Can you guys kindly look over my final checklist of tools to get started on a budget before I blow my wad?

Birbdad · July 20, 2022

My mission is to acquire everything i need to fully take down and service some seiko 7s26 movements and then regulate them and spend as little as I can while putting the majority of my money into the things that shouldn't be cheaped out on like fine tweezers and screwdrivers and lubricants etc. I'll specify what i plan to get that's high quality and what i think i might be able to get away with cheaping out on and if you disagree please let me know! I plan to upgrade tools to better stuff over time assuming I find I really enjoy this which I suspect I will but i'm just getting started now.

Regulating

Edited July 20, 2022 by Birbdad

watchweasol · July 20, 2022

Hi Thats quite a comprehensive list and should be way adequate to do the work, the Seiko driver , well yes but you can find others that work equally as well. I have attached a recomended tool list drawn up by a member some time a go for a comparison guide. Hope you find it usefull.

all the best

1612608791_ToolsfortheHobbyist (2) (1).pdf

tomh207 · July 20, 2022

Also have a look in the tools section for an ever growing thread for decent affordable Chinese tools.

cheers Tom

Birbdad · July 20, 2022

Hey thanks guys i'll take a look.

I realized i left off a cannon pinion remover. I noticed the presto tool is advertised that it removes both tho it seems like every watchmaker prefers hand levers that i come across.

Should i swap out the hand levers for a presto tool that can do both duties? How do you guys feel about a presto tool vs a the dedicated cannon pinion remover?

gbyleveldt · July 20, 2022

1 hour ago, Birbdad said:

Movement tools.

Mainspring winder = Bergeon #6 left + handle. https://www.esslinger.com/bergeon-30082-mg-mainspring-winder-handle-left-handed/
https://www.esslinger.com/bergeon-mainspring-winder-1/

* Use the blue #6 arbour and #7 winder for Seiko barrels. Add the blue handle and you're set

Should i get something else softer for hands like brass or plastic tweezers as well?

* You can get the delrin tipped tweezers to manipulate hands. Don't forget about a set of pushers as well to seat the hands with

Seiko s-921 (Do i REALLY actually need this? A lot of people say it's a must for that ONE cross head screw in 7s26. Lots of horror stories of cheaper drivers stripping it.) https://www.esslinger.com/seiko-s-921-phillips-screwdriver-0-98mm/

* Yes, you need that. Bad things happen when you try to use a small flat in there

Movement Holder = Bergeon 4039-p https://www.amazon.com/Bergeon-Extensible-Reversible-Synthetic-Movement/dp/B07N92LPHH/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=bergeon+movement+holder&qid=1658297798&s=apparel&sr=1-3

* Get the 4040 holder rather

Cheap case cushion. = https://www.amazon.com/Cushion-Casing-Movement-Changing-Battery/dp/B07GPH2M6X/ref=sr_1_6?crid=2AVMQQZ5H58SK&keywords=watch+case+cushion&qid=1658298529&sprefix=watch+case+cushion%2Caps%2C89&sr=8-6

* I prefer the Bergeon 75mm gel one. It mustn't bee too soft and only give a little, especially when you need it as support and to prevent screwdriver from slipping when applying a bit of pressure

* Get some plastic probes to hold things down. You can use pegwood but I find it can leave a little debris at times - you don't want to go clean that up after you spent hours cleaning all the parts already

Lubrication

Moebius 9103 = https://www.esslinger.com/moebius-9103-synt-hp-1000-synthetic-watch-oil-grease-for-mechanical-chronograph-watches-2ml/

* Get the 9104 holder rather

Molycote DX = https://www.esslinger.com/molykote-dx-paste-grease-watch-lubricant-select-size/

* Get the 9504 holder rather

Cheap plastic oil cup = https://www.amazon.com/Fityle-Plastic-Watch-Watchmaker-Repairing/dp/B07PMWRHRJ/ref=sr_1_5?crid=2HYQNJLICY3J8&keywords=plastic+watch+oil+cup&qid=1658301962&sprefix=plastic+watch+oil+cup%2Caps%2C104&sr=8-5

* Get the Ceramic 4 pot rather. There was a thread the other day where light oils like 9010 leaked through a plastic cup

That made my eyes bleed... See comments in red. It was what I could think of off hand but that should get you going so long.

5 minutes ago, Birbdad said:

Hey thanks guys i'll take a look.

I realized i left off a cannon pinion remover. I noticed the presto tool is advertised that it removes both tho it seems like every watchmaker prefers hand levers that i come across.

Should i swap out the hand levers for a presto tool that can do both duties? How do you guys feel about a presto tool vs a the dedicated cannon pinion remover?

I use a presto tool for cannon pinions and it works great. I don't like using a presto tool to remove hands, rather use the Horotec hand removal levers here.

tomh207 · July 20, 2022

I’m with Gert on the presto tool and hand levers. Damaged hands with the presto but never had an issue with even cheap levers once they were dressed.

cheers

Tom

Birbdad · July 20, 2022

14 minutes ago, gbyleveldt said:

That made my eyes bleed... See comments in red. It was what I could think of off hand but that should get you going so long.

I use a presto tool for cannon pinions and it works great. I don't like using a presto tool to remove hands, rather use the Horotec hand removal levers here.

Thanks and Eesh lotta stuff there that absolutely explodes my budget haha. Not sure i'm gonna go for all of it but i appreciate the input.

Quote

* Use the blue #6 arbour and #7 winder for Seiko barrels. Add the blue handle and you're set

Ok i'll edit that. The way they sell these things is sorta confusing. For some they sell the arbor and winder together and for others they don't. Good catch!

Quote

* You can get the delrin tipped tweezers to manipulate hands. Don't forget about a set of pushers as well to seat the hands with

Got some horotec ones on the list. It's a 2 pack but can i get away with one? What size would be a good general size? THis was another thing i could find zero information about. I'll look for some cheap tweezers if it's just for that one thing and add them to the list tomorrow.

Quote

* Get the Ceramic 4 pot rather. There was a thread the other day where light oils like 9010 leaked through a plastic cup

https://www.amazon.com/Stand-Repair-Watchmakers-Grease-Holders/dp/B095YSD88L/ref=sr_1_6?keywords=watchmaker+oil+cup&qid=1658313271&sr=8-6
This is the only one i can find that i....think has ceramic cups. I'm sure as hell not paying like 150 bucks for 4 small cups made in switzerland right now haha. This is doable though.

Quote

I use a presto tool for cannon pinions and it works great. I don't like using a presto tool to remove hands, rather use the Horotec hand removal levers here.

Eesh, so I need both a presto tool and the levers? I dont' really see anybody recommending a presto tool for hand removal AT ALL but it's certainly cheaper than the cannon pinion remover tool. I really don't want to scratch my dials.
Also in Mark's video on servicing the 7s26 movement he just slides and presses the cannon pinion on with his tweezers. This is standard practice? i see others saying you have ot use a vice or a staking tool to do it?!

Quote

* Get the 9104 holder rather
* Get the 9504 holder rather

I'll take a look at the 9104
Is the 9504 really that much better for 4 times the price?
ALso what do you and people here think about novastar oil, the list from the other guy recommended it and it's swiss and it sure is attractively cheap....Gonna see what other people say about lube before i edit. Nobody anywhere seems to agree on what's best or what's even necessary...

JohnFrum · July 20, 2022

My suggestion (fellow newbie): given your focus on the Seiko 7s26 family, perhaps a dedicated machined movement holder for the 7s/nh/6r (in addition to the general purpose Bergeon 4040)? There is a brass one from Crystal Times, another with a central support screw from Lucius Atelier, and what seems like the Cat’s meow, a beautiful Aluminum two part one from Murphy Manufacturing.

Regarding the oil, the Seiko technical documentation lists Citizen AO-3A oil (or Moebius 9010) along with Seiko S6 grease, with Seiko S4 grease apparently used just for the first reduction wheel. Not clear what braking grease is used in the 7s26 barrel: S2 or S3 (or S4?).
Does anyone primarily working on the 7s26 movement family use the Japanese lubricants rather than the Swiss?

Birbdad · July 20, 2022

1 hour ago, JohnFrum said:

My suggestion (fellow newbie): given your focus on the Seiko 7s26 family, perhaps a dedicated machined movement holder for the 7s/nh/6r (in addition to the general purpose Bergeon 4040)? There is a brass one from Crystal Times, another with a central support screw from Lucius Atelier, and what seems like the Cat’s meow, a beautiful Aluminum two part one from Murphy Manufacturing.

Regarding the oil, the Seiko technical documentation lists Citizen AO-3A oil (or Moebius 9010) along with Seiko S6 grease, with Seiko S4 grease apparently used just for the first reduction wheel. Not clear what braking grease is used in the 7s26 barrel: S2 or S3 (or S4?).
Does anyone primarily working on the 7s26 movement family use the Japanese lubricants rather than the Swiss?

Honestly i'm only focused on the 7s26 at the moment because i own 3 of them, 1 is basically not telling time adn the other desperately needs a service, is over 10 years old and the amplitude is like 185 and since i'ts a diver it would probably be a good idea to swap out the gaskets.

Honestly I wonder if 80% of this even matters.
Most veterans i talk to say an 8 dollar chinese piece of crap movement holder will do fine for starting out but that it's not a bad idea to upgrade to something better eventually. Long as it holds the movement steady i would think that's enough and i'd be sorta shocked if a 33 dollar bergeon with universally positive reviews couldn't achieve this simple task.

Like i'm just looking at the prices of watchmaking stuff and some of this stuff is absurd. 50 dollars for a tiny glass jar with a lid? 150 dollars for 4 little cups to put oil in? 103 dollars for a plastic dust cover?
I'd wager if this is your day job it's worth it in the long run to never have to replace this stuff but some of these things just fulfill incredibly simple functions but getting the watchmakers branded one ads an entire zero to the price.

Screwdrivers and tweezers? yeah i get it, you buy bad you can literally kill the watch.

Edited July 20, 2022 by Birbdad

Kalanag · July 20, 2022

Isn‘t it funny how much we (me included) spend for Moebius lubricants?

Has anyone read what Dr. Ranfft the godfather of movement datebases thinks about lubricants? You don‘t want to know, do you?

Edited July 20, 2022 by Kalanag

Neverenoughwatches · July 20, 2022

2 hours ago, Birbdad said:

Thanks and Eesh lotta stuff there that absolutely explodes my budget haha. Not sure i'm gonna go for all of it but i appreciate the input.

Ok i'll edit that. The way they sell these things is sorta confusing. For some they sell the arbor and winder together and for others they don't. Good catch!

Got some horotec ones on the list. It's a 2 pack but can i get away with one? What size would be a good general size? THis was another thing i could find zero information about. I'll look for some cheap tweezers if it's just for that one thing and add them to the list tomorrow.

https://www.amazon.com/Stand-Repair-Watchmakers-Grease-Holders/dp/B095YSD88L/ref=sr_1_6?keywords=watchmaker+oil+cup&qid=1658313271&sr=8-6
This is the only one i can find that i....think has ceramic cups. I'm sure as hell not paying like 150 bucks for 4 small cups made in switzerland right now haha. This is doable though.

Eesh, so I need both a presto tool and the levers? I dont' really see anybody recommending a presto tool for hand removal AT ALL but it's certainly cheaper than the cannon pinion remover tool. I really don't want to scratch my dials.
Also in Mark's video on servicing the 7s26 movement he just slides and presses the cannon pinion on with his tweezers. This is standard practice? i see others saying you have ot use a vice or a staking tool to do it?!

I'll take a look at the 9104
Is the 9504 really that much better for 4 times the price?
ALso what do you and people here think about novastar oil, the list from the other guy recommended it and it's swiss and it sure is attractively cheap....Gonna see what other people say about lube before i edit. Nobody anywhere seems to agree on what's best or what's even necessary...

Not presto tool for hand removing , positioning of it on the hands can be guesswork and risks dial damage. Levers have much better control. I used to pull and push cannon pinions on with my tweezers until i broke a small centre wheel pivot. They need to be gently turned to release any sticky and then pulled off perfectly vertical. A cheap presto tool does the job, I've never done any damagd since using one. You might want a screwdriver sharpening holder as well. Not so easy for a beginner to sharpen them by hand. Did you say you had a demagnetiser ?. Also an air puffer for drying watch parts and blowing dust and debris off dials and movemens, a case knife unless you are sticking to seiko divers. Maybe something to hold screwdrivers and tweezers though not essential. I use glass dried flower holders, they cost me 50 pence each from a boot sale. You may also find a rubber case remover handy also. I always use one first before going to a jaxa tool or my homemade back remover. These few extras are all relatively cheap and are worth having. If you enjoy and intend to carry on you will need and want more specialist tools. The few extra items i have listed and photoed for you here should run you no more than 30 of your US dollars

spectre6000 · July 20, 2022

4 hours ago, Birbdad said:

Mainspring winder = Bergeon #7 left handed winder + #6 Left handed arbor + Left handed handle. https://www.esslinger.com/bergeon-30082-mg-mainspring-winder-handle-left-handed/
https://www.esslinger.com/arbor-for-bergeon-mainspring-winder-left-handed/
https://www.esslinger.com/bergeon-mainspring-winder-1/

Should i get something else softer for hands like brass or plastic tweezers as well?

Seiko s-921 (Do i REALLY actually need this? A lot of people say it's a must for that ONE cross head screw in 7s26. Lots of horror stories of cheaper drivers stripping it.) https://www.esslinger.com/seiko-s-921-phillips-screwdriver-0-98mm/

Loupes = Already bought. Four set of cheap stuff from amazon. 2x, 4x, 10x and 15x pack. I"ll decide if they'll work for now when they come on the 22nd.

Hairspring dip = https://www.esslinger.com/watch-cleaner-new-dip-hairspring-cleaner-8-oz/

I deleted all but a few things here, and will comment down the list:

Mainspring winder is definitely nice to have, but you can get by without it just fine. If you're reusing a spring, winding it into the barrel by hand is not that difficult, and I've never damaged a spring doing it. If you're replacing springs with new (as is often recommended), they come in little ring card things all coiled up and ready to go. Hardest part is not putting them in backwards.

I got a set of plastic tipped tweezers, and my issue with them is the tips are not very fine. It's hard to use them for small things. I end up using my regular tweezers in the end. I have scratched things, but mostly if I'm careful, there's no harm.

If you have to deal with that screw, I've tried a handful of alternatives, and have not had success... If 7S26s are your jam, you need that driver.

I'm not a huge fan of the hairspring dip. I got some, I tried it, it didn't really seem to get the job done. May be that I wanted it to work on a really gummy spring, and that was just too much for it, or who knows. I've been using L&R clean/rinse in an Ali-X ultrasonic, and it hasn't let me down. If you do get it, know that it's SUPER volatile! Will evaporate through just about anything. I put it in a canning jar with a new seal, and it didn't last a day. When you open the can, the top is solid metal. Only poke a tiny hole on two sides (one to pour, one to vent), and keep the lid tight.

Neverenoughwatches · July 20, 2022

35 minutes ago, Birbdad said:

Honestly i'm only focused on the 7s26 at the moment because i own 3 of them, 1 is basically not telling time adn the other desperately needs a service, is over 10 years old and the amplitude is like 185 and since i'ts a diver it would probably be a good idea to swap out the gaskets.

Honestly I wonder if 80% of this even matters.
Most veterans i talk to say an 8 dollar chinese piece of crap movement holder will do fine for starting out but that it's not a bad idea to upgrade to something better eventually. Long as it holds the movement steady i would think that's enough and i'd be sorta shocked if a 33 dollar bergeon with universally positive reviews couldn't achieve this simple task.

Like i'm just looking at the prices of watchmaking stuff and some of this stuff is absurd. 50 dollars for a tiny glass jar with a lid? 150 dollars for 4 little cups to put oil in? 103 dollars for a plastic dust cover?
I'd wager if this is your day job it's worth it in the long run to never have to replace this stuff but some of these things just fulfill incredibly simple functions but getting the watchmakers branded one ads an entire zero to the price.

Screwdrivers and tweezers? yeah i get it, you buy bad you can literally kill the watch.

Lol. No . You dont need to pay that sort of money for glass jars or cups or dust covers etc . Attach the words watchmaker's to any household item and you can add 1000% and more to its cost. We here in the Uk have inititive and ingenuity ( WW I'm expecting you to chirp in here my good friend ). We are also as tight as a duck's arse . Look around cheap supermarkets and also kitchen and household shops will provide very similar products.

Birbdad · July 20, 2022

4 minutes ago, Neverenoughwatches said:

Not presto tool for hand removing , positioning of it on the hands can be guesswork and risks dial damage. Levers have much better control. I used to pull and push cannon pinions on with my tweezers until i broke a small centre wheel pivot. They need to be gently turned to release any sticky and then pulled off perfectly vertical. A cheap presto tool does the job, I've never done any damagd since using one. You might want a screwdriver sharpening holder as well. Not so easy for a beginner to sharpen them by hand. Did you say you had a demagnetiser ?. Also an air puffer for drying watch parts and blowing dust and debris off dials and movemens, a case knife unless you are sticking to seiko divers. Maybe something to hold screwdrivers and tweezers though not essential. I use glass dried flower holders, they cost me 50 pence each from a boot sale. You may also find a rubber case remover handy also. I always use one first before going to a jaxa tool or my homemade back remover. These few extras are all relatively cheap and are worth having. If you enjoy and intend to carry on you will need and want more specialist tools. The few extra items i have listed and photoed for you here should run you no more than 30 of your US dollars

Yeah nobody seems to recommend presto's for hands so since it's just for cannon pinion you say a cheap pair will do? That would be a pretty good savings.

I'm a fairly experienced knife sharpener so I wager that i won't have much issue sharpening screwdrivers or dressing tweezers. I'm assuming the purpose of sharpening the screwdrivers is to keep the original blade geometry on them while also repairing the tip? I watched vids on sharpening them but none really explained the philosophy behind it but if that's what it is i shouldn't have any issues.

I picked up a demagnetizer (cheapo chinese blue one. Works great.) and an air puffer. I won't at all just be sticking to seiko divers, my seikos are just my first projects though i can't think of any watches i want off hand that dont' have screw on case back...at the same time a case knife would be useful for popping off diving bezels. I'll pick one up eventually.

Picked up a rubber ball case back opener and it works amazing on every watch that i don't own haha. Wont' budge ANY of my seikos tho. I was really annoyed as today i was gonna dive in and regulate my running stuff. Ordered a jaxa.

Neverenoughwatches · July 20, 2022

6 minutes ago, spectre6000 said:

If you're reusing a spring, winding it into the barrel by hand is not that difficult, and I've never damaged a spring doing it.

Thank you Spectre. I do this almost every time unless i have a winder that fits. I've never damaged a spring yet and always get good amplitude this is what i use once i have a couple of turns on the spring . It works perfectly.

2 minutes ago, Birbdad said:

I'm a fairly experienced knife sharpener so I wager that i won't have much issue sharpening screwdrivers or dressing tweezers.

Don't be so sure. I'm a joiner and have sharpened knives and joinery tools for over 40 years. Its not as easy as it looks. A holder will cost you around 5 dollars if that.

Birbdad · July 20, 2022

4 minutes ago, Neverenoughwatches said:

Thank you Spectre. I do this almost every time unless i have a winder that fits. I've never damaged a spring yet and always get good amplitude this is what i use once i have a couple of turns on the spring . It works perfectly.

Interesting, one of the main things other people seem to be insisting on is that you gotta have a mainspring winder if you're new as it's insanely easy to destroy a mainspring doing it by hand. That would knock off 150 bucks off my budget!

Also f it, the screwdriver sharpner holder is cheap enough, i'll pick it up. It won't however work with my sharpening setup. What would be a good grit sandpaper to use to sharpen the screwdrivers?

ALso is that a mainspring winder? Never seen one that looks like that.

Edited July 20, 2022 by Birbdad

Neverenoughwatches · July 20, 2022

6 minutes ago, Birbdad said:

Yeah nobody seems to recommend presto's for hands so since it's just for cannon pinion you say a cheap pair will do? That would be a pretty good savings.

I'm a fairly experienced knife sharpener so I wager that i won't have much issue sharpening screwdrivers or dressing tweezers. I'm assuming the purpose of sharpening the screwdrivers is to keep the original blade geometry on them while also repairing the tip? I watched vids on sharpening them but none really explained the philosophy behind it but if that's what it is i shouldn't have any issues.

I picked up a demagnetizer (cheapo chinese blue one. Works great.) and an air puffer. I won't at all just be sticking to seiko divers, my seikos are just my first projects though i can't think of any watches i want off hand that dont' have screw on case back...at the same time a case knife would be useful for popping off diving bezels. I'll pick one up eventually.

Picked up a rubber ball case back opener and it works amazing on every watch that i don't own haha. Wont' budge ANY of my seikos tho. I was really annoyed as today i was gonna dive in and regulate my running stuff. Ordered a jaxa.

There are other ways to remove a tight screw back. A jaxa is a high risk caseback scratching tool. You may want a watch case holder like this to reduce that risk.

tomh207 · July 20, 2022

Go on holiday mate, collect as many as you can of the small jam/marmalade jars at breakfast. They are worthwhile and you get the brownie points of treating the wife to a jolly. win win.

cheers

Tom

P.S. I’m Scottish and marginally less fiscally tight than NEW as he’s a Yorkshire man

Neverenoughwatches · July 20, 2022

10 minutes ago, Birbdad said:

ALso is that a mainspring winder? Never seen one that looks like that.

Lol. No you wont. Its my whirlygig. Haha

7 minutes ago, tomh207 said:

Go on holiday mate, collect as many as you can of the small jam/marmalade jars at breakfast. They are worthwhile and you get the brownie points of treating the wife to a jolly. win win.

cheers

Tom

P.S. I’m Scottish and marginally less fiscally tight than NEW as he’s a Yorkshire man

Why you cheeky monkey . But quite correct. And btw my wife is half Scottish

2 hours ago, JohnFrum said:

the Cat’s meow

Haha. I think you mean " The dog's bolocks " add another letter l. Auto bleep will not beat me lol

13 minutes ago, Birbdad said:

Interesting, one of the main things other people seem to be insisting on is that you gotta have a mainspring winder if you're new as it's insanely easy to destroy a mainspring doing it by hand. That would knock off 150 bucks off my budget!

Also f it, the screwdriver sharpner holder is cheap enough, i'll pick it up. It won't however work with my sharpening setup. What would be a good grit sandpaper to use to sharpen the screwdrivers?

ALso is that a mainspring winder? Never seen one that looks like that.

If you are sticking to one specific watch type and one or two mainspring winders can cover your bases then this would be a better option. But i fix swiss vintage of all sizes so to have winders to suit everything i do is not financially viable for me. And yes quite correct about the damage. It took me a good day of practise with my giggything to get good with it. Although i never damaged even when practicing i did have my practise spring pop a couple of times. Do you not have a sharpening block ?. My choice for drivers is around 1500 grit. Tweezers around 1000 depending on the size of the tweezers. I like to have a little friction involved especially on the tweezers. Helps with gripping.

Edited July 20, 2022 by Neverenoughwatches

Birbdad · July 20, 2022

10 minutes ago, Neverenoughwatches said:

There are other ways to remove a tight screw back. A jaxa is a high risk caseback scratching tool. You may want a watch case holder like this to reduce that risk.

Fantastic...another 35 bucks lol. From what i've read seiko iso divers can have case backs that are insanely hard to remove.

I'll pick one up with the jaxa if you really think i'll need it. I want to get these damn things open this weekend so i can regulate them.

17 minutes ago, tomh207 said:

Go on holiday mate, collect as many as you can of the small jam/marmalade jars at breakfast. They are worthwhile and you get the brownie points of treating the wife to a jolly. win win.

cheers

Tom

P.S. I’m Scottish and marginally less fiscally tight than NEW as he’s a Yorkshire man

Ya know i saw a bunch of british watchmakers on youtube recommending those and I think as an american there's a couple things preventing it.

1. Iv'e never seen one of those jars in my life haha. You go to a hotel or something and your cheap jam comes in a little disposable plastic tub with plastic you pull off the top like ketchup at mcdonalds. I was actually looking for just like small little jars like that, 2 or 3 of them and you can't get them haha. you can get like 40 of them though. I'm probably gonna go to the grocery store and see if they sell anything in very small or shallow jars.
2. I live in america. We don't get to not work....pretty much ever

Neverenoughwatches · July 20, 2022

2 minutes ago, Birbdad said:

I live in america. We don't get to not work....pretty much ever

Aw bless you. You should make time for yourself as well as your family. Its very important mate. Kitchen stores may throw up some goods cheap and just as useful. Here in the UK we have what we call pound shops. I often find alternative watchrepair uses from household items. (WW I'm still waiting mate, are you napping ) theres a young chap here needs help saving some money

25 minutes ago, Birbdad said:

Fantastic...another 35 bucks lol. From what i've read seiko iso divers can have case backs that are insanely hard to remove.

I'll pick one up with the jaxa if you really think i'll need it. I want to get these damn things open this weekend so i can regulate them.

Ya know i saw a bunch of british watchmakers on youtube recommending those and I think as an american there's a couple things preventing it.

1. Iv'e never seen one of those jars in my life haha. You go to a hotel or something and your cheap jam comes in a little disposable plastic tub with plastic you pull off the top like ketchup at mcdonalds. I was actually looking for just like small little jars like that, 2 or 3 of them and you can't get them haha. you can get like 40 of them though. I'm probably gonna go to the grocery store and see if they sell anything in very small or shallow jars.
2. I live in america. We don't get to not work....pretty much ever

Any plastic tub or jar like these will be fine for your cleaning. Tbh. I prefer a plastic type as its a bit more forgiving on the watch parts. You need a low container to be able to work in, preferably with some diameter width so you dont knock it over easily. And just be aware that naptha will distort the tub in time. Ive not had a tub leak through as yet but i do keep the tubs with naphtha in in a glass or enamelled oven tray just in case.

tomh207 · July 20, 2022

yeah, I have worked for a few American companies in my time upto and including regional management level, the work life balance is all screwed up for you folks.

cheers

Tom

Birbdad · July 20, 2022

47 minutes ago, Neverenoughwatches said:

Aw bless you. You should make time for yourself as well as your family. Its very important mate. Kitchen stores may throw up some goods cheap and just as useful. Here in the UK we have what we call pound shops. I often find alternative watchrepair uses from household items. (WW I'm still waiting mate, are you napping ) theres a young chap here needs help saving some money

Any plastic tub or jar like these will be fine for your cleaning. Tbh. I prefer a plastic type as its a bit more forgiving on the watch parts. You need a low container to be able to work in, preferably with some diameter width so you dont knock it over easily. And just be aware that naptha will distort the tub in time. Ive not had a tub leak through as yet but i do keep the tubs with naphtha in in a glass or enamelled oven tray just in case.

I'd love to take more time to myself, i definitely make sure my weekends are me time. I've had a very rough last few years where a family member's healthcare expenses (This is the main reason we never get to stop working here haha. Healthcare.) wiped me out entirely financially, then covid killed my business. I would love to take a vacation but it's just not in the cards for god knows how long. Also i gotta pay for all this watchmaking junk now somehow haha

What IS good for me though is high concentration zen like hobbies like shooting and probably watchmaking where i can just turn parts of my brain off, fixate on one thing and just not think about anything else and have something to show for it.

Ok glad plastic will work. People elsewhere were talking all this stuff about how it has to be glass because plastic leaches into the cleaning stuff and puts films on your watch parts that gums up the oil.

Getting into stuff like this it's always a process of cutting through the bs. Though for all i know it's not bs haha. I'll find something that will work on the cheap.

Neverenoughwatches · July 20, 2022

24 minutes ago, Birbdad said:

I'd love to take more time to myself, i definitely make sure my weekends are me time. I've had a very rough last few years where a family member's healthcare expenses (This is the main reason we never get to stop working here haha. Healthcare.) wiped me out entirely financially, then covid killed my business. I would love to take a vacation but it's just not in the cards for god knows how long. Also i gotta pay for all this watchmaking junk now somehow haha

What IS good for me though is high concentration zen like hobbies like shooting and probably watchmaking where i can just turn parts of my brain off, fixate on one thing and just not think about anything else and have something to show for it.

Ok glad plastic will work. People elsewhere were talking all this stuff about how it has to be glass because plastic leaches into the cleaning stuff and puts films on your watch parts that gums up the oil.

Getting into stuff like this it's always a process of cutting through the bs. Though for all i know it's not bs haha. I'll find something that will work on the cheap.

It just depends how far you want to get into it. Certain plastics can and do react with solvents, its about finding out what works and what doesnt. Take a look at what your cleaner comes in. Is it metal, is it glass. I've never seen a solvent supplied in glass thats for sure. Yes naptha is supplied in tins, but as long as you are not leaving it in a plastic tub to reuse, like i said earlier it will distort certain plastics if left in them. All the proprietary cleaners come in a plastic tub, so there is obviously some bullshit being spoken somewhere, certain plastics are fine some are not. Ipa comes in a plastic containers, acetone comes in plastic containers.

21 minutes ago, Neverenoughwatches said:

It just depends how far you want to get into it. Certain plastics can and do react with solvents, its about finding out what works and what doesnt. Take a look at what your cleaner comes in. Is it metal, is it glass. I've never seen a solvent supplied in glass thats for sure. Yes naptha is supplied in tins, but as long as you are not leaving it in a plastic tub to reuse, like i said earlier it will distort certain plastics if left in them. All the proprietary cleaners come in a plastic tub, so there is obviously some bullshit being spoken somewhere, certain plastics are fine some are not. Ipa comes in a plastic containers, acetone comes in plastic containers.

Here is a link to a compatibility chart if you are worried about using naptha in a plastic tub.. You will notice that pmp and polypropylene are the safe options.

https://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=https%3A%2F%2Fpreview.redd.it%2Fp1mj5ozddmu71.jpg%3Fwidth%3D640%26crop%3Dsmart%26auto%3Dwebp%26s%3Dc1212f6338b34f647cc35a0c3fa1a07b9cb87a7b&imgrefurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.reddit.com%2Fr%2FChemistrysafety%2Fcomments%2Fqc2rhw%2Fplastic_compatibility_chart_for_common_chemicals%2F&docid=3DhqE08qbp2WnM&tbnid=4ZGtsqq2AGDn9M&vet=1&w=640&h=775&hl=en-GB&source=sh%2Fx%2Fim

JohnFrum · July 20, 2022

3 hours ago, Kalanag said:

Isn‘t it funny how much we (me included) spend for Moebius lubricants?

Has anyone read what Dr. Ranfft the godfather of movement datebases thinks about lubricants? You don‘t want to know, do you?

It is interesting that Seiko basically uses one oil (AO-3A)and one grease (S6) for the entire movement with the exception of S4 grease on two spots on the first reduction wheel. If Nicholas Hacko is correct regarding S4 also being used inside the mainspring barrel, then just 3 lubricants have Seiko workhorses running for years leaving the factory.

For cleaning, I will be using isopropyl alcohol and naptha, initially in cheap glass jars then (after obtaining an inexpensive ultrasonic cleaner via Amazon) inside little single serve glass jam jars placed in the cleaner basket

Will buy both chemicals from a local scientific supply distributor. They sell equipment and chemicals to various labs. Both can be obtained in 500ml bottles at reagent grade.

Petroleum Ether
500ml Laboratory Grade
CAS 8032-32-4

2-Propanol
500ml Anhydrous ACS Grade
CAS 67-63-0

Can you guys kindly look over my final checklist of tools to get started on a budget before I blow my wad?

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