Demagnetizer Recommendations

[Don]

I've got a movement that I think is magnetized. The hairspring coils are sticking and it makes a compass needle jump when placed over it. Here's a pic of the timer reading:

 

 

 

I've watched Mark's videos and so I'm shopping for a demagnetizer. I'm looking at the Etic for about $80 shipped, the similar C&H model for about $30 shipped, the generic clones for $10 or so from China, this bad boy from Amazon (too heavy duity?) and some vintage Vigor demagnetizers. I'm a little (a lot) tool nutty and I hate buying really cheap and then spending again for one that works. Any recommendations?

 

Also, just for fun I was playing with the super slow speed function on my camera last night and made this video. Not great quality, but may be of interest.

 

https://youtu.be/JpLEB0kiHw0

 

Thanks,

 

Don

[Mark]

If you can afford the Etic, then go for it - I melted mine by leaving it plugged in and mistakingly setting a book on top of it which pressed the button down :D

I since purchased one of the Chinese ones to see what it was like and it works just fine.

 

The Elma I have in my video is an electronic one and it is good but IMO seems to do no better than the cheap chinese one, it is just very convenient to use.

[BlakeL]

I was going to get one of the Chinese ones as my next tool purchase.  The 3 Dumont tweezers I got from my watchmaker desk purchase are all magnetized so I defiantly want to fix that so I can start using those great tweezers.

[Don]

Thanks for the input Mark. I got the Etic for about $68 shipped. Assuming it's in stock, I'll have it tomorrow or the next day. I'll keep it away from books and I'll update this post when I get to use it. :D

 

Blake, how's the bench? Did you re-stain it?

[BlakeL]

I'm leaving the stain till the end.  I have one of the drawer fronts that is trashed and another that has fallen apart and will need a few pieces replaced.  I got my father-in-law's router for this but need to buy the correct bits for the recessed drawer pulls.  Once I have those sorted I want to replicate the rails that would have originally be on the sides an back to hopefully catch pinging parts then move on with the stain. 

[Don]

I'm leaving the stain till the end.  I have one of the drawer fronts that is trashed and another that has fallen apart and will need a few pieces replaced.  I got my father-in-law's router for this but need to buy the correct bits for the recessed drawer pulls.  Once I have those sorted I want to replicate the rails that would have originally be on the sides an back to hopefully catch pinging parts then move on with the stain. 

 

Nice! I hope you'll post the finished piece when you're done.

[BlakeL]

Nice! I hope you'll post the finished piece when you're done.

 

I'll defiantly show it off when I'm finished,

[SSTEEL]

I have this one..

 

DSC09615 by Micky.!, on Flickr

 

Its probably exactly what Bergen sell, but at a fraction of the cost, it even has Bergeon branding.

[Don]

I read that the tunnel ones are more powerful.

I like your mounting system.

[Len33]

Can anyone recommend a watch demagnetiser that wouldn't cause a crash on the stock market and one that actually does what it is supposed to do?

Thanks.

Len.

[Geo]

I used a version of this before purchasing an Elma.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Demagnetiser-for-watches-and-small-tools-Demagnetizer-watch-mechanical-tool-/111097667464?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item19ddefdf88

It did the job well, I only purchased the Elma because I fancied one.

[rogart63]

Bought this type .Good but hard to find the spot where it demagnitise .

 

[Geo]

Hi Roger, that was the first type that I purchased. It's very easy to use, hold the watch over the flat part above the switch and light, press and hold the button while slowly moving the watch away from the demagnetiser to a distance of about 800mm, then release the switch.

Sometimes you have to repeat it a couple times to get the correct result, but it does work.

[Len33]

Thanks for the suggestions, fellas.

It's always good to hear the opinions of others' and find out what their experiences have been.

[rogart63]

Hi Roger, that was the first type that I purchased. It's very easy to use, hold the watch over the flat part above the switch and light, press and hold the button while slowly moving the watch away from the demagnetiser to a distance of about 800mm, then release the switch.

Sometimes you have to repeat it a couple times to get the correct result, but it does work.

Probably where i did wrong . I didn't now i needed to remove it slowly from the demagnitiser . I do now .

[cdjswiss]

I bought this one from eBay - item 330738537038 (more in stock) from HK.

 

It is half the price of the identical item from Cousins and one-tenth that of the seemingly equivalent Bergeon 2321.

 

One minor problem is that to follow these instructions from Bergeon and Cousins you need three hands:

 

Slowly pass the piece to be demagnitized through the apparatus, and take it out the other side.
Repeat the operation several times, always in the same direction.
Press the button during the entire operation.

 

The only solution for me is to fix the item to a long  strip of cardboard and then pull it from one side to the other through the hole while pressing the button, ending up about one meter away. This works a treat. The great advantage over the flat-bed type is that it can demag much larger items

Edited May 11, 2015 by cdjswiss

[szbalogh]

I am working with an NMR spectrometer which is 94000 Gauss  Sure my watch was magnetized, it even stopped once i forgot to take off before going close to the magnet. Since i had a suitable transformer and remaining wire from generator rewireing decided to put together a demagnetizer yesterday. Used the middle of an empty bottle as the coil shape, it is big enough for all sized watches, even for my Roskopf pocket watch  The 230V/60Hz main current is transformed to 12V/60Hz with a toroid transformer. The wire is 0.7mm in diameter and four layers were wound. It is connected directly to the transformer... well, burned some 800mA fuses when connected to quickly with a switch  but working fine with a crocodile forceps. The copper layer under it is for cooling. It is heating up over 60 Celsius in 30 seconds.

Before demagnetization the gauss meter (android app) shows up to 3 Gauss.

The peak is only 0.34 Gauss after demagnetization  The rate increased by ~10 s/d, amplitude is the same and it is more stable in the different positions. 

Finally demagnetized all of my steel tools. Never again sticky screws

 

Edited May 19, 2016 by szbalogh

[oldhippy]

This is what you need. If you get anything that is to powerful it can distort the hairspring which is the main part that needs demagnetizing.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/like/161822826949?limghlpsr=true&hlpv=2&ops=true&viphx=1&hlpht=true&lpid=122&chn=ps&googleloc=9045125&poi=&campaignid=207297426&device=c&adgroupid=13585920426&rlsatarget=aud-133395220866%3Apla-131843272146&adtype=pla&crdt=0&ff3=1&ff11=ICEP3.0.0-L&ff12=67&ff13=80&ff14=122&ff19=0

[vinn3]

de  magnetize /  de GAUSS :  I have a couple old watchmakers de magnetizers.  there is a button to  hold down  when  passing AN   ITEM  thru  (in and out)  of the coil.   this  means  there is  no  power on when  left un attended.    I  like that  GAUSS  meter.  vlnn  

[szbalogh]

21 hours ago, oldhippy said:

This is what you need. If you get anything that is to powerful it can distort the hairspring which is the main part that needs demagnetizing.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/like/161822826949?limghlpsr=true&hlpv=2&ops=true&viphx=1&hlpht=true&lpid=122&chn=ps&googleloc=9045125&poi=&campaignid=207297426&device=c&adgroupid=13585920426&rlsatarget=aud-133395220866%3Apla-131843272146&adtype=pla&crdt=0&ff3=1&ff11=ICEP3.0.0-L&ff12=67&ff13=80&ff14=122&ff19=0

You are right, the beat error increased a bit from around 0.3 to 0.5 - 0.6ms. I will introduce some light bulbs to the high Voltage side to reduce the power.

19 hours ago, vinn3 said:

de  magnetize /  de GAUSS :  I have a couple old watchmakers de magnetizers.  there is a button to  hold down  when  passing AN   ITEM  thru  (in and out)  of the coil.   this  means  there is  no  power on when  left un attended.    I  like that  GAUSS  meter.  vlnn  

The magnetic sensor in my smartphone is on the top right corner of the display. Google says that usually it is in the top left corner. You need to place the watch directly over the sensor to measure this small fields. 

Edited May 20, 2016 by szbalogh

[vinn3]

the proper tool  is  a  '"watchmakers  de magnetizer"  you  don't have to  worry about too strong a  magnetic field.  the  use of it is a separate subject,  as is  the  deturming if a watch is magnetized.   check out De Carle's book.

[szbalogh]

Added a 60W bulb standing lamp to the 220V circuit which i was using anyway nest to my bench. Power reduced to around half and now it is heating slow but its effective like before. Tested with a screwdriver magnetized by a neodymium magnet   

[ramrod]

i love the video that you made. it's really the first time i've seen the escape wheel in full arc. is that the typical amout of "swing" that an escape wheel has? i thought that they had an almost full turn, but this one is about 270 degrees or so.

[AP1875]

Hi guys, I was just wondering if you could give me your opinion on which demagnetizer to go for. I am a hobbyist and i just service my own watches and any other movements i come across.

The options are all from cousins website and range from £2 to £160.

The cousins cube is £2 will this do the job? I guess you just slide the parts through it and job done?

Etic swiss is £30 and is mains powered.

Greiner and Elma also do demagnetizers around the £160 mark.

So, id really like your opinions, can i do this on the cheap at £2 or is it going to be wise to spend a little more? 

[Marc]

You need a mains powered unit to generate an alternating magnetic field to be of any use in watch repair work.

Check out eBay and you will find many Asian versions of the Etic unit (which is almost certainly of Asian origin itself) for anything between £5 and £25. Since all it is is a coil and a switch there is little that can go wrong.

I have two units, an ancient pass through type that came in a job lot of tools and is great, and an Etic type that I paid about £7 for. They work as well as each other.