Late to the game, but finally here.

[JHD]

I'm Jeff, live in middle Tennessee USA.  Just turned 55.  Work from home.  Always loved tools and tinkering.  Past woodworker, leatherworker.  Current IT professional.  Not real crazy about 'collecting' or hobbies for hobbies sake.  My current hobby is actually trying to declutter and get life back on track.

Never really considered watch repair/making as a hobby or pass time.  Graduated college in the 90's with an art degree and did some jewelry making back then.  Watches were always a mystery of science and technology that I didn't think were approachable.

Well, now I've been gathering some cheap tools and movements.  I've changed some batteries on quartz movements but haven't turned a screwdriver on anything mechanical yet.  I'm afraid of losing or breaking  a part and rendering something I paid for useless.

Plus, one of the big rules in this is to remain calm, put yourself in a clear frame of mind and relax before starting a project.  I have not been able to get there yet.  Also, my vision sucks and I'm pondering what type of visual assistant I need.  I've got some cheap loupes, but I would like something with a clear view where I can use both hands to work.

[clockboy]

Welcome to the forum Jeff, enjoy.

[RichardHarris123]

Hello and welcome from Leeds, England. 

[Nucejoe]

Hi Jeff and welcome here.

[eccentric59]

Hi Jeff. Welcome to WRT.

For a moment there I thought i was reading my own biography. I too work in IT, have a degree in art and love all things mechanical. If you're left-handed too, then I'll have to check Ancestry.com to see if I have any relatives in TN.

I've found the best solution for me was to get a set of these and clamp them to a pair of readers.

 

If you stick with it, you'll want to get a microsocpe, but that's a ways down the road. BTW, in order to not frustrate yourself in the beginning, You'll need to get some decent screwdrivers and tweezers, and learn to dress them properly to keep those tiny parts from flying all over the place.

[HectorLooi]

Welcome Jeff. 

As a newbie, you are bound to drop things and launch things across the room. We all went through that phase. It gets less frequent as time goes by though, trust me.

In the meantime, get yourself good, comfy knee pads, a headlight and a magnetic sweeper.

Enjoy.

[watchweasol]

Hello Jeff and welcome to the forum.    Plenty to enjoy .

[JHD]

8 hours ago, eccentric59 said:

Hi Jeff. Welcome to WRT.

For a moment there I thought i was reading my own biography. I too work in IT, have a degree in art and love all things mechanical. If you're left-handed too, then I'll have to check Ancestry.com to see if I have any relatives in TN.

I've found the best solution for me was to get a set of these and clamp them to a pair of readers.

 

If you stick with it, you'll want to get a microsocpe, but that's a ways down the road. BTW, in order to not frustrate yourself in the beginning, You'll need to get some decent screwdrivers and tweezers, and learn to dress them properly to keep those tiny parts from flying all over the place.

I think you're safe - right handed here!