Micro welding

[HectorLooi]

Slow day at the office again today. So I practised some micro welding.

I got this Bally's ladies watch for about $10. The caseback says Bulova but the movement says PUW 211O2T. The movement is in great condition but the battery clamp was broken.

So I fashioned the broken part out of a flatten piece of stainless steel wire and micro tig welded it to the old battery clamp.

Not the prettiest specimen but it works. 

[spectre6000]

Wow... I'm a "grinder and paint make me the welder I ain't" welder with a MIG on big clunky machines. That is something to be proud of.

Edited October 11, 2021 by spectre6000

[dadistic]

One of things on my giant list of "things to learn how to do" is micro welding. It might be awhile before I get to it, but your repair does inspire me to keep welding on the list.

Thanks!

 

[HectorLooi]

I've been trying to get a microscope with a LCD shutter, but the only things available out there are from Sunstone and PUK, which cost more than I am willing to spend.

Meanwhile, maybe I'll just use an old digital microscope. I figure a burnt out CMOS  sensor is better than a burnt out retina.

[ifibrin]

Do you keep your watchmaking stuff at your clinic? Impressive work. does that mean you can do dial feet too?

[HectorLooi]

45 minutes ago, ifibrin said:

Do you keep your watchmaking stuff at your clinic? Impressive work. does that mean you can do dial feet too?

No. My tig welder is for repairing chrome dentures. 

The tig welder is not very good for dial feet repair. The amount of heat produced will scorch the dial. For dial feet repair, I've used a microtorch, a temperature controlled soldering iron and carbon rod soldering tool. Dial feet soldering is still a very technique sensitive and pretty harrowing procedure. 

I'm still working on a safer method for soldering dial feet.

[watchweasol]

Hi Hector  there is a article on the net regarding Dial foot machines by Dirk Fassbender and also by Wesley R Door in his book retro fitting when there is a need.  easy enough to make, I buildt one and it does the job very well and the dial is un harmed.

[HectorLooi]

9 hours ago, watchweasol said:

Hi Hector  there is a article on the net regarding Dial foot machines by Dirk Fassbender and also by Wesley R Door in his book retro fitting when there is a need.  easy enough to make, I buildt one and it does the job very well and the dial is un harmed.

Thanks, watchweasol. I've read that article several times. I have two dental spot welders that have carbon rod soldering tips, with adjustable power outputs. So I just use these for soldering jobs.

I recently repaired a Seiko 7006a dial. I think used flame soldering. It turned out ok.

But being OCD, I just had to clean up the flux with alcohol and some of it seeped through the hole of the hour index block and ruined the lacquer on the dial face. 

[ifibrin]

won’t the small mount of solder at the base of the dial foot impede close fitting of the dial to the movement? I had a similar issue with a Chinese made dial where you had to twist off some extra dial  feet (dial came with extra feet you had to remove), and the small stubs left affected the fitting of the dial to the movement, leaving a small gap. I had to file off these stubs to get the dial to seat properly.

1 hour ago, HectorLooi said:

 

[HectorLooi]

This photo was before clean up. The excess solder has to be filed down.