Guidance on slotting a screw

[KarlvonKoln]

On 7/18/2021 at 4:52 PM, LittleWatchShop said:

Hallelujah!  With extensive searching over a wide are of carpet, I found the missing wheel.  My method involves a very bright light, while wearing 5x magnification and crawling along the floor with my head about 4" from the ground.

I believe what happened was the part fell in my lap.  Then I got up to walk over to the lathe and it fell in the journey.

Since the last nine months, I have completely lost only two parts.  One of this was a click spring (I have many spares) and the other was a date cam wheel that was made of some sort of plastic and broken anyway.

The members of this forum have helped me with this same issue in so many ways.  I have used the magnet trick before, and the bright light with a magnifying lens.  And started using the trick where you place the movement in a large plastic bag before removing sprung parts that could launch themselves.  And I have also made my own "bench apron", where the bottom edge of the apron is mounted below the edge of my work bench, and the upper part is worn at my neck like any other apron, and this forms a sort of "catch-all" pocket which keeps dropped things from ever hitting the floor.  Altogether, I have to credit the people of this forum for preventing a huge number of potential headaches.

[MechanicMike]

On 7/23/2021 at 7:16 AM, LittleWatchShop said:

Just ordered this from Esslinger...looks like the same as yours.

[MechanicMike]

On 7/23/2021 at 7:16 AM, LittleWatchShop said:

Just ordered this from Esslinger...looks like the same as yours.

I 

I forgot-I've discovered luthier files do the same. check out: stewmac.com 

they use them on guitar nuts and stuff and come in a greater variety and not as expensive as the material houses we're used to. 

[MechanicMike]

On 7/17/2021 at 7:40 AM, LittleWatchShop said:

My slot cutting file has seen a better day...not sure it is gonna work.

Haven't been on in awhile but was curious-did you get your new slotting file and how did it work? I got a new one about the same time, want to compare notes...