Do Not Open, Bulova Sealed

[Shane]

I have never opened a drum marked "Do Not Open Bulova Sealed".  Does this look normal or did someone put something in it that they shouldn't have long before I got it.

Yes, it is a gooey as it looks.

The rest of the watch also looked as though it was used to mop up a past industrial accident involving crude oil rather than one of it's lighter distillates.  But not exactly the same as what's on the main spring.  Everything was glued solid with a dried brown snot of significant depth and viscosity.  I needed to pry everything apart.

I ran everything in the ultrasonic cleaner for about 20 minutes and it did absolutely nothing to it.  I then soaked everything, except the balance wheel and escape lever in acetone over night without much improvement.  After the acetone dried the goo has condensed down to a somewhat thinner but just as stubborn layer.  So... I'll try the ultrasonic cleaner again. (it reminds me of is very old cosmoline) Wash rince repeat.

But if the oil on the main spring is special (I'm not sure) I would entertain any ideas on how to proceed.

Thanks.

Shane

 

Edited April 16, 2022 by Shane
clarification

[spectre6000]

Well... Even if it is an intentional goo, it's certainly long past its "use by" date... I personally wouldn't worry about making it gone and just proceeding as if it were a normal mainspring in a normal barrel. 

As for how to do so with the whole thing seemingly coated in thoroughly polymerized... whatever that is, run on down to your favorite FLAPS (Friendly Local Auto Parts Store), and grab a can of carb cleaner. And some gloves. There is a spray variety, and a bucket variety. The latter is more expensive (~$20 last time I bought a can), but stays contained a bit easier. It's nasty stuff so don't get it on ANYTHING you don't want completely absolved of all greasy sin, paint, general schmutz, or even dirty thoughts, but it is precisely intended to make that sort of residue disappear in a hurry. It's cheap, effective, and safe to use on most metals. I say most, because there are some exotic metal flavors in watches that I'm fairly certain weren't part of the test bill. Iron, aluminum, and brass are all sure to be safe. Oxide coatings on things like hair springs or screws may not make it out, but maybe they will... Black oxide is common in automotive applications... Which I mention because it's chemically similar to bluing if the hairspring or screws not pictured are blued. Maybe it's overkill, but you've already thrown some heavy weaponry at it, and it seems to have come out the other side unscathed...

[Shane]

2 hours ago, spectre6000 said:

goo, long past its "use by" date...

carb cleaner.

You're probably right about the oil in the barrel (right or wrong) needing to be freshened.  I have just never seen anything like that come out of a watch.

Hadn't thought about using carb cleaner.  I suppose it should work on whatever hydrocarbon or exhydrocarbon that was used.  I had already set everything in some fresh asetone for the night.  I'll reevaluate it in the morning.

Thanks, just looking for a sanity check.

[HectorLooi]

Looks like someone mistook the linseed oil for watch oil. It has polymerized to a varnish. If carb cleaner doesn't work, try paint thinner or ethanol. 

[watchweasol]

Drain the barrel and put the oil in the mower sump looks to be enough, then proceed as normal,  The Carb cleaner is good I use it my self along with brake cleaner for removing tough stuff. the watch has had a pretty interesting past for sure.

[JohnR725]

11 hours ago, Shane said:

I ran everything in the ultrasonic cleaner for about 20 minutes and it did absolutely nothing to it.

You have to be careful when running things in the cleaning machine too long? If you're using ammonia-based professional watch cleaning fluids you definitely do not want to run for 20 minutes. As if you start going past about five minutes you could experience etching of the plates.

Then when you get super dirty watches like this even the professional watch cleaning fluids are  not going to clean that you have to pre-cleaned all of that stuff off because it just isn't designed to dissolve something like this. It also try the hairspring rinse solution for dissolving some of that.

[Shane]

11 minutes ago, JohnR725 said:

You have to be careful when running things in the cleaning machine too long? If you're using ammonia-based professional watch cleaning fluids you definitely do not want to run for 20 minutes. As if you start going past about five minutes you could experience etching of the plates.

Yes, ammonia is very aggressive and can dissolve/precipitate the tin out of the brass, then dissolve the copper.  The resulting substrate, even if dementionaly unchanged, is also much more brittle and prone to cracking.

I use ammonia for removing copper fouling from rifle barrels and would definitely monitor its' use.

[HectorLooi]

3 hours ago, Shane said:

Yes, ammonia is very aggressive and can dissolve/precipitate the tin out of the brass, then dissolve the copper.  The resulting substrate, even if dementionaly unchanged, is also much more brittle and prone to cracking.

I use ammonia for removing copper fouling from rifle barrels and would definitely monitor its' use.

It's strange that all the articles I've read about brass cracking from the use of ammonia are always related to the reloading of ammo cartridges. Many watch and clockmakers can testify that ammonia doesn't cause any structural damage to brass.

Maybe the stress on the cartridge walls from the expanding gases are way greater that what we experience in horology.

By the way, what happens when a cartridge ruptures while being fired?

[Shane]

52 minutes ago, HectorLooi said:

It's strange that all the articles I've read about brass cracking from the use of ammonia are always related to the reloading of ammo cartridges. Many watch and clockmakers can testify that ammonia doesn't cause any structural damage to brass.

Maybe the stress on the cartridge walls from the expanding gases are way greater that what we experience in horology.

By the way, what happens when a cartridge ruptures while being fired?

The sharp and intense rise in pressure is supposed to seal the case to the clean chamber walls so gas leakage with small cracks should still be manageable. Poorly sealed cases against a dirty chamber is another thing and gases will escape at the shooter, a head failure on the other hand can be catastrophic to the shooter and firearm. Mercury fulminates (almost completely phased out) degrading the brass, over pressure and repeated over reuse causes an excessive thinning of the brass as it flows toward the throat (elongating the cartridge).  All should be managed or sorted out into the scrap bucket and the firearm should be cleaned.

Edited April 17, 2022 by Shane