Mystery tool--figured it out!

[LittleWatchShop]

Been wondering what this tool is for.  Today, I figured it out!

Lets have some fun...who can guess.  Not showing a lot of detail, but enough I think.

[Marc]

Bending spring bars

[Nucejoe]

Marc is right on the money, spring bar bender.

I have a bergeon made one of this, the most useless tool in my bag.

 

[Marc]

Mine says "Hi".

@Nucejoe I wouldn't say useless, more "little used". It doesn't see much action for sure, but on the odd occasion when a case design calls for a curved spring bar and you only have straight ones this thing is the business. Try putting a curve in a spring bar without one of these and all you end up with is broken spring bars.

[Marc]

Here's a little something to have a guess at.....

It took me a little while to figure it out but once I did it has seen a fair bit of use.

Any guesses?

 

[LittleWatchShop]

It pushes pins out of something.  Maybe pushing pins out of watch bands? 

[HectorLooi]

Crown tube extractor.

[nickelsilver]

9 hours ago, Marc said:

@Nucejoe I wouldn't say useless, more "little used". It doesn't see much action for sure, but on the odd occasion when a case design calls for a curved spring bar and you only have straight ones this thing is the business. Try putting a curve in a spring bar without one of these and all you end up with is broken spring bars.

The old school trick is to press the spring bar between two appropriately sized spoons. It does work!

[Marc]

2 hours ago, nickelsilver said:

The old school trick is to press the spring bar between two appropriately sized spoons. It does work!

I'd never thought of that but I can see how it would work.

[Marc]

10 hours ago, LittleWatchShop said:

It pushes pins out of something.  Maybe pushing pins out of watch bands? 

Close but no cigar....

[Marc]

10 hours ago, HectorLooi said:

Crown tube extractor.

Bingo, it's an Etic 350-110 and it is for both pushing out and reinstalling case tubes. . I haven't been able to find anything out about it using the usual inter-web search facilities.

Here's another view, in removal mode.....

and in installation mode.

I'm assuming that it isn't complete as I suspect that there should be a variety of different sized pins. The one that I have works ok both for removing and installing tubes of around 2.5mm but if the hole through the tube is bigger than 2mm, or the hole in the case smaller than 2mm, then tube removal with this pin would be impossible. Also I suspect that for reinstallation the ideal would be for the pin to actually fit inside the tube for stability. I have been meaning to make up a few additional pins to accomodate a range of sizes of tube but just haven't got around to it. I suspect that they will end up being made on an as and when needed basis.

 

[praezis]

3 hours ago, nickelsilver said:

The old school trick is to press the spring bar between two appropriately sized spoons. It does work!

A pity, you were so fast!

Just wanted to post a picture of this special tool

Frank  

[HectorLooi]

2 hours ago, Marc said:

Here's another view, in removal mode.....

I'm not so sure if this is the correct way to use it. It looks like it could possibly deform more delicate cases like those of dress watches.

[Marc]

29 minutes ago, HectorLooi said:

I'm not so sure if this is the correct way to use it. It looks like it could possibly deform more delicate cases like those of dress watches.

I can't see any other way to use it and its design definitely points to this mode of operation.

The pin has a flat registration edge to it.

which shows where it's supposed to be and how it fits on the frame.

in extraction mode...

and installation mode.

And the fixed anvils are both curved to fit the inside of the case.

Installation mode..

and extraction mode.

I don't see any potential issues with the design in installation mode as the case is supported on the same side that the installation effort is applied.

I can see that in extraction mode by having the anvil supporting the case on the opposite side to the case tube the case is subjected to a certain amount of tension, and with a delicate case this could cause distortion, but the convex shape of the anvil and its location in respect to the pin clearly indicates to me that this is its intended MO. I guess it would depend on just how firmly the tube fits in the case as to whether or not it would cause any problems.

I would agree though that a better design would have been to replicate the arrangement used in installation mode such that the anvil and the pin were on the same side of the case, with a concave face to the anvil so that it fit the outside curve of the case to support it as the tube is presed out from the inside.

All that being said I have used it on a fair number of cases now with no issues.

[HectorLooi]

This is my China made case tube extractor. The pin presses the case against a teflon support. In compression mode, it's less likely to distort the case. 

Is it possible to configure your tool to compress from the inside of the case?

[Marc]

51 minutes ago, HectorLooi said:

Is it possible to configure your tool to compress from the inside of the case?

Actually all it would take is something to slip over the installation anvil to make it a concave support and it could then be used for both installation and removal.