Epilame / Fixodrop

[Marc]

Given the price of Fixodrop, this link may be of interest.

http://forums.timezone.com/index.php?t=msg&th=1284125&rid=0

 

[jdrichard]

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

Thanks


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[VWatchie]

20 hours ago, nickelsilver said:

 

 

 

20 hours ago, VWatchie said:

 

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

Found an interesting and rather extensive article about it here.

[VWatchie]

The link in my previous post doesn't seem to be clickable!? Anyway, here it is:

https://www.watchprosite.com/page-wf.forumpost/pzt-/wf.responses_bLoB_s-/fi-17/pi-2594576/ti-432276/s-0/

[jaycey]

I've just bought a small amount of the Horotec Episurf-Neo, which is advertised as a 'next gen' epilame treatment.

Directions for use say 30 second dip, 60 second dry at air temperature. So no heat required.

I too am looking for a cheap DIY alternative to the special dip bottle. I've been experimenting with the little filter baskets from the water inlets on washing machines! Haven't found the perfect solution yet, but I'm working on it!

 

 

[Flubber]

I was thinking about using Fixodrop but  have a hard time figuring out what parts to use it on. The fewer the better considering the abhorrent price for it. What I got so far.

* Pallet jewels

* Escape wheel

* Reversing wheel on automatic

* Balance End stones

 

What is your opinion on this ? Should the end stones be treated, and if so, does that include the chaton ? 

[oldhippy]

It is used to stop spreading of a lubricant all over the surface. Where ever you oil pivots that is the time to use it. I myself never used such stuff, not sure if it was around in my days, besides I had a very steady hand.  

[watchweasol]

https://www.cousinsuk.com/category/moebius-fixodrop-fk    This link will give you ther page on Cousins site regarding fixodrop/Epilame  not only is it expensive, there are also hazzards in using it as explained in the following link  http://watchmakingblog.com/2011/07/29/one-hazard-of-epilame/.  I would suggest reading both and makining an informed descision         cheers

[jdm]

17 minutes ago, oldhippy said:

I myself never used such stuff, not sure if it was around in my days, besides I had a very steady hand.  

Yes it was, 1957 Omega literature explains it, in the 60s Greiner made a machine to apply it from bags of stearic acide, after ultrasonic cleaning.

I've neither used it so far, I think that today's quality of lubricatints helps doing without it, at the same time I don't have enough experience to recommend one way or the other.

[Flubber]

I've now experimented some with this and it seems to work pretty well. So well, in fact, that it seems that end stones treated with it doesn't take all oil offered to it. It seems to be enough though.

[praezis]

Don't forget to run the movement dry for some minutes, before oiling.

Frank 

[oldhippy]

15 minutes ago, praezis said:

Don't forget to run the movement dry for some minutes, before oiling.

Frank 

You should never run a movement dry. It needs lube no matter for how long. More then likely you will need to add oil as you re assemble the movement as the more you add parts the more difficult to oil certain parts become. 

[nickelsilver]

Run the movement with the pallet jewels dry for some minutes, this allows the escape teeth to scrape off the epilame from them and that non-epilamed "track" holds the oil.

[Nucejoe]

In csse of runing movements, I take dial and disk plates off, wind full and drop the whole movement in avgas( absolutely friendly to shelac) , if it ran whilst submerged, I lets it run overnight to clean itself, then disassemble it for clean& service. 

 My late repairman frowned on this practice of mine but never explained the reason. 

This is a chance to put my question to vote, your thoughts please.

[nickelsilver]

In csse of runing movements, I take dial and disk plates off, wind full and drop the whole movement in avgas( absolutely friendly to shelac) , if it ran whilst submerged, I lets it run overnight to clean itself, then disassemble it for clean& service. 
 My late repairman frowned on this practice of mine but never explained the reason. 
This is a chance to put my question to vote, your thoughts please.

By avgas you mean kerosene I guess? Why not, I don't think it will hurt anything, but getting all of that cleaned off would eat a lot of solvent or cleaning solution.

[oldhippy]

1 hour ago, Nucejoe said:

In csse of runing movements, I take dial and disk plates off, wind full and drop the whole movement in avgas( absolutely friendly to shelac) , if it ran whilst submerged, I lets it run overnight to clean itself, then disassemble it for clean& service. 

 My late repairman frowned on this practice of mine but never explained the reason. 

This is a chance to put my question to vote, your thoughts please.

 

[Nucejoe]

33 minutes ago, nickelsilver said:

By avgas you mean kerosene I guess? Why not, I don't think it will hurt anything, but getting all of that cleaned off would eat a lot of solvent or cleaning solution.

Aviation gas = avgas ,  I am not sure if this grade of avgas runs piston airplane or turbine engines( diferent I hear), but has no effect on shelac and no visible effect on base metals either. 

Some calibers wont run while submerged. 

Thanks for your response.

[Nucejoe]

3 minutes ago, oldhippy said:

 

Ha ha,  Would care to tell why no.

Thanks for your response.

[oldhippy]

It’s one way of causing extra wear on a movement, pivots could shear off, all sorts of damage could happen. 

[Nucejoe]

15 minutes ago, oldhippy said:

It’s one way of causing extra wear on a movement, pivots could shear off, all sorts of damage could happen. 

Oh I mean submerged and running with oscilator, so runs at low speed, if thats your concern, amplitude also drops.

 

[oldhippy]

The more parts the more damage could be caused.

[rodabod]

I’ve done something similar to what Nucejoe describes when doing a “pre clean” on an utterly filthy movement with L&R cleaning solution. Personally, I don’t see any great risk of harm. The aviation fuel probably provides a reasonable amount of lubrication for the short amount of time that it is running. 

[Tudor]

Avgas has lead in it. Is it enough? No idea. It’s 100 (min) octane gasoline.  Turbines (jets) run on Jet-A which is essentially kerosene. 
 

I had also considered such action at times (with Ronsinol) but never did. Cleaning is always better when you have access to both sides of plates. 

Edited August 31, 2020 by Tudor

[praezis]

On 8/29/2020 at 3:44 PM, nickelsilver said:

Run the movement with the pallet jewels dry for some minutes, this allows the escape teeth to scrape off the epilame from them and that non-epilamed "track" holds the oil.

Thanks, nickelsilver!

I was referring to the epilame treated parts only, acording the topic.

Frank

[JohnR725]

One of the problems with watch repair is the age of the technical information. A problem with the age of the material is it's possible that things have changed like even fixodrop? Like for instance at the link below there is variations lots of them? Plus they've changed the solvent to something more environmentally supposedly friendly. Changing the solvent has had other interesting changes.

For instance 7061 This one's interesting wash resistant if you download the technical sheet it tells how to apply it. Then since I really enjoyed the answer "NO" up above I'm going to quote something "Fixodrop-treated anchor pallets should be lubricated only after running dry for 1 to 2 minutes" Unlike the answer "NO" up above it's okay because it's only the pallet stones. You need to remove the surface treatment so the oil will stick otherwise you're going to have issues.

Then they explain the drying procedure. This is interesting because the previous solvent they were using would evaporate so fast that if you weren't very very careful the cooling effect would cause moisture to condense out of the air eaving a microscopic coloring of moisture on your nice clean steel parts which leads to rust. This is why shops using this a lot of times I have a hot hairdryer radius and is a part came out that immediately put hot air on to hopefully avoid this. Now it's supposed to be better and not have that happen.

On 8/9/2020 at 10:12 AM, Flubber said:

Should the end stones be treated, and if so, does that include the chaton

 

Only the end stone should be treated not the setting.

 

 

 

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