TAS vintage hairspring leveller use

[marcoskaiser]

Dear all,

I recently had the pleasure of finding a damaged hairspring needing care. My first! It’s an inexpensive orient watch, gaining 20 minutes a day. I am taking Mark’s fault finding course, and have other inexpensive hairsprings to practise with. I also got some vintage tools I’d love to use. Until now for me levellers were only the Oliver Cromwell people, but ebay never ceases to surprise...

I could pass the first stages of correcting the coil, with two tweezers. But could not find a use for the vintage tools. Could you help me to figure it out? 

Picture 1 is the bent hairspring 

picture 2 and 3 the box of tas levellers

picture 4 is the hairspring suffering under my tweezers now

picture 5 shows the tip of the tools

picture 6: from De Carle. Would this be the purpose of the levellers? The overcoil? 

[nickelsilver]

Well, that spring is almost certainly a goner, it would be a challenge for a very experienced person to get it usuable if it's possible. Those little tools, in spite of saying "for all sizes" are much too large for little wristwatches. They would be used to twist the spring slightly, often near the stud but not necessarily, to get it level. Normally one would do this with fine tweezers if there is space, which there isn't always. Imagine coming straight down to the spring near the stud (everything mounted in the watch), and then tilting your tweezer a few degrees toward the balance center, and giving a little squeeze on the spring. It will tilt it toward the balance, 180 degrees from where you've made the bend.

Those tools would be tricky to use for overcoil work, certainly not a something that would be helpful. And DeCarle's technique there is a little sketchy too... don't recall reading that but I don't have that book around anymore.

[marcoskaiser]

28 minutes ago, nickelsilver said:

Well, that spring is almost certainly a goner, it would be a challenge for a very experienced person to get it usuable if it's possible. Those little tools, in spite of saying "for all sizes" are much too large for little wristwatches. They would be used to twist the spring slightly, often near the stud but not necessarily, to get it level. Normally one would do this with fine tweezers if there is space, which there isn't always. Imagine coming straight down to the spring near the stud (everything mounted in the watch), and then tilting your tweezer a few degrees toward the balance center, and giving a little squeeze on the spring. It will tilt it toward the balance, 180 degrees from where you've made the bend.

Those tools would be tricky to use for overcoil work, certainly not a something that would be helpful. And DeCarle's technique there is a little sketchy too... don't recall reading that but I don't have that book around anymore.

Thanks, nickelsilver! 

You mean, the first hairspring, the one still mounted is beyond repair? I haven’t touched it. If it is what you meant, it’s disappointing. 

Thanks for the clarification on the vintage tools!

[nickelsilver]

Thanks, nickelsilver! 
You mean, the first hairspring, the one still mounted is beyond repair? I haven’t touched it. If it is what you meant, it’s disappointing. 
Thanks for the clarification on the vintage tools!

Ah- no, I thought the other pic was the first one after some "work". The first one should be salvageable with careful work. But if you've never manipulated hairsprings before it's not one I'd reccomend as your first.