Epilame / Fixodrop

[Nucejoe]

On 5/7/2019 at 2:36 PM, oldhippy said:

Why is it so expensive? I have never used it. I didn’t see the need to have it.  

Couple of members reported good results used on reversers. What do you recommend instead?

[oldhippy]

What do you recommend instead?

Nerves of steel and a good eye. A very fine oiler you know and trust. 

[vinn3]

why is anything "over priced" ?  greed

[TexasDon]

3 hours ago, vinn3 said:

why is anything "over priced" ?  greed

Only in today's corporate speak, it's referred to as maximizing a return on investment. I prefer to keep it simple. It's just plain greed and pretty ugly at that!

[nickelsilver]

I think it's priced the way it is because it's scientific glass, with the basket mod, with a small market. If you don't drop it you'll use it 2-3 times/day for 20 years, so not so expensive. As for Fixodrop itself, again, small market, high tech chemical, price goes up. Same with Moebius oil, it seems expensive till you realize how much work one can do with a given quantity.

I find synthetic motor oils expensive given the size of the market. But they are better so I'll buy them.

[JBerry]

10% Economies of scale, 10% high quality control, 80% Fancy Swiss brand with huge consumer loyalty taking the mickey with their prices.

I'm sure if the oils were the same quality and half the price there are people who wouldn't buy it if because it doesn't seem expensive enough.

[vinn3]

3 hours ago, TexasDon said:

Only in today's corporate speak, it's referred to as maximizing a return on investment. I prefer to keep it simple. It's just plain greed and pretty ugly at that!

   right you are Tex.  vin

[Nucejoe]

On 5/7/2019 at 12:21 PM, clockboy said:

I have been dealing with a PM re-using Fixodrop (Epiline)and I was also going to recommend purchasing the dedicated bottle until........... "Cousins" the price quoted £134.95  absolute madness.

When you first recommended it, amazon showed 50cc bottle for €50 but unavilable. 

I think we all be happy with 10cc bottles for €19.99 .I don,t see why such a high volume is offered to the customer.

[TheFixer]

Hello,

Can anyone advise on how Epilame is applied? for example on a pallet fork.

I hope this is not a stupid question.

Thanks from Jon

[m1ks]

I've never used it, (I wouldn't be able as the price makes my eyes water so I wouldn't be able to see where I placed it).

But I'd imagine there's only placing with an oiler or dipping?

[TheFixer]

1 minute ago, m1ks said:

I've never used it, (I wouldn't be able as the price makes my eyes water so I wouldn't be able to see where I placed it).

But I'd imagine there's only placing with an oiler or dipping?

Thank you.

I managed to obtain a bottle rather cheaply so am curious as to the best way to apply, my thinking was to use an oiler but really not sure.

[JohnR725]

5 hours ago, TheFixer said:

I managed to obtain a bottle rather cheaply so am curious as to the best way to apply, my thinking was to use an oiler but really not sure.

Out of curiosity which brand and type did you get? The reason for the question is if you have the new environmentally friendly version where it's applied is different then how it was done in the past. The link below talks about the hazards of the past solutions.  .

The  purpose of this solution is to keep oil from spreading. As the link below talks about like all horological lubrication discussions where it's applied how it's applied can vary by quite a bit. For instance Omega in the 50s did not recommend applying it to the pallet fork at all. Versus today Universally everyone applies it to the pallet stones but nothing else on the pallet fork. With the newer environmentally friendly version it comes in really big bottles like 1L 5L  according to the most recent Omega document it should be in the last rinse of your cleaning machine and almost everything is covered with this versus the past where it was only applied to a couple of parts.

http://watchmakingblog.com/2011/07/29/one-hazard-of-epilame/

[TheFixer]

2 hours ago, JohnR725 said:

Out of curiosity which brand and type did you get? The reason for the question is if you have the new environmentally friendly version where it's applied is different then how it was done in the past. The link below talks about the hazards of the past solutions.  .

The  purpose of this solution is to keep oil from spreading. As the link below talks about like all horological lubrication discussions where it's applied how it's applied can vary by quite a bit. For instance Omega in the 50s did not recommend applying it to the pallet fork at all. Versus today Universally everyone applies it to the pallet stones but nothing else on the pallet fork. With the newer environmentally friendly version it comes in really big bottles like 1L 5L  according to the most recent Omega document it should be in the last rinse of your cleaning machine and almost everything is covered with this versus the past where it was only applied to a couple of parts.

http://watchmakingblog.com/2011/07/29/one-hazard-of-epilame/

Hi,

Thanks for the information, most interesting and useful information.

I purchased through a Watchmaker moebius 8981.

 

[JohnR725]

I found some additional information you might find useful. 

Then on page 7 of the PDF it talks about the application.

http://www.moebius-lubricants.ch/en/products/epilames

http://www.moebius-lubricants.ch/sites/default/files/security_sheet/tinf_8980-8981-8982_fixodrop_es-bs_en.pdf

https://www.cousinsuk.com/document/search?SearchString=fixodrop

BHI The Practical Lubrication of Clocks and Watches Version 2008.0.pdf

[TheFixer]

12 hours ago, JohnR725 said:

I found some additional information you might find useful. 

Then on page 7 of the PDF it talks about the application.

http://www.moebius-lubricants.ch/en/products/epilames

http://www.moebius-lubricants.ch/sites/default/files/security_sheet/tinf_8980-8981-8982_fixodrop_es-bs_en.pdf

https://www.cousinsuk.com/document/search?SearchString=fixodrop

BHI The Practical Lubrication of Clocks and Watches Version 2008.0.pdf 530.41 kB · 6 downloads

Very many thanks for the information.

[VWatchie]

What would be a good method for applying Fixodrop without using a special epilame bottle?

Servicing my first ETA cal. 2824-2 I’m going to follow ETA’s tech sheet the best I can. Probably not necessary but that’s what I’ve made up my mind to do. This means I will have to treat certain parts with Fixodrop (8981, Fixodrop ES/BS-10).

No big deal, right? Wrong! Big deal! The Fixodrop 100 ml is £107 (incl. tax) and the epilame bottle is £162 (incl. tax). In total with shipping (to Sweden) that comes to £278 (€312/$352). These prices are from CousinsUK.com and those prices are competitive, trust me! So, for my money, I get a solution and a glass bottle, although a bit special. There are some less expensive epilame bottles, but the prices for these bottles are still "criminal".

Am I going to place an order? NO! The Fixodrop can be bought on eBay for approximately three times as much as offered by CousinsUK.com, but it can be bought in smaller quantities. So, that’s what I’ve done. I’ve ordered 10 ml (still very painful, $54 with shipping )

So, what would be a good method for applying the Fixodrop to the parts without using a special epilame bottle? As I understand it, Fixodrop is very volatile so I guess that can pose a challenge!?
 

[nickelsilver]

I use a little bottle like the pic, 30ml, got it at the drugstore. I fill it about 1/3 of the way. Escape wheel get plunged in with tweezers, cap jewels the same, for the pallets I dip closed #5 tweezers in which suck up a little, and deposit a bit on the stones.

My colleague uses a 10ml plastic lab bottle with a really fine spout, and squirts some on a fine artist's paintbrush (like really tiny) and applies where he wants.

I know they say to soak for a while but that's tricky to do keeping contact with just the pallet stones, and the quick dip really works fine.

[Nucejoe]

Hi nickelsilver, How about reversers ( winder module),  plunge in? 

Thanks in advance.

 

[nickelsilver]

4 minutes ago, Nucejoe said:

Hi nickelsilver, How about reversers ( winder module),  plunge in? 

Thanks in advance.

 

I plunge whatever I want to treat, except for the pallet fork, since it's been demonstrated that it's detrimental to epilame the fork slot and pivots.

Edited June 14, 2019 by nickelsilver

[jdrichard]

What the heck is fixodrop?

Sent from my GT-N5110 using Tapatalk

[Tmuir]

Fixadrop helps oil stay where you put it, stops it running flowing, but is very expensive.

[VWatchie]

3 hours ago, Nucejoe said:

Hi nickelsilver, How about reversers ( winder module),  plunge in? 

Thanks in advance.

 

This is what ETA has to say about the reversers in the tech sheet:

"Do not wash. If the part is very dirty or rusty,
it should be exchanged for an original part
which is lubricated and delivered by
ETA SA."

Now, I saw Mark Lovick soak them in Lubeta V105, and that's what I'm going to do as well. Don't think you're supposed to treat them with Fixodrop.

[nickelsilver]

This is what ETA has to say about the reversers in the tech sheet:
"Do not wash. If the part is very dirty or rusty,
it should be exchanged for an original part
which is lubricated and delivered by
ETA SA."
Now, I

, and that's what I'm going to do as well. Don't think you're supposed to treat them with Fixodrop.

That's right- except for Rolex where it's mandatory (they won't work right without it).

[Nucejoe]

I have none and can,t comment, @clockboy talked of epilame fixodrop **** .

 

 

 

 

[canthus]

I too bought a small 10ml bottle some time ago.  I do not use epilame a lot so like others I needed to conserve as best as possible.  I eventually came to using an old package case from a balance complete purchase, a small round item with lid.  This is big enough for the few items I have had to do.  I fill it from the bottle, immerse the item for 5 mins, then allow the item to dry under a warm light bulb.  The remaining epilame is then poured back in the bottle for next time.  It says its very volatile but not so that it just vanishes as soon as you use it!  I gather that for surfaces that need to retain oil then they should be run dry for a few minutes to remove the epilame from the working surface (which needs to retain lube) but leaves it on the non working surfaces which need to be lube free.