ingenious? Make your own winder?

[rossjackson01]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eh4mCLbkVPQ

All you need is piece of plastic with holes for differnet sizes barrels? Ingenious or what?

[KarlvonKoln]

That was a clever solution.  I worked rather better than I was expecting.

[Neverenoughwatches]

Who else  noticed the four mangled springs in the corner of the room . Tbf not a bad idea with a bit of tweeking. Not so sure about the barrel arbor in the pin vice though, under magnification thats going to show up some scuffing of a polished arbor shaft.

[nickelsilver]

2 hours ago, Neverenoughwatches said:

Who else  noticed the four mangled springs in the corner of the room . Tbf not a bad idea with a bit of tweeking. Not so sure about the barrel arbor in the pin vice though, under magnification thats going to show up some scuffing of a polished arbor shaft.

You could use a barrel arbor holder($$) or collet holding pinvise ($$ plus collets $$).

 

Though some cheap pinvises have fairly soft jaws, might not mess up the bearing surfaces.

[Neverenoughwatches]

9 minutes ago, nickelsilver said:

You could use a barrel arbor holder($$) or collet holding pinvise ($$ plus collets $$).

 

Though some cheap pinvises have fairly soft jaws, might not mess up the bearing surfaces.

Wow not cheap a full complement of all 8 sizes of Bergeon arbor holders runs to  £500 at best. I guess some luck and a good gauge of how much to tighten your pinvice helps. An unnoticed damaged arbor will surly chew up the barrel or lid's arbor bearing in time. 

39 minutes ago, nickelsilver said:

You could use a barrel arbor holder($$) or collet holding pinvise ($$ plus collets $$).

 

Though some cheap pinvises have fairly soft jaws, might not mess up the bearing surfaces.

This might be a good alternative it was a tenner. The jaws are wide, thick and made of brass and when fastened down give good coverage of whatever they are gripping. The only issue is the size 1.8mm to 3mm so well out of the range of most arbors. Or this steel pin vice - square off the jaw tips and smooth broach out the jaws. I think that one was only about four quid.

[HectorLooi]

I saw the video on YouTube last week but I thought the acrylic sheet would get chewed up pretty quickly. Aluminium would probably be sturdier. 

I use a brass jawed pin vise from Cousins for inserting stubborn arbors. It holds the arbor very securely and so far has not scratched or damaged any arbors yet. 

Great idea. I've always wondered why nobody manufactures a winder like the types for clock mainsprings, which uses the original arbor and steel containment rings.

Can you imagine if clockmakers had to buy a different winder for every movement they worked on? ($$$$$$)

[rossjackson01]

10 hours ago, HectorLooi said:

 

I use a brass jawed pin vise from Cousins for inserting stubborn arbors. It holds the arbor very securely and so far has not scratched or damaged any arbors yet. 

I hate it when someone is sensible.

[Zero]

On 5/8/2023 at 12:12 AM, HectorLooi said:

I saw the video on YouTube last week but I thought the acrylic sheet would get chewed up pretty quickly. Aluminium would probably be sturdier. 

I use a brass jawed pin vise from Cousins for inserting stubborn arbors. It holds the arbor very securely and so far has not scratched or damaged any arbors yet. 

Great idea. I've always wondered why nobody manufactures a winder like the types for clock mainsprings, which uses the original arbor and steel containment rings.

Can you imagine if clockmakers had to buy a different winder for every movement they worked on? ($$$$$$)

I think they used to make these in the past :

But in real life practice these old types probably weren't ideal, i.e. I'm guessing it was prone to errors and mainsprings kept getting damaged. Or maybe someone lost an eye . The Bergeon type winders replaced them as they are much more reliable for professionals.

I built a 3D printed design similar to that in the video, a while back. It will work. Though the biggest problem I had was my arbor would often slip and get badly scratched up, as it really is just floating there in a hole with opposing forces trying to twist it around. The second problem is the insertion step (pushing into the barrel), during which the mainspring tail end will usually refuse to go in properly if you don't push the whole thing out evenly.

[Neverenoughwatches]

32 minutes ago, Zero said:

I think they used to make these in the past :

But in real life practice these old types probably weren't ideal, i.e. I'm guessing it was prone to errors and mainsprings kept getting damaged. Or maybe someone lost an eye . The Bergeon type winders replaced them as they are much more reliable for professionals.

I built a 3D printed design similar to that in the video, a while back. It will work. Though the biggest problem I had was my arbor would often slip and get badly scratched up, as it really is just floating there in a hole with opposing forces trying to twist it around. The second problem is the insertion step (pushing into the barrel), during which the mainspring tail end will usually refuse to go in properly if you don't push the whole thing out evenly.

Would you believe i have a similar  german made one of these that is adjustable in size. They actually do work but a bit fiddly to work with and not a go to tool. Its design only allows for pocketwatch mainspring and maybe a really big wristwatch.

On 5/8/2023 at 1:12 AM, HectorLooi said:

 I use a brass jawed pin vise from Cousins for inserting stubborn arbors. It holds the arbor very securely and so far has not scratched or damaged any arbors yet. 

Do you have a link for it HectorLooi please. I've had a look on cousins site but cant find any pinvices that have brass jaws.

[HectorLooi]

https://www.cousinsuk.com/product/double-ended-pin-vices

It doesn't say it's brass, but that's what I got.

[oldhippy]

What bad practice. The reason you use watch mainspring  winders is so you do not distort the spring and so your fingers do not contaminate the spring because of the oils in your skin. He is touching the spring all the time.  I suggest if you go down this road wear finger cots. 

[HectorLooi]

 Oh @oldhippy. What will we do without you .

I wonder what watchmakers used for finger cots in the 19th century. 

[oldhippy]

Nothing but their fingers, the springs where made of just steel also they didn't know about the things we know today so they had no worries.

[Kalanag]

The youtuber was inspired by this WRT discussion one year ago most likely

Stopgap Mainspring Winder

Edited May 9, 2023 by Kalanag

[p2n]

I assume it was a demo (note no watch or any other tools on the bench) so not wearing finger cotes isn't an issue.

[oldhippy]

4 minutes ago, p2n said:

I assume it was a demo (note no watch or any other tools on the bench) so not wearing finger cotes isn't an issue.

Wrong. Handling the mainspring makes it an issue to wear finger cots. 

[p2n]

Just now, oldhippy said:

Wrong. Handling the mainspring makes it an issue to wear finger cots. 

Not if you are just demoing a technique on an old spring. I admit, that should be made clear in the video, but that wasn't a professionally made video, it's youtube!

[oldhippy]

That is why most video's on Youtube are not to be trusted.

[HectorLooi]

8 minutes ago, oldhippy said:

That is why most video's on Youtube are not to be trusted.

Yes. Especially cooking videos. If you have tried YouTube recipes, you'll know what I mean.

But funny cat videos....