Rodico

[rduckwor]

Experienced watchmakers/repairs:  Rodico - Yes or No?

 

I see many varying opinions and want to know.

Thanks,

RMD

[jguitron]

I’m still learning and certainly it’s been emphasized that the use of rodico has been abused. There is a push to keep it off the desk and only to be used for selected procedures.

I love rodico and it certainly helps me cover any tracks I may leave behind [emoji39] which is why I guess it’s frowned upon.

So, I have it there on my tray and honestly try to minimize using it but it’s always handy.






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[vinn3]

    rodico is very popular,   works well.  so whats wrong with that?  vin

 

[jdm]

41 minutes ago, rduckwor said:

Experienced watchmakers/repairs:  Rodico - Yes or No?

 

I see many varying opinions and want to know.

Just curious where you have seen these opinions? It's OK to post links. 

Normally the advice from this forum is well based on reason, and best practices. 

[JBerry]

In my experience it leaves a residue when used to dab away fingerprints/smudges on plates, best to use fingercots and save the hassle.

I just use it to remove balance jewels prior to cleaning,

[rduckwor]

22 minutes ago, jdm said:

Just curious where you have seen these opinions? It's OK to post links. 

Normally the advice from this forum is well based on reason, and best practices. 

Just in reading various fora. Many say that it leaves residues and many also say that manufacurers will not allow it's use.

 

I'm just trying to gather a snapshot of your views on it.

 

Thanks,

RMD

[WatchMaker]

I'm with @vinn3 ... assuming it's used for its intended purpose and that is a cleaning product to dab away residues, particles etc.

I say this because I have learnt the hard way that Rodico has properties that in some cases may not be welcome. I once disassembled a watch that I found needed some hard-to-find part so left the disassembled watch in an air-tight box with easy-to-loose parts (screws; springs) gently placed on clean Rodico. When I came to reassemble the watch I found that a bridge had also rested on the Rodico and it had completely discoloured the bridge where it was touching.

Sure you could say 'my bad' as I'd created this situation but then again Rodico is advertised for use for picking up parts (holding them) and wiping across parts (cleaning them) along with words like 'harmless to skin' and 'non corrosive' so I was a little put out!

I'm still a user of Rodico but now you realise the caveat in my first sentence! 

[vinn3]

1 hour ago, JBerry said:

In my experience it leaves a residue when used to dab away fingerprints/smudges on plates, best to use fingercots and save the hassle.

I just use it to remove balance jewels prior to cleaning,

   IF - there is residue ( perhaps your rodico is contaminated).   wipe the area with "isoprop".    AND don't leave anything on rodico.     vin

Edited August 5, 2019 by vinn3
add

[rogart63]

Ëven fingercots leave a trace. A tiny hair from your eyebrown or head an then it's great to just lift it up with some rodico. I use it all the time.  For all sorts of things. Like lifting the balance jewel or holding the inca jewel to take the endcap of. Or chewing it when i am out of candy  

Edited August 5, 2019 by rogart63

[Nucejoe]

Is Rodico good to wipe off/ clean extra oil with? 

 

[AndyHull]

I must admit, I use Tesco supermarket brand "Bluetac" in place or Rodico (but then again, I'm not doing this for a living). Tesco's stuff is an off white colour, and I would say slightly less refined (i.e. cheap). 

The name brand "Bluetac" tends to leave a sticky residue, but the cheap stuff doesn't. Not sure why this is the case, presumably they are formulated slightly differently. It does pick up oily fingerprints, and it is very useful for picking up and holding small items. I haven't tried leaving anything delicate attached to it for prolonged periods. I'll give it a try and report back.  

If you are doing this for a living, I would suggest use the genuine Rodico since it is made for the purpose, and may well be formulated differently again.

The Tesco stuff doesn't taste great, so think of it as diet candy. (*)

* Other brands are available, the poster doesn't endorse the use of (blah)tac for diet purposes or as one of your five a day. Pleas read the small print before putting anything dubious in your mouth etc.

[jguitron]

To clarify a bit,

It seems from what I hear, rodico is so effective that it has allowed watchmakers to cut corners at various steps. Examples are oiling; if you get a mini drop on the periphery of the jewel, careful rodico can correct it rather than cleaning up the whole jewel and reapply. Also not using the finger cots that someone mentioned here already, doable because at the end you could remove the marks with... rodico!

So, my interpretation is that there is really nothing against it other than people getting into bad habits. It’s true, if Rolex or Omega don’t allow it, it’s so that in principle you will take all actions and precautions not to need it in the first place.

Cheers!


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[praezis]

It is the same stuff that was known as "type cleaner" in pre computer times, I suppose.

Frank

[HSL]

I use Rodico too just like Rogart63, I sometimes make magic wands topped with Rodico to pick out the balance jewels in a safe way and also to pick up persistant dust and other debrie. I sometimes take of dirt from the pallets with it and it seems to work fine.
I guess some also use it to clean the movement with which probably isn´t the intent with the product. Some also use it to take away spillage of oil which is OK as long as you don´t reuse the Rodico anywere else.
But I wouldn´t take away excess oil from a jewel with it since you probably just will push the oil through the jewel hole to the other side and by that get the movement bathing in oil instead, it doesn't have very good sucktion capabilities.
I am also less keen to use it as chewing gum  

[nickelsilver]

One big problem with Rodico is most people manipulate it with their bare fingers. So all the oil, dirt, sweat, etc, end up in the Rodico. Then it get's used to "clean" a part, leaving a nice film of skin oil and sweat and who knows what else. If used for cleaning a jewel, the film can promote the oil spreading, like an anti-epilame. If used on a steel part or a dial it could lead to rust or oxidation down the road.

 

If you really want to use it (not for picking up a stray oil drop!), like for a little piece of dust on a dial or whatever, the best method is to stick sharpened pegwood into fresh Rodico (I leave it wrapped in its paper, in a baggie), twirl it and you'll pick up a little blob of virgin stuff. Use it, then add it to your big dirty blob.

 

It is indeed handy for getting stubborn cap jewels out of settings and many things, but should be kept off clean parts and dials, away from oil/jewels, and when used to "clean" already clean parts, use fresh stuff. If you need to handle it with your finger, do it with finger cots.

 

In a professional setting Texwipe products get used a lot. Their pointy swabs are excellent, and cost about 12 cents/piece.

 

 

[watchweasol]

Hi Guys  Like Frank I remember using a smilar product known as TYPE CLEAN when I was a typewriter mechanic years ago and it worked. Rodico is of the same ilk and is very good at what it does, It will leave a residue when contaminated, usually with oil at that point use it for something else. I use it and have no problems with the product. As with type clean when it got too dirty to use effectivly bin it it does not cost mutch. 

[nickelsilver]

A couple of tricks from industry guys, not Brand approved but proven at the bench: Uhu Patafix, the yellow one, is a decent Rodico substitute that doesn't leave visible residue. The white one doesn't work. You can't touch it with your fingers, only cots or the pegwood trick from above.

 

The other one is contact cement. When dealing with black polished steel parts, in a new watch, they have to be impeccably clean. The trick is to dip toothpicks in the contact cement, so just a little bulb is at the tip, and set aside to dry. When casing up, any small marks or bits of stuff that won't blow off can be picked up with the tacky cement (it stays tacky a long time). It won't leave a residue on the steel. The fellow who told me this one used the cheapest contact cement he could find, it was some offbrand stuff. I tried Continental tire glue for bicycles (the one for gluing on racing tires, not patching inner tubes) and it worked fine.

[rduckwor]

Thanks all.

RMD

[CaptCalvin]

12 hours ago, jguitron said:

To clarify a bit,

It seems from what I hear, rodico is so effective that it has allowed watchmakers to cut corners at various steps. Examples are oiling; if you get a mini drop on the periphery of the jewel, careful rodico can correct it rather than cleaning up the whole jewel and reapply. Also not using the finger cots that someone mentioned here already, doable because at the end you could remove the marks with... rodico!

So, my interpretation is that there is really nothing against it other than people getting into bad habits. It’s true, if Rolex or Omega don’t allow it, it’s so that in principle you will take all actions and precautions not to need it in the first place.

Cheers!


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I always wondered about this. Say you have the main plate all the train and bridges together and oiled to perfection on both sides save for one last cup. You dip your oiler into that cup , everything is looking good for the home stretch. But as you are lifting the oiler out of the cup your fingers have the tiniest spasm. Oh no. Under 20x magnification you can just about make out the tiniest smidge of oil on the rim of that cup. Can barely even see it honestly . Well? What do you do? Leave it as is? Rodico that sombich? Soak it up with pegwood? What would be the proper/non corner cutting approach? Dismantle the whole thing put it through the cycles and try again? Really?

[jguitron]

I hear you! In my opinion a good fix with Rod.

But the “party line” is that it has to be perfect, so I wonder if anyone here that may have some insights into Ro or Om would comment on how it’s dealt with in their shop.

From my standpoint I’d wear a T saying “I love Rodico” [emoji41]




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[nickelsilver]

5 hours ago, CaptCalvin said:

I always wondered about this. Say you have the main plate all the train and bridges together and oiled to perfection on both sides save for one last cup. You dip your oiler into that cup , everything is looking good for the home stretch. But as you are lifting the oiler out of the cup your fingers have the tiniest spasm. Oh no. Under 20x magnification you can just about make out the tiniest smidge of oil on the rim of that cup. Can barely even see it honestly . Well? What do you do? Leave it as is? Rodico that sombich? Soak it up with pegwood? What would be the proper/non corner cutting approach? Dismantle the whole thing put it through the cycles and try again? Really?

If it's just on the rim, isn't connected by an oil trail to the cup, and really is microscopic, it's better to leave it. If you want to really get it off, fresh cut pegwood under microscope... but-

Really you should reclean. I know it sounds extreme but that's the professional thing to do. Your watch? Do as you please. Customer? Do it right. I'm not saying there's no situation where the excess can be safely tidied up, but I wouldn't advocate it.

 

50 or more  years ago when folks had their watch serviced once a year it was possible to get away with a lot that just doesn't fly anymore. I see watches all the time that have perhaps 10 years since the last service, where maybe one Incabloc still has sufficient oil still and the other is bone dry. How'd that happen? I would guess the dry one got a Rodico cleaning after overshooting on the oil or something similar. If someone is paying 2-600 bucks for professional work that's what they should get.

[jguitron]

If it's just on the rim, isn't connected by an oil trail to the cup, and really is microscopic, it's better to leave it. If you want to really get it off, fresh cut pegwood under microscope... but-
Really you should reclean. I know it sounds extreme but that's the professional thing to do. Your watch? Do as you please. Customer? Do it right. I'm not saying there's no situation where the excess can be safely tidied up, but I wouldn't advocate it.
 
50 or more  years ago when folks had their watch serviced once a year it was possible to get away with a lot that just doesn't fly anymore. I see watches all the time that have perhaps 10 years since the last service, where maybe one Incabloc still has sufficient oil still and the other is bone dry. How'd that happen? I would guess the dry one got a Rodico cleaning after overshooting on the oil or something similar. If someone is paying 2-600 bucks for professional work that's what they should get.

Excellent perspective.

[emoji1303]


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[ifibrin]

On 8/6/2019 at 7:42 PM, nickelsilver said:

If it's just on the rim, isn't connected by an oil trail to the cup, and really is microscopic, it's better to leave it. If you want to really get it off, fresh cut pegwood under microscope... but-

Really you should reclean. I know it sounds extreme but that's the professional thing to do. Your watch? Do as you please. Customer? Do it right. I'm not saying there's no situation where the excess can be safely tidied up, but I wouldn't advocate it.

 

50 or more  years ago when folks had their watch serviced once a year it was possible to get away with a lot that just doesn't fly anymore. I see watches all the time that have perhaps 10 years since the last service, where maybe one Incabloc still has sufficient oil still and the other is bone dry. How'd that happen? I would guess the dry one got a Rodico cleaning after overshooting on the oil or something similar. If someone is paying 2-600 bucks for professional work that's what they should get.

I have also heard from watchmakers from other forums that Rodico is banned by many watch manufacturers, and their service Center.

If that’s the case, how would you deal with oil accidentally touching the main plate, such as if you accidentally get some escapement grease 9415 onto the view hole in the main plate when oiling the pallet jewel?

Would seem a waste to take everything apart and clean it again, but that may account for the high servicing cost if you go to the manufacturer (usually two or three times more than most independent watchmakers).

Not being able to use rodico would seem to preclude oiling the pallet jewels directly in non-hacking movements only after the balance is installed, since you can’t use rodico to stop the balance wheel from swinging to directly oil the face of the pallet jewel through the view hole in the main plate. I find that oiling the pallet jewel on the fork first, then placing it into the main plate and the pallet cock on unsatisfactory, since the oil on the face of the pallet jewel gets all over the edge of the escape wheel, not just the tooth since the escape wheel is free to rotate in either direction before you put some wind in the mainspring…

[jdm]

On 11/11/2021 at 6:48 AM, ifibrin said:

I have also heard from watchmakers from other forums that Rodico is banned by many watch manufacturers, and their service Center.

Never heard of that and unless given I'm given a convincing reason from some that has a name, surname and reputation that is not "Center Service, Overcharging Inc" I will happy continue to use it. When cleaning displaced oil with Rodico stamp quickly on it, don't drag, replace it often and don't touch with bare fingers.

[watchweasol]

I think I mentioned before I use a similar product for cleaning type heads on typewriters many years ago. It did a great job and was discarded when non effectiv which was when it was completely black with ink Some 50 years later I am still standing and as jdm said untill some one comes up with names and a good reason for not using it I shall continue to do so.