What Happened to This Barrel?

[mzinski]

I encountered this on opening the barrel today. What would cause wear like this? Is it repairable? Is it usable? 

[Paul80]

Hi.

I suppose it could just be the brass plating has been worn off, quite common or someone has been there before and used an inappropriate tool to scrape it clean, also quite common  judging by the pattern left I would go with the latter.

Looks like it's from a manual wind so should be ok after a good clean and lubrication.

Obviously await some replies from the more knowledgeable as I am new so sometimes miss the obvious.

 

 

 

 

 

[Nucejoe]

If it was me,  I change title to advice  on various techniques to polish such wear, don't recall ever having such discussion. 

Rgds

 

[oldhippy]

Do you have the old spring? What does the barrel cap look like on the inside. 

[mzinski]

4 hours ago, oldhippy said:

Do you have the old spring? What does the barrel cap look like on the inside. 

Yes - I’ll post a pic of that shortly too. 
 

[LittleWatchShop]

Very interesting.  If I were to attempt to create this pattern in a mainspring barrel, I am not sure how I would do it.  Notice that the circles are concentric--do not follow a helical pattern (as I might expect if there were some particle that was working its way radially as the spring wound or unwound).

If you chucked it into a lathe and took a coarse wire brush and applied it once and stopped, maybe you could get that seemingly accurate concentric pattern.

A real mystery.

[HectorLooi]

I think someone didn't remove the spring from the barrel and soaked it in an ammoiniated cleaner. And didn't dry it completely. 

Or it could be an unexplained phenomenon like the Turin Shroud. 

[LittleWatchShop]

3 hours ago, HectorLooi said:

think someone didn't remove the spring from the barrel and soaked it in an ammoiniated cleaner. And didn't dry it completely.

But would not the pattern follow the form of the spring...a spiral?

[mzinski]

14 hours ago, oldhippy said:

Do you have the old spring? What does the barrel cap look like on the inside. 

Here are pics of the old spring. Nothing I note to be abnormal. 

[oldhippy]

That spring is marked on its edges so it has been rubbing in side the barrel as we can all see. I'm thinking the spring might not be the correct height for the movement hence the marks it has created in the barrel. I would certainly replace it.