Pin lever re-staffing from scratch...advice?

[LittleWatchShop]

Another repair for a friend.  No thrifting this.  I noticed right off that the balance was "soldered" for poising, lol.  Then while assembling, the roller pin fell out.  After that, I decided to take a hard look at this thing. The pivots were a total wreck, so I decided to start from scratch.

Now I am making a new pivot from the steel shown in the images.

Judging from the turning I have done on it, it is pretty soft, so I am thinking I need to harden it.  I have no data on the steel--oil harden or air harden.

I am going with oil harden unless otherwise instructed.  Just gonna heat it up to cherry red and dunk it.  Please advise.

I could not get the safety roller off the other pivot.  Maybe it was turned that way.  Can I make a new safety roller with brass???  It would be easier.

 

[nevenbekriev]

OK, the one of the pivots looks just a little worn, but othervice OK. What happened to the other? They could be easyly resharpened and then everything could be OK, but now...

The staff should be hardened and tempered to lite hey color. The pivot should be sharpened and burhished well and just slightly rounded at the tips, otghervice they will cut in the cup bearings. The safety roller is a part of the staff. Yes, a brass bush can be used as safety roller, the notch has to be filed and correctly placed with the impulse pin

[LittleWatchShop]

15 minutes ago, nevenbekriev said:

OK, the one of the pivots looks just a little worn, but othervice OK. What happened to the other? They could be easyly resharpened and then everything could be OK, but now...

The staff should be hardened and tempered to lite hey color. The pivot should be sharpened and burhished well and just slightly rounded at the tips, otghervice they will cut in the cup bearings. The safety roller is a part of the staff. Yes, a brass bush can be used as safety roller, the notch has to be filed and correctly placed with the impulse pin

The pivots were pretty bad.  Not so obvious at this magnification.

I have turned a new staff as well as the safety roller.  Since this rod was relatively easy to cut, I used it for the roller.  All that is left is to cut the notch and then do the harden and tempering.

[nevenbekriev]

OK, hardening is easier and with more probable good result to do in water, then tempering as i said above. Then You should sharpen and burnish the pivots again, to grind the surface layer where carbon has burned durring the hardening. That's why, it is easier just to sharpen the existing staff - it is from proper material and so on... 2-3 sharpenings are possible before the staff will get to short and free play will not be able to regulate to normal.

[LittleWatchShop]

It is not perfect.  I used pretty hard steel rod and cut with a carbide graver.  Took several attempts.  Together and running.

[rehajm]

Well done. In situ it looks brilliant. I won't ask how much time you spent on this one...unless your friend is your bookie your friend owes you big. (You can quote me...haha)

[LittleWatchShop]

1 minute ago, rehajm said:

Well done. In situ it looks brilliant. I won't ask how much time you spent on this one...unless your friend is your bookie your friend owes you big. (You can quote me...haha)

All of my watch/clock work is gratis.  I get something from it though--experience, and satisfaction!

I think about six hours total.  When I am not doing horology or driving my tractor, I am an expert witness for patent litigation.  If those six hours were on a patent case, it would bring a handsome sum!  Alas...it is horology!