Bestfit watch hand gauge usage

[mbwatch]

I am in need of a hand gauge but  do not wish to spend Bergeon dollars on the easy type with the graduated mandrels.

Does anyone know how these old Bestfit gauges are to be used? To measure the size of a hand hole, it seems as the best you could do is find the hole its pipe fits inside then go down one or two sizes to estimate the inner diameter.

Or maybe I have its purpose backwards and it is intended to quickly measure a cannon pinion or hour wheel rather than a hand hole?

[Neverenoughwatches]

2 hours ago, mbwatch said:

I am in need of a hand gauge but  do not wish to spend Bergeon dollars on the easy type with the graduated mandrels.

Does anyone know how these old Bestfit gauges are to be used? To measure the size of a hand hole, it seems as the best you could do is find the hole its pipe fits inside then go down one or two sizes to estimate the inner diameter.

Or maybe I have its purpose backwards and it is intended to quickly measure a cannon pinion or hour wheel rather than a hand hole?

No i think you are right with this gauge the pipe diameter and length of minute and hour hands by movement ligne size. The Bergeon hand hole gauge isn't too badly priced as new. I picked mine up second hand for around 20 quid

[AndyGSi]

I don't think they're really that expensive.

[mbwatch]

13 minutes ago, AndyGSi said:

I don't think they're really that expensive.

I did not even check any retailers. On eBay they are all around $70 US but this would come in under $50. I assumed they retailed higher. I would rarely spend $50 on a small single purpose tool, but I do have a giant assortment of pocket watch hands in the mail that are going to need sorting.

[KarlvonKoln]

I'm buying mine from that site then.  I am in the US also, and mbwatch is right - I couldn't get one for less than $64.90 plus tax, which came to almost $70.  But for 35 pounds plus shipping, maybe it will be less in the end if I buy it from a UK site.

[mbwatch]

2 hours ago, KarlvonKoln said:

I'm buying mine from that site then. 

Before you click the order! I just found that Horofix (Korean I think?) makes one that Esslinger sells for much less here in the USA

 

[Neverenoughwatches]

8 hours ago, AndyGSi said:

I don't think they're really that expensive.

Yep that's all they are from cousins plus the vat and delivery, so around £45 quid

[mikepilk]

I push a smoothing broach in to the hole, mark it, then measure with micrometre. But I am cheap 

[rehajm]

1 hour ago, mikepilk said:

I push a smoothing broach in to the hole, mark it, then measure with micrometre. But I am cheap 

The way I do it. Are others involved in many projects where measuring is necessary? Broaching is more feel and I guess and/or I don’t have too many with missing hands..

[mbwatch]

1 hour ago, rehajm said:

Are others involved in many projects where measuring is necessary? Broaching is more feel and I guess and/or I don’t have too many with missing hands..

I work on mostly pocket watches, and most of them are missing hands. I have a few fistfuls of unsorted hands coming in the mail I hope bring some order to.

[Jon]

4 hours ago, mikepilk said:

I push a smoothing broach in to the hole, mark it, then measure with micrometre. But I am cheap 

Most of the hands that need broaching or closing are second amnd chronograph sweep second hands, so the Bergeon hand gauge is pretty useless. It doesn't go down to 0.2 or 0.25 mm, so I use the same method as @mikepilk. Amazingly accurate

[mbwatch]

4 hours ago, Jon said:

Most of the hands that need broaching or closing are second amnd chronograph sweep second hands

Do you mean to say you measure closed pipe seconds & chrono hands with a broach too? In that tiny pipe?

[Jon]

On 7/29/2024 at 6:16 PM, mbwatch said:

Do you mean to say you measure closed pipe seconds & chrono hands with a broach too? In that tiny pipe?

Yep! The broaches I use go down to 0.05 mm up to 0.3 mm. Perfect for the job. Bergeon 1896- G and 1896-H, cutting and smoothing broaches. Not cheap, but invaluable! Them coupled with a JKA Feintaster bench micrometer and you're go to go