Dial Feet Milling tool, Replacement Blades

[AndyGSi]

2 minutes ago, mikepilk said:

I have a couple with my Dremel tool but the shanks are too big. 

I think Dremel standardised as 1/8th or 3.2mm but there are plenty about with 2.35mm shanks.

[Neverenoughwatches]

2 hours ago, AndyGSi said:

I presume your looking to clean the reverse or a dial to fit a new foot?

Would these or something similar be any use?

https://www.amazon.co.uk/sourcingmap®-2-35mm-Diamond-Grinding-Mounted/dp/B06XG9H19K/ref=sr_1_3?crid=146K37FMO2RDB&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.31eIiF4-whQmf1cHIGRBCr1hopgWW0_10F_XwqjiurGUVW-XnIqW6-yuPeNlegieeo61kbqsQ7zOlrFYjkvPl0B56JR0zZwpVsXdzjMxGuHGwJDbjY_C0uKc7Fk3JPBvNPAX5doX60Lk-ppzTAkx0pvp7MjTDcwe_QRjBGkf48Rj7t9QgFqMYbc275vle8_TNKqlclp4AAMIThh7-HHwoAGF6sHHmQFu0hcHCI8ECSM.742v4HQKOoxBf8mdZ6qeREu2SkhRco-J-y3XwkOuYFc&dib_tag=se&keywords=2.35mm+shank+2.5mm+bit&qid=1723026780&s=diy&sprefix=2.35mm+shank+2.5mm+bit%2Cdiy%2C56&sr=1-3

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0DCBQMBQR/ref=sr_1_19?crid=146K37FMO2RDB&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.GYJefhb5weqPQYuJUFg3cqR03v5w4qi68TBlAuH0rjPGjHj071QN20LucGBJIEps.rQ9PFFweywEyGXd23cyog3_1a07ejWa_fJOWb8L-UjU&dib_tag=se&keywords=2.35mm+shank+2.5mm+bit&qid=1723026984&s=diy&sprefix=2.35mm+shank+2.5mm+bit%2Cdiy%2C56&sr=1-19

Those flat faced diamond burrs look promising Andy , without a center point as a guide though they will wander as waggy suggested until they start to grind in. Can overcome that with a pillar drill and vice to mount a dial onto. Or holding the dial in a foam cup for curved dials . Seems like a better alternative to the milling tool

[AndyGSi]

6 minutes ago, Neverenoughwatches said:

Those flat faced diamond burrs look promising Andy , without a center point as a guide though they will wander as waggy suggested until they start to grind in. Can overcome that with a pillar drill and vice to mount a dial onto. Or holding the dial in a foam cup for curved dials . Seems like a better alternative to the milling tool

I wouldn't have expected anyone to try this by hand.

[Neverenoughwatches]

Minicraft do a range of DC motor rotary tools with some good attachments for drilling, cutting and sanding, the older stuff is German made so the quality is..... ok.

9 minutes ago, AndyGSi said:

I wouldn't have expected anyone to try this by hand.

No i wasn't suggesting you were Andy , just reinforcing Waggy's comment before someone tried it

9 minutes ago, AndyGSi said:

I wouldn't have expected anyone to try this by hand.

Lol you'd be surprised Andy.  i think we are a better class here though than some of the muppets on YouTube.   A better class of muppet at least

Edited August 7, 2024 by Neverenoughwatches
Predictive text needs sacking 😄

[Waggy]

15 hours ago, mikepilk said:

Yes, for the foot.

the flat bottomed one looks interesting and may do the job

[mikepilk]

On 3/6/2023 at 7:52 AM, Waggy said:

I have a dial feet milling tool (similar to the picture below) and need a replacement blade, the point has broken off causing the blade to wander around when trying to mill a recess for the new dial feet - I have looked around, but the replacement blades are almost the same cost as the complete tool. Does anyone know where I can get the blades at a reasonable price?

 

I have one of these, but the problem is the point on the tool makes a mark on the dial before the hole is cut to the correct depth.

Does anyone know if the replacement blades sold by Cousins are the same design, or is the point smaller ?

[LittleWatchShop]

On 3/6/2023 at 4:37 AM, Waggy said:

My tool was a Chinese knock off, so the point broke quite quickly, I was just starting to practice with the tool, so I can't realy judge if this type of tool is the best option for me. However, I think it is probably the best compromise between dial dots and a soldering machine, which the former is a poor choice especially when you have a day date complication and the latter would be overkill for the small amount of dials I have to do.

I have one and used it with success.

[mikepilk]

1 hour ago, LittleWatchShop said:

I have one and used it with success.

Does the cutter look like the one in my pic? On a thin dial there is no way to cut a hole deep enough without the point showing through on the dial. I filed down the point, but the cutter just wanders all over the place. I ordered a new cutter from Ali Express, but the point is just as big.

[AndyGSi]

52 minutes ago, mikepilk said:

Does the cutter look like the one in my pic? On a thin dial there is no way to cut a hole deep enough without the point showing through on the dial. I filed down the point, but the cutter just wanders all over the place. I ordered a new cutter from Ali Express, but the point is just as big.

I think if it wanders that's more to do with the tool than the blade.

[Neverenoughwatches]

17 minutes ago, AndyGSi said:

I think if it wanders that's more to do with the tool than the blade.

Without the point to keep the cutter in place the workpiece will move around until some depth has been gained.  There is a similar tool in woodworking that cuts the hinge holes for kitchen and bedroom cabinet doors. The center pin poking the face is a common problem when an operator has drilled the hole too deep or a door is 16mm  thick or under. I overcome this by having two cutters, one with a center pin to start the hole and another with the pin ground off to finish the hole to depth. 

[watchweasol]

Of all the different ways of fitting dial feet the best way is soldering and if done correctly there is no problem. Ihave done quite a few Seiko dials which seem to be prone to losing feet on my home built machine. Works great built for the same cost as the Ali express cutting machine.

[Neverenoughwatches]

With doors it's possible to drill holes off by electric hand drill if you are stable and strong armed otherwise a pillar drill makes a safer job of it.  So I'd suggest clamping a dial in some way and using a dremel loaded press with the flat diamond burrs Andy mentioned a page back. 

[AndyGSi]

18 minutes ago, Neverenoughwatches said:

Without the point to keep the cutter in place the workpiece will move around until some depth has been gained.

I thought the idea was to clamp the dial so it didn't move around.

[Neverenoughwatches]

1 minute ago, AndyGSi said:

I thought the idea was to clamp the dial so it didn't move around.

Absolutely Andy lol

If there is a center point I'm sure clamping wouldn't be required, without the center point I'm sure it would be required.

I still think the same as WW, and that is better to solder the feet on forca long lasting repair. WW uses elec-trickery I use pyro-pokery.