Tool of the day.

[nickelsilver]

I love these for measuring small pivots. For straightening pivots, I find I have much better luck holding the part in the lathe, turning by hand to find the fault, and use blunt nickel tweezers heated in an alcohol flame until almost to hot to handle to coax the pivot back straight.

[HectorLooi]

34 minutes ago, nickelsilver said:

I love these for measuring small pivots. For straightening pivots, I find I have much better luck holding the part in the lathe, turning by hand to find the fault, and use blunt nickel tweezers heated in an alcohol flame until almost to hot to handle to coax the pivot back straight.

Do you clamp the balance arbor and bend the pivot or do you clamp the bent pivot and adjust the arbor?

In clockmaking, we clamp the shorter part and use the longer end for adjusting. We can even straighten bent arbors this way.

[nickelsilver]

30 minutes ago, HectorLooi said:

Do you clamp the balance arbor and bend the pivot or do you clamp the bent pivot and adjust the arbor?

In clockmaking, we clamp the shorter part and use the longer end for adjusting. We can even straighten bent arbors this way.

I hold the staff (in the balance), get it running as true as possible, and bend the pivot with the hot tweezers. There are Dumont tweezers made just for straightening pivots (# 8), but they also can leave marks, the nickel tweezers work great. Of course if the pivot is too bent to start with there's no way to get it straight without breaking.

 

 

[rehajm]

I can’t recall where I saw or the precise turn of phrase, something about the watchmaker must decide if they are the type to break their pivots efficiently and economically with tweezers or if they prefer the expense and precision of breaking them slowly with the Seitz tool…

Edited September 15 by rehajm

[Neverenoughwatches]

1 hour ago, nickelsilver said:

love these for measuring small pivots.

I know you do, that was my second reason for buying it. The jewelled pivot gauges are insanely priced. 

[HectorLooi]

39 minutes ago, nickelsilver said:

Of course if the pivot is too bent to start with there's no way to get it straight without breaking.

I once asked my mentor when do we straighten and when do we repivot?

His answer was to try straightening first and if it breaks, then repivot.

[Neverenoughwatches]

19 minutes ago, HectorLooi said:

I once asked my mentor when do we straighten and when do we repivot?

His answer was to try straightening first and if it breaks, then repivot.

It doesn't get much simpler than that Hector.  

[JohnR725]

They've updated the tool and of course it's price that is if you're purchasing it new which I would not recommend. There are so many other tools that would be more essential that have. I'm attaching the PDF of how the tool is supposed to function.

7135 7136 tool for straightening bent pivots.pdf

[rehajm]

So my turn to be the tool...of the day. A quick search and I can't find another one like it, perhaps because I don't know what to search for. Wassthis?

...a hole gauge of some sort yes? Hands? How to use it as there are a few numeric labels but not sufficient for the gradients of the sticky out bits...

[RichardHarris123]

Is it a  broach? 

[rehajm]

48 minutes ago, RichardHarris123 said:

Is it a  broach? 

Difficult to see in my photos but there are sharply defined edges as the ends get larger towards the middle, and they are smooth and polished, not textured like a broach, so I’d say no…but honestly I do not know what it is for…

[Neverenoughwatches]

40 minutes ago, RichardHarris123 said:

Is it a  broach? 

Hard to say Rich, ive not seen one of these, if the steps are tapered then i would guess maybe, but the steps would stop you furthering any reaming, unless the other side can make a continuation.   If cylindrical then maybe a hole gauge , a measurement of the steps might help to figure out the stamped numbers

3 minutes ago, rehajm said:

Difficult to see in my photos but there are sharply defined edges as the ends get larger towards the middle, and they are smooth and polished, not textured like a broach, so I’d say no…but honestly I do not know what it is for…

See the numbers 60 to  120 on one side , so 0.6mm -1.2mm.  Then a continuation on the opposite side 130 to 200 , so 1.3mm to 2.0mm.  Range from 0.6 to 2.00mm

9 minutes ago, rehajm said:

Difficult to see in my photos but there are sharply defined edges as the ends get larger towards the middle, and they are smooth and polished, not textured like a broach, so I’d say no…but honestly I do not know what it is for…

A hole burnisher is smooth polished.

[rehajm]

18 minutes ago, Neverenoughwatches said:

A hole burnisher is smooth polished.

…and has defined edges so you clean up the top of the hole, yes? I like this one…hmmm..

[Neverenoughwatches]

8 minutes ago, rehajm said:

…and has defined edges so you clean up the top of the hole, yes? I like this one…hmmm..

Not the ones i have, just a round tapered smooth polished rod, i use them for gentle smooth broaching / final burnish to a hole. 

[Neverenoughwatches]

A Star staking set UK peepsies, this was relisted today as nobody put an offer in around the 150 mark. The seller may not want to risk another non sale fee and sell it early on in the relisting, this has worked for me a few times. My thoughts are an offer of 100 a bit harsh but 110 might take the seller's attention. I have Star, a set bigger than here but this has some interesting stakes i don't have, a couple i know unlikely to get used like the cylinder stakes but even so for 110 plus del. Could be a fair starting set. If interested ask questions to get input from others more knowledgeable than I.  Oh also it has sink rollers and some other countersinks so providing it has the reamer spindle to hold them then a nice little addition. 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/225790269990?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=GrRgYQlBSY-&sssrc=4429486&ssuid=tBiLZaCfRb2&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY

Edited 22 hours ago by Neverenoughwatches