Jump to content

Recommended Posts

Posted

Hi All - i'm in the middle of a rebuild of a Seiko 5106A, and all looked great, short of a chipped (not cracked) jewel and a broken dial screw - I though strip, remove screw, clean, lube, build - good to go.  BUT, I foolishly jumped into the bath of alum for the screw and now have a lever slide pivot post corroded away.  I'm wondering 2 things:  the chipped jewel has an intact through-hole, so i'm planning NOT to replace it.  Thoughts?

The main problem is the lever slide post is steel, and the alum attacked it, of course, and is shot.  Have I trashed the main plate or can these posts be replaced?  Anyone ever done one?  Are they a purchasable part or do I find another 5106 for parts?

Any advice would be appreciated.  And yes, I realize i should have used a tiny magnet or something to test this post and all the others before dunking it in alum.

The post appears to be threaded into the main plate, but it is so tiny i can't really see whether its threaded or just pressed in.  And I'm waiting to hear from this forum before finishing the job with the alum - nervous about the other posts....

Check out the photo - the post in question is in the curved slot of the lever - the cool piece that looks like a flamingo head - and allows the cam to drive the lever into the date ring and day dial simultaneously, which is extremely cool.  The 'beak' of the lever engages the dial tooth.

Ideas or advice?

Bill 

post-1010-0-81085200-1430678418_thumb.jp

Posted (edited)

That is bad luck .Alum is really a good thing when it comes to broken screws . But sometime it can be to good .  I now what i would do .I would probably try to find a donor watch or a movement . Their is one on Ebay .Doesn't now where it stops in price . Sorry i did the wrong number  5160A instead of 5106A. Speedtimerkollektion has almost a complete movement in parts on Ebay . 

Edited by rogart63
Posted

Thanks for the welcome and the advice. I'm thinking a donor, too, but stubbornly clinging to the idea I can replace that post from a donor watch, rather than the entire plate. I think I'll mull over options while I look for a 5106 donor. And really try to understand if that post is pressed in. If it is, then that opens up options. If screwed in, not so much.

Posted

Oh yeah, if not part of the plate, it is pressed in...you can make one but it is difficult...I did with a 7S26 for the intermediate wheel for date corrector, using hand tools and it was a pain.

Posted

Hi Bill,

Bite the bullet and source for a replacement/donor. It'll save you a lot of time. The post will be pressed in and while you can replace it,the chances of it coming off will be high.

To do this repair properly yet u will need a lathe and some fine measuring tools. The hole where the post goes will be deformed when you pull the old post out (unless you use alum!!) , this is critcal as this post sees a bit of side loading and the chances of the replacement post coming loose is high.

Re the chipped crystal... You don't say which side is cracked. If its cracked on the wheel or 'nner' sidethen it's no go. If its cracked on the outer side then the watch will run but the oil sink will be compromised and this will not be good for the long term running of the watch. Again, a donor watch will solve your problems?

Anil

Posted

Re cracked jewel part2

If the jewel setting has a cap, then if it is chipper on the inner face it should not matter as the cap jewels take care of end friction.

Anil

Posted

Anil, I have a donor watch picked out, and its on its way, so I'm pretty sure I'll do the swap. In the meantime, the post is completely out thanks to the alum, and the post is 0.8mm diameter and 1.00mm long. Which is also the diameter of a #67 drill. Without too much to lose, I'm thinking of a 1.00mm long piece of a HHS drill and inserting in the main plate.

What do think of the smallest breath of lock tite or super-glue to help hold the stud in place. I believe super glue off-gases, so I'm leaning to lock tite, since I see it used for stem extensions which live inside a cased watch and presumably would damage watches if it was a problem. Or are both a bad idea?

Otherwise, how did Seiko "press" a steel pin into a brass plate, with so little thickness in the main plate. The fit must have been incredibly precise - steel would move the brass so easily.

Posted

You are so right.. it all comes down to precision. A perfectly shaped rod and a perfectly shaped hole with a bit of an interference fit will take a lot to shift.

 

It will not be so easy with hand tools... you should get away with lock-tite but if you have a similar donor movement then the only benefit in attempting this will the exercise for its own sake. If that is your main purpose then go for it! The experience will be good when you work on watches where spares are not so readily available.

 

Are you going to swap out the cracked crystal?

 

BTW make sure the donor movement is identical when it comes to jewel count.. Seiko made the same basic movement with different jewel counts and parts like wheels etc are not interchangeable. If your donor is from the sub-continent then the marks on the rotor may not be an accurate guide as they can be swapped easily.

 

Anil

Posted

post-1010-0-71917100-1431044545_thumb.jp

Hi guys, thanks for the continued insights. I'm planning to do the repair like Anilv says for the experience of making my own parts and for the fun. I will be checking the donor really closely.

Good idea with the light stake near the pivot - I presume on the backside since the face is the sliding surface - and the backside recess is wide open and accessible. If (when) I get it done, I'll post a photo.

In the meantime, here's the first watch I stripped and repaired. My high school graduation present back in '80, and had run for years and quit. Took in for battery and the guy said "new movement - maybe $350", and I thought no way. Went on line and bought a back opener and a cheap loupe, and discovered the ETA movement number inside.

Another search brought up the blog "Adventures in Amateur Watch Fettling", which was a revelation - beautifully formatted, elegant photographs and smart and witty commentary - a treat to read and the bonus was Martin had virtually the identical watch, although his was branded a Tag Heuer, rather my house-brand "Birks". basically it was a how-to tutorial written and photographed just for me. Do check it out if you've not seen it.

Anyway, that launched the fascination.

  • Like 1
Posted

Oh, and I will check that cracked/chipped jewel more closely. I was forgetting the jewel was the lube reservoir, too. If I can get a good enough photo, I'll post a pic.

Which reminds me, how do you guys get such great macro shots? I'm not gonna believe anyone will spring for expert camera gear when the same money could get a set of Bergeron winders - well, maybe the 1/2 set. What's the secret to the great shots?

Bill

Posted

I'm puzzled,

I tried to use alum from a grocery store to remove broken stems from crowns.

I've never had any luck. The stem never dissolves. I must be doing something wrong.

 

Hope everything works out for you.

Posted (edited)

I'm puzzled,

I tried to use alum from a grocery store to remove broken stems from crowns.

I've never had any luck. The stem never dissolves. I must be doing something wrong.

 

Hope everything works out for you.

Me to :( I have tried to remove a broken stem from a crown . Didn't work .I don't now if the material is different in the stem or it's because it's hard for the alum to work on the metal in the stem inside the crown . I have used the same recipe on screws in the  movement with great success.  

Edited by rogart63
Posted (edited)

Broke the left turn screw in this 782-1 tissot movement . Have learned from this thread that don't put the whole movement in alum . So i am trying this . Some old rodico around the screwhole and put some alunjuice in there . Hope it does leak around the edges . 

Does the incabloc spring and it's parts get damage from the alum ? 

 

post-644-0-72659500-1431703262_thumb.jpg

Edited by rogart63
Posted (edited)

Someone once wrote (Geo I think) to mix the alum with something gelatinous so as to keep it in or on the item in question.

Edited by ro63rto
  • Like 1
Posted

I think it was Anil and I forgot what it was! I could use the same advise now too! BTW, the incabloc parts do get damaged by Alum and anything else that touches them (springs mostly). I believe they can be sourced though!

  • Like 1
Posted

I'll be experimenting with that then, I have a stem rusted in the main plate and I really want to get it out and use the plate!

Posted

Found the post.

Geo had said vinegar with petrolium jelly.

Might still work with alum instead of vinegar?

Petrolium jelly like Vaseline ? 

Posted

Petrolium jelly like Vaseline ?

Not sure on the vaseline. Dont know whats in it but Geo said petrolium jelly.

Not tried it yet but need too soon as I want to remove a screw to get into my Dads Omega Constellation. Still not got round to it.

Posted

It was Horology that said that Roberto, not me.

"horology, on 22 May 2014 - 10:31 PM, said:

Also when there is a rusty stubborn plate screw you can mix white vinegar with petrolioun jelly and apply the jelly on the top the stubborn screw and wait a few days.

The screw will become a mass of brown poop. you will have to replace the screw.

The reason for using the greese is so the vinegar does not spred into the gear train or other steel parts."

  • Like 1
Posted

It was Horology that said that Roberto, not me.

"horology, on 22 May 2014 - 10:31 PM, said:

Also when there is a rusty stubborn plate screw you can mix white vinegar with petrolioun jelly and apply the jelly on the top the stubborn screw and wait a few days.

The screw will become a mass of brown poop. you will have to replace the screw.

The reason for using the greese is so the vinegar does not spred into the gear train or other steel parts."

Ah, re-read your post carefully [emoji4] and now I see you were quoting. Sorry.
  • Recently Browsing

    • No registered users viewing this page.
  • Topics

  • Posts

    • Hi, this is the first place I found when looking for advice so I hope someone could advise me.  Im completely new to touching watches but I’ve always wondered how they work.  I’ve bought a cheap movement, an ETA replica to take apart and rebuild.  Im thinking I’ll need some screwdrivers, tweezers, movement holder and a loop? My goal is just to have a go first and see if I enjoy it enough before buying more tools.  Do I buy cheap tools for now and get better quality tools later if I enjoy it like I think I will? or will the cheap tools be a pain and take some of the fun out of it?  With quality tools being relatively expensive I’m unsure what to buy.    Any advice would be greatly appreciated!
    • Yeah I have seen 44-56 documented for Elgin 18 size elsewhere. I have the style of gauge that's like a set of feeler gauges and I never noticed before today it is faintly stamped "Elgin". Pictured is the way I have been measuring. I am going to go to a larger jewel than the 42 that had been in there. I recently won an auction on a big set of Fitrite jewels all in the little bottles, to discover that the what's actually in the bottles bears no relation to the chart of sizes printed on the box. In most cases it seems to be all mixed so in fact I have about 24 little bottles and thousands of assorted jewels of all diameters and lengths, which is better than nothing. But since I don't have a micrometer with a table, measuring for the exact diameter will be a big job. Instead I will test a lot of them in the fork slot the same way I measure with the gauge. But this is still the next thing. I have to get the escapement to unlock first.
    • it would be nice to have the exact model of the watch the or a picture so we can see exactly what you're talking about. this is because the definition of Swiss watch could be a variety of things and it be helpful if we could see exactly the watch your dealing with then in professional watch repair at least some professionals they do pre-cleaned watches. In other words the hands and dial come off and the entire movement assembled goes through a cleaning machine sometimes I think a shorter bath perhaps so everything is nice and clean for disassembly makes it easier to look for problems. Then other professionals don't like pre-cleaning because it basically obliterates the scene of the crime. Especially when dealing with vintage watches where you're looking for metal filings and problems that may visually go away with cleaning. Then usually super sticky lubrication isn't really a problem for disassembly and typically shouldn't be a problem on a pallet fork bridge because there shouldn't be any lubrication on the bridge at all as you typically do not oil the pallet fork pivots.  
    • A few things you should find out before you can mske a decision of what to do. As Richard said, what is the crown and all of the crown components made of . Then also the stem .  The crown looks to have a steel washer that retains a gasket. So be careful with what chemicals you use to dissolve any stem adhesives or the use of heat. You might swell or melt the gasket unless you are prepared to change that also . The steel washer maybe reactive to alum. Something I've just used to dissolve a broken screw from a plate. First drilled out the centre of the screw with a 0.5mm carbide . Dipped only the section that held the broken screw in Rustins rust remover. This is 40 % phosphoric acid. 3 days and the screw remains were completely dissolved, no trace of steel in the brass threads. A black puddle left in the solution.
    • I suppose this will add to the confusion I have a roller jewel assortment. It lists out American pocket watches for Elgin 18 size and even 16 size it's a 50. But not all the various companies used 50-50 does seem to be common one company had a 51 and the smallest is 43. American parts are always interesting? Francis Elgin for mainsprings will tell you the thickness of the spring other companies will not even though the spring for the same number could come in a variety of thicknesses. But if we actually had the model number of your watch we would find it probably makes a reference that the roller jewel came in different dimensions. So overlook the parts book we find that? So it appears to be 18 and 16 size would be the same sort of the arson different catalog numbers and as I said we don't have your Mongol know which Log number were supposed to be using. Variety of materials garnered her sapphire single or double but zero mention about diameters. Then in a section of rollers in this case rollers with jewels we do get this down in the notes section Roller specifications but of course zero reference to the jewel size. I was really hoping the roller jewel assortment would give us sizes it doesn't really. But it does show a picture of how one particular roller jewel gauge is used  
×
×
  • Create New...