Bench mat

[Takeitapart]

Hello,

I am new to this watch experience and I need some guidance on what I can put on my bench to to help keep parts from escaping.  I have a nice Bergeon bench mat however it is quite slippery.  Stray parts go skidding across the surface and are lost into oblivion.  Perhaps this does not happen to others.  Is there something that I could use to keep small objects contained at least until I develop better skills.   Felt?  Velvet?  Any tips or tricks would be appreciated.

Mark

[Marc]

I use these.

They're silicon so softer than the traditional bench mat, which means that things are less likely to roll or bounce. The little recesses in the top edge make really useful holding pens for parts prior to transfer to a parts tray or project box proper, and when they get a little grubby they can just be washed and they come up like new. They're also cheap as chips.

[Mercurial]

There are textured bench mats, with small grooves or ripples across their surface, and some find them very helpful in preventing watch parts from sliding or rolling away. 

Having a raised edge along the sides and back edge of the bench you work on is a feature present on most purpose built watchmaker’s benches and is easily added to most tabletops. 

To avoid parts rolling off the bench towards you, some watchmakers wear an apron, the end of which is tacked to the front edge of the bench to catch stray parts. 

Quality tweezers, well dressed and a gentle touch when handling parts will with practice keep parts from pinging off into space. 

If you’re removing a spring or other parts that are prone to fly away, hold one end down with pegwood or a probe, cover it with a sheet of clear plastic or work inside a ziplock bag whilst gaining confidence with controlled handling of parts and the disassembly of movements. 

Having a work surface at the right height makes a big difference too, both in terms of parts handling and ergonomics. 
 

Hope that helps,

Mark

[VWatchie]

18 hours ago, Takeitapart said:

I have a nice Bergeon bench mat however it is quite slippery.

Can you tell us which one specifically? Maybe just some adjustment to the way you work is required?

18 hours ago, Takeitapart said:

Stray parts go skidding across the surface and are lost into oblivion.

Does your desk tilt? I have a hard time imagining how parts can slide.

[ManSkirtBrew]

I'd like to second @VWatchie's question about it being slippery. I have a Bergeon bench mat as well, and while it's not tacky like silicone, I wouldn't call it slippery either.

As for silicone mats, I started with those and didn't like how springy they are. It was great when you dropped a part, but if you try to pick up a tiny screw and happen to slip, it's now a spring-loaded tiny little screw and is prone to entering low-earth orbit.

But that's just down to personal preference. They're inexpensive enough to try out and use it for other hobbies if you don't love it for watchmaking.

[Bonefixer]

16 hours ago, Mercurial said:

 

If you’re removing a spring or other parts that are prone to fly away, hold one end down with pegwood or a probe, cover it with a sheet of clear plastic or work inside a ziplock bag whilst gaining confidence with controlled handling of parts and the disassembly of movements. 

Agree with everything above, especially the tweezers. Another tip for spring removal is a blob of rodico. 

[rossjackson01]

To stop my 'pings', I combined a base mat with a 3 sided box. When not in use, I lift the box and place it onto the top of the printer which allows me to use the computer. As you can see, my space is limited. This is the only working area available to me. 

Edited April 14 by rossjackson01
Spelling, Grammar, more information

[Takeitapart]

I have the Bergeon 6808 mat.  Perhaps  "slide" is not the best term to use.  I know I can improve my work process I was hoping not to loose as many parts while on the steep part of the learning curve.  Sometimes when I loose control of the part, I hear it hit the mat.  I just cannot locate it.  I was looking for a surface that is more forgiving.   I am going to try some of the tips mentioned.  Thank you.

 

mark

[Waggy]

This is what I use, the grippyness of the silicone gives you half a chance to slow down any escaping springs or screws, they are fairly cheap and oif they become scuffed up you can turn them over and get a fresh new face. The one I have is green, but there are lots of colours.

Edited April 15 by Waggy
Typo

[VWatchie]

Tips for how you can minimise the risk of pinging parts.

Make sure you have a decent set of well-dressed tweezers. When you're new I'd recommend a new Dumont No.2 or Dumont No.3 (Fine Tips). Those are well-dressed from the start and don't require maintenance for many, many years unless you abuse them. Finer tips than No.3 increase the risk of pinging parts. When gripping a part never use more force than is required to hold it without dropping it. When moving the part keep the tip of the tweezers as close to the work mat as possible, and always try to minimize the distance the part needs to travel. Practice this by placing some small parts on your work mat and then moving them around to designated places on your work mat. You can also scratch up the insides of the tip of the tweezers for improved friction between the part and the tweezers as shown by Kalle Slaap here. However, be extremely careful not to overdo it as it will risk creating a gap in the tweezers. Don't ask me how I know! 

Relax! This is more important than anything else and something we talk too little about. Relaxing is especially important when we're doing something which we perceive as difficult like replacing a tiny, stiff spring. In those situations, we tend to become very tense and that's when disaster strikes. Relaxing physically and mentally is something we need to practice but once we get it we can say goodbye to shaky hands. You have to honestly ask yourself "Am I relaxed?" If the answer is no, close your eyes, take a deep breath, and relax. Then repeat the question until you can relax no more. Be especially watchful of your shoulders. Try to relax them as much as possible. If we don't relax watch repair can become exhausting and in the worst case can kill the interest. On the other hand, if we learn to truly relax it becomes meditative and extremely enjoyable.

BTW, did I mention the importance of being relaxed when working on watches? 

 

[mikepilk]

I tried all sorts. I find the silicone mats too soft and springy, and the green hobby cutting mats too hard.

I found the best (and cheapest) option is to use an offcut from some vinyl flooring. It has just the right amount of 'give', and is wipe clean 

[Mercurial]

44 minutes ago, VWatchie said:

BTW, did I mention the importance of being relaxed when working on watches? 

VWatchie makes a very important point regarding the importance of being relaxed when working on watches. It’s importance cannot be overstated. 
 

One thing I’d add is that you will sometimes find yourself unable to relax and get ‘into the zone’ for watchmaking. If you’re too stressed, angry, tired, unwell, anxious or for any other reason can’t relax and concentrate only upon what you’re doing, then walk away from the bench. This applies no matter how skilled you are. 
 

Also, we are all human, there may sometimes be a day when for no good reason you find you can’t stop making mistakes. No problem. Just walk away from the bench, stop wasting your time and risking a bad mistake. Go and do something less exacting. 

Best Regards,

Mark

[mikepilk]

5 minutes ago, Mercurial said:

One thing I’d add is that you will sometimes find yourself unable to relax and get ‘into the zone’ for watchmaking. If you’re too stressed, angry, tired, unwell, anxious or for any other reason can’t relax and concentrate only upon what you’re doing, then walk away from the bench. This applies no matter how skilled you are. 

I find this especially true when working on hairsprings. After a while of concentrating so hard, you tense up. Many times I have then just pushed on to finish the final tweak - with disastrous results. I now know to step away and relax before continuing.

 

[Mercurial]

6 minutes ago, mikepilk said:

I find this especially true when working on hairsprings. After a while of concentrating so hard, you tense up. Many times I have then just pushed on to finish the final tweak - with disastrous results. I now know to step away and relax before continuing.

Good point - it is very common to tense up, grip harder with your hands, get tight in the shoulders and for breathing to become shallow when struggling with something difficult, such as hairspring work. 

Making a conscious effort to breathe slowly and deeply can go a long way towards preventing yourself from tensing up, and help to relax again. 

If you still get tense or start feeling fatigued, go take a break and come back to the watch work when feeling calm and refreshed.

Sometimes a short break is so effective you’ll complete whatever task you were struggling with relatively easily afterwards. 

Best Regards,

Mark

[VWatchie]

On 4/15/2024 at 11:03 AM, mikepilk said:

Many times I have then just pushed on to finish the final tweak - with disastrous results. I now know to step away and relax before continuing.

I recognize myself all too well. It takes a lot of experience and discipline to recognize when it's time to cancel and come back at a later time.

On 4/15/2024 at 11:16 AM, Mercurial said:

Making a conscious effort to breathe slowly and deeply can go a long way towards preventing yourself from tensing up, and help to relax again. 

If you still get tense or start feeling fatigued, go take a break and come back to the watch work when feeling calm and refreshed.

Sometimes a short break is so effective you’ll complete whatever task you were struggling with relatively easily afterwards.

Very well said! We should have a forum dedicated to this topic as it is critical to achieve success when working on watches. It's a lot more important than most other things related to watch repair. And yes, just a short break can make a world of difference!

[VanDan]

I'm new to the craft, but I have been using a neoprene mat (think a giant mousepad). It can get a bit dirty but nothing slides or bounces off it, it has stopped a few screws from bouncing off my desk into the abyss.

[Waggy]

10 minutes ago, VanDan said:

bouncing off my desk into the abyss

Yes, I think I have one of these wormholes under my desk that spits my parts out into DS9:

If you look carefully you can see my yolk spring exiting the wormhole!

[oldhippy]

I used  green blotting paper under thick glass and a few tiny pin nails on the sides of the glass to stop it from moving. I also had wood beading all around my bench to stop things rolling off. 

[VanDan]

9 hours ago, oldhippy said:

I also had wood beading all around my bench to stop things rolling off. 

That's a really good idea! I have a 3d printer, I think I'll design something that I can clip on to the edge of my desk to do the same. Thanks for the idea. 

[Waggy]

Sometimes I think I need one of these: