Jump to content

Fixing loose pallet fork jewel


Recommended Posts

I have a loose jewel, as per the title. It's only a spare movement, so I don't want to buy a replacement fork.

I don't have, nor have I ever used, Shellac. It's not a route I want to take just for one jewel.

The question is, what else can I use to re-fix the jewel. Superglue maybe?

 

Edited by ftwizard
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 minute ago, ftwizard said:

I have a loose jewel, as per the title. It's only a spare movement, so I don't want to buy a replacement fork.

I don't have, nor have I ever used, Shellac. It's not a route I want to take just for one jewel.

The question is, what else can I use to re-fix the jewel.

Hmm, not sure if you want to be told you can use super-glue? One stick is £7.30 from Cousins UK, I don't think that would break the bank.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

A palate fork jewel requires a special tool to hold the palate fork in place to heat the palate fork and melt the shellac. I have replaced many impulse jewels and have made a few videos on YouTube on how to do it. Search for jdrichard01 on YouTube.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I am very new to this watch repair malarkey, but, I know that knotting compound, for painting on wood prior to priming, is made up of shellack suspended in alcohol. I would try to daub the pallet jewel with this knotting compound. The alcohol will evaporate very quickly leaving the shellack holding the jewel in place. I'd probably daub it several times using a very fine oiler. If there is someone out there who thinks this is a bad idea, please tell me and kindly explain why. Best wishes, Mark 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 hours ago, MarkL said:

I am very new to this watch repair malarkey, but, I know that knotting compound, for painting on wood prior to priming, is made up of shellack suspended in alcohol. I would try to daub the pallet jewel with this knotting compound. The alcohol will evaporate very quickly leaving the shellack holding the jewel in place. I'd probably daub it several times using a very fine oiler. If there is someone out there who thinks this is a bad idea, please tell me and kindly explain why. Best wishes, Mark 

buy a vintage pallet warmer from ebay or you can use a bluing pan or tin over an alcohol lamp. I highly doubt you will be able to use the existing shellac since the jewel is already loose, its not like your just making an adjustment, the damage is already done. but i would say its worth a try. i think the issue your going have with knotting solution is holding the pallet jewel in place for 15-20 minutes, which is how long it takes for the solution to dry. if its dries in the wrong spot you will be back to square one. Plus the consistency of alcohol based shellac is very thin and has no holding power. pure shellac is very thick and sticky almost like honey when its heated correctly and it dries fairly quick.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I buy shellac for woodwork by weight at the hardware store. I don't doubt the friendly guy there would give me few leaves for free. I don't know if it can be used for watchmaking but if anyone wants to try I can mail a small quantity for postage.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

22 hours ago, jdm said:

I buy shellac for woodwork by weight at the hardware store. I don't doubt the friendly guy there would give me few leaves for free. I don't know if it can be used for watchmaking but if anyone wants to try I can mail a small quantity for postage.

is it pure shellac? as in solid form not liquid?

Link to comment
Share on other sites



  • Recently Browsing

    • No registered users viewing this page.
  • Topics

  • Posts

    • So here is the new base (v 2.1), I made it so that the base will fit over and swallow the stump of the hand pusher tool (or at least my clone of the tool), I also reduced the OD of the bottom skirt a little as it looked/felt a little large, here are a few pictures and the fake .pdf file which you need to convert to .zip once downloaded.   The cut-out seen on the below image on the bottom of the base should swallow the OD (40 mm, +0.1 mm tolerance) of the stump and the height of the stump 9.5mm (measured to 9.1mm, but rounded to 9.5mm) - let me know if this works for your tool.   Note, I think you may need to print supports for the new internal shelf created? Modular Movement Holder.pdf  
    • Hi Frank, you have dived headlong into the deep end. Hairspring work has to be the scariest thing a newbie has to tackle. Your hairspring appears to be bent and just putting it back into the regulator would not allow the balance to work properly. It might start oscillating but the performance would not be good. The proper thing to do is to unstud the hairspring, remove the hairspring from the balance, reinstall the hairspring on the stud carrier, reshape the endcurve and centre the collet to the balance jewel hole. This challenge would either make you or break you. Hope that you will be able to fix your watch. Welcome to the world of watchmaking.  Watch this video. It think it'll give you an idea of the task ahead. From your 1st photo, I think you have a etachron type stud. Let me see if I can find a video on how to remove it from the arm.
    • Have read of the Tech Sheet attached on the balance section page 12. It may be bent but until you reposition it back in the regulator pins you'll never know. Cheers CJ 4R35B_4R36A.pdf
    • Aloha All, My Seiko 4R35B movement stopped working today. Upon closer inspection, it looks like the balance spring came out of the regulator pin. This is my first time working on a balance. Any advice on how to get this spring repositioned (back to normal)? I'm pretty sure that while adjusting the beat error on this movement, I must have turned the stud (I didn't even know they turned), and the spring eventually fell out.  Will the spring go back to even spacing when it's back in the pin, or does it look bent? Thanks, Frank  
    • Good job, that band matches the watch perfectly.
×
×
  • Create New...