assembled the keyless/motion works first and when I placed the large driving wheel it was interfering with the setting wheel on the dial side as the teeth were not fully meshing and it wouldn't fully seat. If that isn't the issue I got nothing and am looking forward to see how you solve it 🙂
    • Waggy
      Rado rotor removal

      By Waggy · Posted

      Not sure, but just looking at it, it seems like the screw on the right may be a fake? The one on the left may not be a screw in the regular sense at all, rather a 2 position device, I think you need to point the slot towards either of the 2 dots and one will secure and one will open. Like I said this is just my best guess looking at the pictures.
×
×
  • Create New...