Jump to content

Making a new balance staff?


Recommended Posts

Here is a broken staff from an inexpensive stopwatch. 

This will be my maiden voyage into making a custom staff with my lathe.

As you can see...this does not use a jeweled roller table. 

I think that this staff is one solid piece of metal, so I need to start with stock equivalent to the largest diameter of what you see here, but I am not sure.

What should I start with in terms of raw stock?  I have various kinds of rods that were passed down to me.  I also have some old clock balance wheels that I could steal the staff (if the diameter is great enough).

Thoughts?

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, JohnR725 said:

I appear to have failing eyesight or I lack proper imagination to grasp what you're trying to say? Or maybe a picture wasn't attached.

There is a good reason for that.  I failed to post a picture.  No matter...I have already begun the task using some round steel stock I had in the watch bench.  I am about halfway done...hoping not to screw up.

2021-02-26 20_24_22-Photos.png

Link to comment
Share on other sites

There is always the tiny possibility that we can get a replacement and deny you your fun of making one.

Then it's a shame it wasn't the right kind of stopwatch? Some stopwatch is have spare parts. Their hiding so I went online and snipped out some pictures for you. This particular example actually has a note that the parts are hiding under something. Other times it's not at least I remember it's not always shown that this is where the parts are hiding.

 

stopwatch bonus parts B.JPG

stopwatch bonus parts.JPG

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I put lots of hours into this.  First try fail, second try stopped at this point--one pivot turned, but not the second.

The issue is the damn slot.  On the first try, I used a dremel--not a precision instrument, but it was pretty close.  Then I had a fail later in the process.

Second try, looking good, but not willing to go the dremel route again.  So, I am scratching my head and pondering a precision way to make the slot.

2021-02-28 07_51_41-Photos.png

Link to comment
Share on other sites



  • Recently Browsing

    • No registered users viewing this page.
  • Topics

  • Posts

    • Hell0 @nevenbekriev. Thank you for your advice. I have removed the old setting using my staking set--I will keep the KIF spring, since it is still good.  I am awaiting the replacement setting, and will update when I do that. In the mean time, I looked at the escape wheel and it looks ok. What do you think?    
    • Aloha All, I recently bought this Seitz tool on eBay, but it is missing some pushers reamers.  I ended up ordering new parts for those that were missing before I received the actual Seitz tool (bad idea).   Upon inspecting the pushers/bits, I noticed 23 of the 56 provided with the set had no numbers. Further inspection revealed a huge difference in the quality of those unnumbered.  Do all Seitz pushers/bits have a number on them?  I'm pretty sure that 33 of the 56 I received are cheap Chinese knockoffs.  The worst part is that I ordered $80 of parts to replace the missing pushers/bits, and now I'm looking to return the tool. I'm not crazy, right? If these are Seitz parts, they should all be numbered, correct? The first two pictures are the Seitz (numbered), and the other pictures are the suspect parts.  Will I even be able to get a refund?  Thanks, Frank     
    • It was £10 + min fee, total £16, could not leave it there. Its a Stanton A.D.2. http://stanton-instruments.co.uk/
    • Chief- The picture below shows the three parts from the dial side that are most useful to "fingerprint" a movement in conjunction with the diameter of the movement.  That's why forum participants are always asking for dial side photos in posts asking for identification.  As far as the setting lever screw, it actually sits loose in the main plate. The threads engage the setting lever below, and the elongated stem above the shoulder sticks through a hole in one of the bridge plates so that it's held captive if unscrewed all the way.  So you may be fine as far as that goes. 
    • So I found what I believe is the setting lever screw! Am I right in thinking the screw next to the click is the correct one for the setting lever? However if it is, it doesn't fit in the hole which I believe is for it! I can get the lever to sit nicely on the stem and line up with a hole, but the screw only goes as far as the shoulder and stops. It's as though the hole is too small! The dial side has been disassembled by the way, the other wheels are in my tray
×
×
  • Create New...