winder I'm breaking mainsprings

[8lackie]

I got a little 3D printed mainspring winder (8mm) I'm trying to wind the spring for a 10mm barrel. This a Zim2602. Am I breaking them because the winder is too small for the spring? Or is this a case of user bumbling?

[Waggy]

In what way are you breaking them, maybe pictures would help?

[Neverenoughwatches]

6 hours ago, 8lackie said:

I got a little 3D printed mainspring winder (8mm) I'm trying to wind the spring for a 10mm barrel. This a Zim2602. Am I breaking them because the winder is too small for the spring? Or is this a case of user bumbling?

I think we need a bit more to go on 8lackie. But honestly you have probably already answered this. The second question answers the first question.  At pre school we learned to put different shaped blocks into holes of the same shape, round block into square hole  X square block into square hole _/   . At watchmaker's school, i suppose that practical exercise continues at a much much higher level , parts need to fit very precisely. And in watchmaking very precisely means working at measurements in low numbers of microns . My point is, a mainspring meant for a 10mm barrel may not fit in an 8mm mainspring winder and if it did fit its unlikely that it wil be happy about it ( or otherwise feels very happy and secure and does not want to leave without a fight ) Please rate if you found this information helpful or otherwise sarcastic .  

[8lackie]

Right you are! Preschool was an ordeal, and now I know why. Point taken. Ever onward!

[JohnR725]

2 hours ago, Neverenoughwatches said:

if it did fit its unlikely that it wil be happy about it

The interesting things you learn when you go to lectures on watch repair. For instance I remember somebody commenting that basically there's a limited quantity of time does that mainsprings can be inserted in the barrels from mainspring winders. This would be assuming that you're actually using the correct size and you're not torturing the mainspring by trying to insert it into a smaller size than it's supposed to go. Occasionally when you can't have the right size winder you try to cram the spring and you will find that the spring will be extremely unhappy and you will be unhappy with the results because you can really distort the mainspring even if you do get up to go in.

So yes it really is important to have the right size mainspring winder that suggest going to fit in and not torture the mainspring.

9 hours ago, 8lackie said:

Zim2602

Always nice to have a picture because there must be literally hundreds of thousands of different watches out there and it's really hard to memorize every single one of them so it's nice to see what you're dealing with.

https://17jewels.info/movements/z/zim/zim-2602/

9 hours ago, 8lackie said:

This a Zim2602. Am I breaking them because the winder is too small for the spring?

The interesting problem with sizing of things is. Things do not shrink in a linear fashion so as you get smaller tolerances become much much more critical. So as you found out yes trying to put something physically larger than the size is going to be a problem.

[nevenbekriev]

@8lackie, we need to know the particular place the spring breaks - the internal end for example, and when exactly it breaks - when winding in the winder barrel, when transferring to the watch barrel... The problem in using too small winder barrel is that when transferred, the spring unwinds rapidly to the bigger barrel size and the shock it takes is really big.

[8lackie]

Both broke at the arbor ends. the spring that looks particularly torqued is one I tried to wind by hand....more than once.

Both of these 2602's are cleaned and disassembled. I'm hoping to make one running movement.

7 hours ago, nevenbekriev said:

@8lackie, we need to know the particular place the spring breaks - the internal end for example, and when exactly it breaks - when winding in the winder barrel, when transferring to the watch barrel... The problem in using too small winder barrel is that when transferred, the spring unwinds rapidly to the bigger barrel size and the shock it takes is really big.

Color me learned. I wasn't aware of 'them' physics. I'll continue my efforts.

Edited June 5, 2024 by 8lackie

[Neverenoughwatches]

20 minutes ago, 8lackie said:

Both broke at the arbor ends. the spring that looks particularly torqued is one I tried to wind by hand....more thank once.

Both of these 2602's are cleaned and dis-assymbled. I'm hoping to make one running movement.

Color me learned. I wasn't aware of 'them' physics. I'll continue my efforts.

Always learning and new knowledge to pick up 8lackie and the list of tools to make the work easier is an endless one. Stick with it , you will aquire more of both over time, no rush.