Balance issues

[LeCorbusier]

I have been servicing a FHF - 96 movement and come up against something I have not experienced before.

I all but got the movement back together ams seeming to run pretty well. The last thing on the list to do was to clean and oil the jewel within the incabloc setting on the balance cock.

I duly took it out, cleaned it, oiled it and put it back in its setting. As soon as the spring was located the balance stopped rotating - remove the spring and up it starts again.

It was running fine before cleaning and oiling .... now it seems to trap the pivot? If I back off the cock spring a little it starts up but o tightening down it stops again.

The cap jewel was pretty stuck in the pivot jewel, and took a fair bit of soaking to separate. As far as I am aware nothing has chained apart from cleaning?

Any suggestions/thoughts much appreciated.

[nickelsilver]

First thing I would try is to reclean and oil the Incabloc. Have a really good look at the pivot sticking up in the setting while it's out too, preferably with a microscope but at least a strong loupe. I readily admit to having had a similar issue more than once in the past and came to find that a piece of dust had placed itself on the pivot, which stuck it in the Incabloc jewel, and bing no more running.

[LeCorbusier]

Is there a right and wrong side up for the cap jewel?

[ifibrin]

I once had a piece of dust stuck in the hole jewel. Had to floss the hole jewel with a strand of hair, and benzine.

5 minutes ago, LeCorbusier said:

Is there a right and wrong side up for the cap jewel?

The flat end of the cap jewel should be the oiled side, with the domed surface of the cap jewel facing outwards. If you flip the cap jewel the wrong way round, the domed face of the cap jewel can press down on the pivot and reduce the endshake.

Edited April 6, 2022 by ifibrin

[HectorLooi]

You can check which side is flat by looking at the light reflected off the surface. 

[LeCorbusier]

methinks I have the domed side down .... will re oil and see

Thanks for all the advice 

[LeCorbusier]

Thanks everyone .... sorted. The jewel was in the wrong way up - another lesson learned 

 

[Neverenoughwatches]

On 4/6/2022 at 4:02 PM, ifibrin said:

I once had a piece of dust stuck in the hole jewel. Had to floss the hole jewel with a strand of hair, and benzine.

The flat end of the cap jewel should be the oiled side, with the domed surface of the cap jewel facing outwards. If you flip the cap jewel the wrong way round, the domed face of the cap jewel can press down on the pivot and reduce the endshake.

I concur . My first work posed me with same dilemma.  Four months down the line it has become second nature. It takes a little time but as experience and confidence  grows it all falls into place, hopefully like the parts of a watch. To impart a little advice from a medial old wise head, I find being both logical and brave works for me. I don't shy away from a difficult task, you have to learn a particular aspect at some point if you're going to continue. Practise practise and practise on something of low value. When you have that skill pat. down go for it on the real item. I put value out of my head on both of the work pieces, that way nerves don't creep in on you while you're working on a decent movement. And by the same token the practise  piece gets the same respect as decent one. You've done the task perfectly a dozen times already so you can confidently achieve that task perfectly one more time. Its only logical. If it starts to go at all pear shaped then step away go have a cuppa and a sarny. Compose yourself and start over.