Small staking set (no frame)

[rstl99]

I just bought this little set at a mart and am wondering exactly what I have and whether the necessary parts are there to use it. It's obviously a small swiss staking set (Star brand), for watchmaking I presume. 

There's a large round flat stump on the right, screwed into a hole in the box, for hammering on I suppose. 

There is no frame, just a die plate that fits into a round "holder" as you can see from the photos below. Under the die plate are holes around the outside that fit into the knob in the round holder center recess to secure the die in place. The other hole in the round holder center recess allows the 4mm stakes to fit through. The larger round hole in the center recess is possibly just to fit onto the placement rod at the center of the box, to prevent the assembly from moving around too much when stored inside?

There is a long piece on the left that is meant to be secured in a vice, which has a flat surface on one end, and a taper with hole in the center at the other end. The stakes are 4mm in diameter and don't fit into the hole in the tapered end. 

Is there something missing and if not, how is this staking set meant to be used (as opposed to a more usual staking set with a frame, which I have).  I suppose for small staking jobs that could be done on a bench and would not need the perfect perpendicularity that a frame provides for the stake hitting the work?

I also attach a catalog listing of a similar tool from the 1920's, in France.

Thank you, in advance, for your insights and expertise.

[jguitron]

Super interesting!! I hadn’t seen any staking tool without a shaft to guide the stakes. There has to be a away set things up. I wonder if these sets are more accessories to a basic set rather than the whole tool by itself.

I’m interested to learn more about this! Let’s see what the gurus have to say [emoji1303]






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[watchweasol]

Hi rstl99   Yes it looks all there apart from a few gaps these are ok for general work, for balance work etc you need the  proper up right staking tool with rotating table and punches.  If you google watchmakers stanikng set or do the  same on ebay you will see what I mean therer are many makes K&D Star and many more.

[watchweasol]

The one in the center is labled for clock work very similar to the one you purchased as you can see the watch makers ones are more versatile with all the stakes and stumps and a full array of punches.. I hope this was some use for your information

[rstl99]

Hi everyone and thanks for your feedback and suggestions.

I do own a full sized K&D Inverto staking set with all the necessary stakes and stumps.

But I had not seen a pared-down little staking set like the one I just bought.  Indeed, it has similarities to the one for clockwork showed above, but mine is quite small and dainty, and suited for watchwork (stakes are 4mm diameter, and some have very tiny holes in the centre).

A few months before, I had bought from the same seller a small set of stakes that I now realize were an accessory to this recent staking set I acquired.  In combining and organizing the stakes I made up a pretty complete set, and filled out the box containing the die plate and two flat anvils.

I'm thinking that perhaps there was a time when all staking sets were like this, before the companies invented the frame holder which aligns the stake to the die plate.  And that some watchmakers liked to use the frame-less set for some tasks, so companies kept making them (until the 1920's anyway, based on that catalog entry).  And that for some tasks, the simpler die plate and stakes are all that is needed.

Anyway, I'll use it for odd little jobs (maybe repairing fusee chains) and eventually will discover tasks it's well suited for.  I haven't yet seen such a set described in any watchmaker book that I own, as the staking sets described are always the ones with the frame.

Cheers.

 

[rstl99]

For anyone still looking at this thread, my little research has only yielded that such a set was called a "set of punches".  It seems to pre-date the "staking set" that we are all much more familiar with in watchmaking parlance.  Although similar but larger "punch sets" are still made and sold, for use in clock repair (as one of the photos above attests).  For watches, the staking set reigns supreme.  However there are no doubt some situations where a "set of punches" like the one pictured above will prove useful.

[vinn3]

good show !  no problem with being a "tool collector".   

[danybeany]

Ive just found this thread and wondered if anyone actually know how it worked,as i have a very similar set,which has no frame,but i cannot how it was used

regards dan.

[oldhippy]

I had this type and many more like it, the center piece/block is used in the same way as if it had a stand. Hardly ever used it for watch work, as I had two sets complete with the stands. Centering was a bugger. 

Edited May 27, 2022 by oldhippy