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Stuck caseback? Super glue to the rescue!

anilv

By anilv
in Your Walkthroughs and Techniques

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anilv Distinguished Member

anilv

Posted
Posted

Hi all,

Just got an old Favre Leuba and the caseback was well and truly stuck. Usually in this situation I would bring it to my mates shop and use his bench opener but as this Favre-Leuba has flats they usually don't work as well.

Anyway, another solution is to glue a nut on the caseback and use a wrench on that. Well the superglue is pretty much a necessity for me and there are usually a few tubes in the freezer ...result! After 10minutes for the glue to set, a big adjustable wrench between the lugs and a 14mm spanner in the nut/caseback and it spun right off!. I must say the caseback did a good job keeping the movement clean!

20220115_161636.thumb.jpg.047e415b1b3b33f56afd571f6129fc83.jpg20220115_161757.thumb.jpg.e4402e52d2cae6adafcbff353ae97e9e.jpg20220115_161650.thumb.jpg.c86d66e492a76cfb3504441302402846.jpg20220115_161712.thumb.jpg.6881a3cc3c11faee67b9106933e3d14d.jpg

This trick has helped me out a few times.  If you plan to do this just make sure you keep the superglue away from the caseback/case joint. If any superglue wicks into the joint then things get difficult!

Anilv

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VWatchie Distinguished Member

VWatchie

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Posted

I just recently, and for the first time, used the same trick to get the case back off an Enicar Ocean Pearl having the same type of case back. It just wouldn't budge using my Jaxa tool and my sturdy case holder. Why anyone would screw on a case back that hard is beyond me, but perhaps it is necessary to preserve the water resistance!? I usually just use my suction grip ball to tighten the case back and then a final touch with my Jaxa tool to make sure.

Anyway, I used Epoxy glue, and it probably was an overkill as it took many hours to dissolve it in acetone. Superglue is likely a better option.

nut1.thumb.jpg.e2d366fb3ac45d0cdff3146e2cab7b4b.jpg
The case back just wouldn't budge using my Jaxa tool despite having a good grip.

nut2.thumb.jpg.dc4b0490d4c81e3c7538eee5cb650393.jpg
Using Epoxy glue was a probably an overkill.

nut3.thumb.jpg.f29fd36908e9fc919c3cbf01a145a562.jpg
Using a wrench the case back still wouldn't budge but instead the jaws on my sturdy watch case holder started to give.

nut4.thumb.jpg.d67747f5c25a22c0f27a92db03b5798d.jpg
Luckily the lugs fitted more or less precisely in my vise.

nut5.thumb.jpg.96598fda41f4029507cd9e8af6c091c0.jpg
It took many hours dissolve the Epoxy in acetone. Superglue is probably a better option.

 

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jdm Distinguished Member

jdm

Posted
Posted
1 hour ago, VWatchie said:

Why anyone would screw on a case back that hard is beyond me, but perhaps it is necessary to preserve the water resistance!?

No it is not necessary, a gasket in good conditions seals fine even with regular tightening. It's normal for people to think that more is better. Some "repairers" also tighten to the most using a bench opener to prevent owners to open again the watch by themselves.

 

1 hour ago, VWatchie said:

The case back just wouldn't budge using my Jaxa tool despite having a good grip.

Case holders with nylon posts, and single-handed Jaxa tool never have the same effectiveness of a traditional bench opener. For anyone that can afford the EUR 150 that it may cost, I recommend to go that route instead of messing with adhesives and watches in a vice - lugs not not always fit nicely to jaws as in your case.

 

 

 

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Jack75 Watch Enthusiast

Jack75

Posted
Posted
14 hours ago, VWatchie said:

I just recently, and for the first time, used the same trick to get the case back off an Enicar Ocean Pearl having the same type of case back. It just wouldn't budge using my Jaxa tool and my sturdy case holder. Why anyone would screw on a case back that hard is beyond me, but perhaps it is necessary to preserve the water resistance!? I usually just use my suction grip ball to tighten the case back and then a final touch with my Jaxa tool to make sure.

Anyway, I used Epoxy glue, and it probably was an overkill as it took many hours to dissolve it in acetone. Superglue is likely a better option.

nut1.thumb.jpg.e2d366fb3ac45d0cdff3146e2cab7b4b.jpg
The case back just wouldn't budge using my Jaxa tool despite having a good grip.

nut2.thumb.jpg.dc4b0490d4c81e3c7538eee5cb650393.jpg
Using Epoxy glue was a probably an overkill.

nut3.thumb.jpg.f29fd36908e9fc919c3cbf01a145a562.jpg
Using a wrench the case back still wouldn't budge but instead the jaws on my sturdy watch case holder started to give.

nut4.thumb.jpg.d67747f5c25a22c0f27a92db03b5798d.jpg
Luckily the lugs fitted more or less precisely in my vise.

nut5.thumb.jpg.96598fda41f4029507cd9e8af6c091c0.jpg
It took many hours dissolve the Epoxy in acetone. Superglue is probably a better option.

 

Or you could have heated it to 200 deg C (hot plate or oven) and it would have fallen off. Super glue needs less heat.

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VWatchie Distinguished Member

VWatchie

Posted
Posted
7 hours ago, Jack75 said:

Or you could have heated it to 200 deg C (hot plate or oven) and it would have fallen off.

Thanks for the tip!

"Usually, Epoxy can withstand up to 150° Celsius/300° Fahrenheit for a short period of time. Heat-resistant epoxy can withstand the extreme heat of up to 315° Celsius/600° Fahrenheit depending on the manufacturer and product." - Link

I'll consider that method once summer is back. In Sweden our genius politicians have now tried to replace much of our nuclear power with wind power (to save the planet?) but forgot that during the winter (part of Sweden is within the Arctic Circle) there's very little and oftentimes no wind. Consequently the electricity prices are now killing us and the diesel prices are now $8.6 a gallon.

 SteveHarveySpeechlessGIF.gif.d4032bce44e5b59b6f76a990075e1131.gif

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Endeavor Distinguished Member

Endeavor

Posted
Posted (edited)
On 1/16/2022 at 10:53 AM, VWatchie said:

Consequently the electricity prices are now killing us and the diesel prices are now $8.6 a gallon.

If my memory serves me right, they do have 1 or 2 pine-trees in Sweden ...... they do burn well .....no? 😁

 

Edited by Endeavor
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VWatchie Distinguished Member

VWatchie

Posted
Posted (edited)
2 hours ago, Endeavor said:

If my memory serves me right, they do have 1 or 2 pine-trees in Sweden ...... they do burn well .....no? 😁

 

Sure, I'll go and chop down one of'em and try to burn it on top of my kitchen-range. 😁

All part of the "Great Reset" that will make us all happy. I.e. the super rich elite governing the world through politicians.

Edited by VWatchie
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  • 2 years later...
mbwatch WRT Addict

mbwatch

Posted
Posted

I had a 1960's EB8800 skindiver showing up in the mail with a caseback I expected would need the flat tips to open. It's a dive watch; obviously a screw down caseback right?

Screenshotfrom2024-01-2709-43-56.png.2f3e3d120c440b4eb52fb607ca3ef2e4.png

With it in hand, seeing these soft bevels on the flat sides raised some concerns. There is absolutely no way to grip them, and I can get no purchase from a rubber ball. And there's no slot for a case knife. Why would there be? This is a dive watch with a screw down caseback.

Screenshotfrom2024-01-2709-44-11.png.0bc0e1b39b39ddf4f6ba90163f28ddb1.png

So I superglued a 16mm socket onto it and secured it in a vise. The glue held but it took a lot of rotational force to get it to turn. 4 full turns and it did not unthread and the gap against the case only widened a hair. On the 5th it popped off because this is indeed a pressed on caseback that just looks like it should be screwed down.

Another lesson learned. But as soon as it opened, the movement sprang alive and ran on time so it should be an easy & rewarding restoration as soon as I buy some acetone to dissolve that glue.

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