A cheap tool for holding your pin vice while turning a balance staff

[SwissSeiko]

I actually got a similar idea from Nev, he had an adjustable depth marker for his lathe. I'm using this cheap 3rd hand tool. If you're into turning, you're probably into other hobbies as well, and might have one lying around. It works great for quick reference instead of holding the vice in one hand and trying to mark out our length with the other.

[Neverenoughwatches]

  On 10/29/2024 at 1:15 AM, SwissSeiko said:

I actually got a similar idea from Nev, he had an adjustable depth marker for his lathe. I'm using this cheap 3rd hand tool. If you're into turning, you're probably into other hobbies as well, and might have one lying around. It works great for quick reference instead of holding the vice in one hand and trying to mark out our length with the other.

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Not completely sure whats going on here SS , is the pinvice holding a template staff. Have you got the heights lined up so as to just pull up the third hand to bring the reference and workpiece together ?

[nevenbekriev]

Yes, the thing in the pin vice usually is the original staff and it is there for reference.

There are different approaches here. Some people prefer to use the original staff for reference and do everything to prevent it from damage. Others count on drawings and measurements and use for reference dedicated calipers that hold the size needed for the current operation. Such caliper I made for that lathe - one turn of the wheel there moves the pointer to 0.5mm and the wheel is graduated like in micrometers. I needed this as I normally work on cross-slide lathes and count only on the wheels graduation for the staff sizes in height.

I usually destroy the original staff when removing it off the rim and thou it still can be measured, I measure what i need before the removing and don't care if it gets lost or destroyed. Often the watches that come to me are with staffs that for sure are not original, so I have learned how to do reverse-engineering  of the sizes needed and don't care much to preserve  for measurements what is in the watch

[Neverenoughwatches]

  On 10/29/2024 at 7:50 AM, nevenbekriev said:

Yes, the thing in the pin vice usually is the original staff and it is there for reference.

There are different approaches here. Some people prefer to use the original staff for reference and do everything to prevent it from damage. Others count on drawings and measurements and use for reference dedicated calipers that hold the size needed for the current operation. Such caliper I made for that lathe - one turn of the wheel there moves the pointer to 0.5mm and the wheel is graduated like in micrometers. I needed this as I normally work on cross-slide lathes and count only on the wheels graduation for the staff sizes in height.

I usually destroy the original staff when removing it off the rim and thou it still can be measured, I measure what i need before the removing and don't care if it gets lost or destroyed. Often the watches that come to me are with staffs that for sure are not original, so I have learned how to do reverse-engineering  of the sizes needed and don't care much to preserve  for measurements what is in the watch

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That makes a lot of sense Nev, one i was struggling with a while back was clearly a badly modified staff, i wasted time trying to use and match it up.

[SwissSeiko]

  On 10/29/2024 at 5:16 AM, Neverenoughwatches said:

Not completely sure whats going on here SS , is the pinvice holding a template staff. Have you got the heights lined up so as to just pull up the third hand to bring the reference and workpiece together ?

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Yeah sorry, this goes on the other side of the lathe when turning. Its holding a balance staff and I just slide it out of the way after I make reference. Its similar to a height marking gauge if you're a machinist.