Removing pithwood from under a fixed cap jewel

[ManSkirtBrew]

So first of all: yes, I'm a dummy. Yes, I learned my lesson.

While cleaning my Accutron I pegged out the jewel holes as usual, but realized too late there were burnished-in cap jewels on the other side and managed to get bits of pegwood trapped between the hole and cap jewels.

I was able to clean one out through the hole jewel with a sharpened oiler, but the other is not budging. I've been soaking the bridge over night in hexane, but it's no better this morning.

I'm worried about chipping the edges of the jewel hole if I keep it up. Any other suggestions on what might soften/dissolve pegwood?

[Canadianwatchmaker]

Hello, can you post a picture. I will try to help. Thanks

[spectre6000]

A quick google for dissolving lignin suggests hot urea. If you have, or know someone who has a modern diesel, you might see if you can snag some exhaust treatment fluid, put it in a jar, and heat it up (or don't and give it longer). No idea what that would do to anything else though. Test on a comparable scrap movement plate first to make sure it won't do something unexpected.

[RichardHarris123]

Basically p#ss, so you know what to do now.  Hehe. 

[HectorLooi]

This is one situation where a waterpik might actually work.

[ManSkirtBrew]

8 hours ago, Canadianwatchmaker said:

Hello, can you post a picture. I will try to help. Thanks

Sure thing. Here are both sides on a light box.

6 hours ago, RichardHarris123 said:

Basically p#ss, so you know what to do now

Sadly no help on the jewels. I feel a lot better, though.

[Waggy]

Perhaps the enzymes from modern liquid laundry detergent may eat away at the wood fibers? No scientific basis for this idea other than it is a new old plumbers trick for 'dissolving' toilet paper (also wood fibers) in blocked sewer pipes. It's worth a try as it should be fairly benign as far as the jewels and metal(s) go, I assume there is no shellac we need to worry about on the affected components? Even if it partially works it may loosen the fibers up enough to remove them?

Edited June 1, 2023 by Waggy

[Waggy]

11 hours ago, RichardHarris123 said:

Basically p#ss, so you know what to do now

Has to be a joke there about p#ss and losing wood....

[nickelsilver]

I'm sure that these settings are able to be taken apart, but I've never done it. I think you would press out the pair cap/hole jewel, then they are two separate pieces, each jewel in its setting. I have a 218 here for service but it's my mom's and don't really want to experiment on it... haha. But maybe I'll give it a go.

 

Edit- it's one setting, you push the hole jewel and it pushes out the cap.

 

 

Edited June 1, 2023 by nickelsilver

[mikepilk]

One of my favourite things - Caustic soda (sodium hydroxide) dissolves most organic things. According to Wiki :

Sodium hydroxide is also widely used in pulping of wood for making paper or regenerated fibers.

[ManSkirtBrew]

4 hours ago, nickelsilver said:

Edit- it's one setting, you push the hole jewel and it pushes out the cap.

I appreciate you taking one for the team! I've got a Horia-style tool at home, so I'll try it out after work tonight.

Thanks to everyone for the suggestions. Even you, @RichardHarris123

4 hours ago, mikepilk said:

One of my favourite things - Caustic soda (sodium hydroxide) dissolves most organic things. According to Wiki :

Sodium hydroxide is also widely used in pulping of wood for making paper or regenerated fibers.

This was actually going to be my next try. Since I own a brewery, I have a scary amount of concentrated sodium hydroxide on hand. My only concern was whether it would attack the soft brass. A few moments of research says it reacts with copper alloys, so I'm inclined to avoid it.

[spectre6000]

3 hours ago, ManSkirtBrew said:

Since I own a brewery

Need more info. I've got a small batch imperial stout I'm about to bottle!

[ManSkirtBrew]

22 minutes ago, spectre6000 said:

Need more info. I've got a small batch imperial stout I'm about to bottle!

Oooo! PM me or start a thread in an off-topic forum. I'm always excited to talk shop!

I've been brewing since 2008, professionally since 2015 when I opened Man Skirt Brewing here in Hackettstown, NJ. I've been toying with the idea of floating a watch meetup here, but I doubt we've got enough local folks on the forum.

[RichardHarris123]

4 minutes ago, ManSkirtBrew said:

Oooo! PM me or start a thread in an off-topic forum. I'm always excited to talk shop!

I've been brewing since 2008, professionally since 2015 when I opened Man Skirt Brewing here in Hackettstown, NJ. I've been toying with the idea of floating a watch meetup here, but I doubt we've got enough local folks on the forum.

Ok, I've always wondered about the skirt part. 

1 hour ago, RichardHarris123 said:

Sounds like an end shake issue. 

 

13 minutes ago, RichardHarris123 said:

Ok, I've always wondered about the skirt part. 

Do you wear skirts on the weekend? 

[ManSkirtBrew]

Here's hoping I don't have to do that again. Thanks, @nickelsilverfor testing the theory out.

8 hours ago, RichardHarris123 said:

Do you wear skirts on the weekend?

When I can get away with it, but usually just at work

Well, this is the most frustrating gear train I've ever tried to install.

I just spent an hour trying to get all 4 pivots to line up and I'm no closer to it than I was an hour ago.

I had to give up before firing the thing out a window.

I genuinely have no idea how I'll be able to do this.

EDIT: Guess who just figured out he also has pegwood stuck in the bottom jewels in the mainplate? BIG SIGH

Edited June 2, 2023 by ManSkirtBrew

[RichardHarris123]

I have tried 2 things, put one or both bridge screws in loosely and gently manipulate the wheels or tap the movement holder with the handle of tweezers.  Sometimes a combination of both. 

[HectorLooi]

Accutron train bridges are very easy to assemble because the jewel holes have something like a funnel to guide the pivots in. Just put the the bottom pivots into the bottom holes, gently drop the top plate on and tap the holder. The plate will just drop in. It's really satisfying.

I suspect it's because your bottom holes have pegwood in them that you can't get the plate on.

[markr]

19 hours ago, ManSkirtBrew said:

Oooo! PM me or start a thread in an off-topic forum. I'm always excited to talk shop!

I've been brewing since 2008, professionally since 2015 when I opened Man Skirt Brewing here in Hackettstown, NJ. I've been toying with the idea of floating a watch meetup here, but I doubt we've got enough local folks on the forum.

I'm sure your local Red Bar chapter would love to have you host an event.

[ManSkirtBrew]

5 hours ago, HectorLooi said:

Accutron train bridges are very easy to assemble because the jewel holes have something like a funnel to guide the pivots in....I suspect it's because your bottom holes have pegwood in them that you can't get the plate on.

One of them did, and I fixed it, and I just spent the last 20 minutes trying again to no avail. So if it's supposed to be easy, I'm clearly doing something wrong, because I feel pretty stupid right now.

The index wheel is the one giving me the most fits. It and the 3rd wheel are very tippy, and proving extremely difficult to get the pivots in the funnel, let alone the jewel holes.

I'll get it eventually. I'm just too frustrated right now. I've never had this much trouble with a bridge.

[ManSkirtBrew]

Okay friends, thank you again for the encouragement and help. I went back with a fresh head tonight and the bridge fell into place in just a few minutes.

WHEW! Now it's time to phase. The scary part!