Fixodrop; how long does 10ml last?

[Endeavor]

Hello All;

I'm looking at buying some Fixodrop (ready to use). It seems that the bottle has a filter in the top, saving me to purchase such a ridiculous expensive special bottle.

CousinsUK has two sizes; a 10ml for £26.65 and 100ml for £96.55 (ex.VAT). (https://www.cousinsuk.com/product/8981-fixodrop-esbs10-ready-to-use?code=M61650 )

I've never used Fixodrop before, but I do know that it evaporates quickly, so one has to keep the lid tightly closed.

But the question is; how long, with careful & considered use, does 10ml last?

Are we talking for 2x watches, 5, 10, 20 or perhaps 50x ?

Also, does anybody know (roughly) the internal size of the bottle neck? What would fit and what wouldn't?

 

Edited April 10 by Endeavor

[Jon]

I've got about 20 ml of Fixodrop epilame in a smoked glass pipette bottle and squirt a few ml into a small aluminium storage pot (32 mm wide X 18 mm tall) which is tilted on a staking block, so the epilame is just in a corner of the pot. I put my escape wheel in the pot so it is just covered and dip my pallet fork jewels into the liquid one at a time, which takes one minute in total. I draw the Fixodrop back up with the pipette and back into the bottle. I haven't noticed any real loss of liquid due to evaporation over the course of five years I have had this. Obviously there has been some evaporation, but it isn't to the degree that some make out. It has about the same evaporation rate as something like IPA, so I may have lost a millilitre or two.

10 ml in a bottle with a mesh in the neck will last you hundreds of watch parts over several years. The mesh is big enough for whatever you are going to epilame, including keyless work if you so choose. Personally I don't use a mesh arrangement because I don't dip the whole pallet fork into the epilame, because I don't want it getting in the notch and creating a dust when the impulse jewels hits.

In my experience, it is definitely worth buying and using, especially with the escape wheel and pallet fork jewels. Lubricating the pallet fork becomes child's play once treated with Fixodrop.

[Endeavor]

2 hours ago, Jon said:

10 ml in a bottle with a mesh in the neck will last you hundreds of watch parts over several years

Perfect, that's what I was hoping to hear !

Thanks a lot

 

[nickelsilver]

I do similarly to Jon; I buy the 100ml bottles, put about 10ml in a 30ml brown lab bottle with wide neck to use. I tilt it and dip the escape wheel in, and for the fork I use #5 tweezers, closed, to such up a little, then apply to the stones. It does evaporate a bit, but I toss it as soon as I suspect it may have dust or whatever in it-- long before it gets very depleted. The 10ml lasts ages.

 

I think they reformulated it at some point; 20 years ago it evaporated much, much faster.

[xyzzy]

Probably whatever solved they used was banned.  Did carbon tet or benzene evaporate quickly?

[mikepilk]

I bought the 10ml bottle from Cousins, and it should last years. I do larger parts in the mesh at the top of the bottle. I tried doing the cap jewels at the top of the bottle, but after inverting for 30s and removing the cap, it's a struggle to find them. Meanwhile the lid is off, and your precious fluid is evaporating away. 

So now I use a syringe with a fine needle, suck up the tiniest amount. I push the cap stones and pallet fork (to avoid getting any on the actual fork) in to some pith wood, and put a few drops on each jewel

[Endeavor]

33 minutes ago, mikepilk said:

So now I use a syringe with a fine needle, suck up the tiniest amount. I push the cap stones and pallet fork (to avoid getting any on the actual fork) in to some pith wood, and put a few drops on each jewel

Thanks

In order to suck some fluid up with a syringe, can one remove the mesh?

[mikepilk]

1 hour ago, Endeavor said:

Thanks

In order to suck some fluid up with a syringe, can one remove the mesh?

When you turn the bottle back up, if you immediately remove the lid, the fluid takes a while to drain through the mesh. 

I tried using an oiler to pick up a little Fixodrop, bit it evaporates too quickly.