Broken stem clutch lever

[bobolink]

I am working on a pocket watch that has no identification on the face or internals.  No manufacturer or serial numbers.  It has a broken stem clutch lever.  See photo.

I searched to try to find something but came up empty.

Has anyone tried to actually make a piece like this?  or have any ideas on how to handle this kind of situation?

Thanks

bob-o-link

[jdrichard]

2 minutes ago, bobolink said:

I am working on a pocket watch that has no identification on the face or internals.  No manufacturer or serial numbers.  It has a broken stem clutch lever.  See photo.

I searched to try to find something but came up empty.

Has anyone tried to actually make a piece like this?  or have any ideas on how to handle this kind of situation?

Thanks

bob-o-link

Buy a set of feeler gauges from Amazon and the pick one that has the same thickness and start cutting with a dremel   tool and drill out the hole first. Then get out the files.

[bobolink]

Thanks.  That is a great idea.  I didnt think of a feeler gauge and I have all the rest to give it a try.  

[jdrichard]

2 minutes ago, bobolink said:

Thanks.  That is a great idea.  I didnt think of a feeler gauge and I have all the rest to give it a try.  

I have actually done this for other parts. And the gauge set is cheap

[nickelsilver]

It's handy to fix the broken part onto your steel stock and use it as the guide when grinding/filing/sawing it out. You can use super glue, but sometimes the part de-glues right at the wrong time. You can soft solder it and it will be more secure; an excellent solder for this is Tix, along with Tix flux. It has a low melting point but is very strong. Feeler gage is a great source of material, though you might find it's too hard to drill without carbide drills, and will resist a jeweler's saw blade, but will grind and file fine.

[bobolink]

I have the right carbide bit for the hole, so good there.  Will get Tix and try it.

Thanks

[grsnovi]

17 hours ago, bobolink said:

Will get Tix and try it.

Is this the same watch with the broken Balance Adjustment Pointer?

While the feeler gauge idea is great, it seems that by now I'd have given up on this "practice" movement and either found one to cannibalize or started working on another.

Let us know how it works out!

[bobolink]

No this is not the same watch as the broken pointer.  I am starting to think the same.  Move on.  But I do want to try to make the clutch lever.  If that doesnt work out it will be time to move on with this watch.  My other watch is the one with the broken pointer which now has a broken hairspring.  Sighhhhh. 

I may be learning something here. If you're going to do old pocket watches, it may be favorable to focus on the popular names like Hamilton, Elgin, etc. where many basic info and parts are available.  All especially when you just learning.

[bobolink]

Ok...here we are.  Thank you JDRichard for your advice on the feeler gauges. Also to everyone for your comments to this novice.   I had a set of feeler gauges (I dont use anymore. After all who gaps sparkplugs these days ) and tired making it and it worked!!!!.  See the picture (#1 is the broken piece, and # 2 is the piece I made fitted into the watch) of the broken clutch lever and the one I made installed.  It was definitely quite a bit of work.  But time wasn't the problem :-).  I didn't have time to get the Tix so I tried a few things and really wanted to see what it takes to make such a small piece. 

First tried super glue and JD was right, it popped off pretty quickly.  But I then roughened all the surfaces and did good alcohol cleaning, then epoxied the feeler gauge to a piece of 3/4" wood, then epoxied the broken piece to the feeler gauge.  I then cut it with the rotary blade on the Dremel.  I was very careful, slow and steady.  The wood seemed to stabilize it.  Then a lot of filing and emery paper.  

PS:  I was surprised at how hard that feeler gauge steel is, it can really take a beating.

Thanks again.

[grsnovi]

Good job @bobolink !