Greetings all!

[BangDroid]

Hello everyone I go by BangDroid or Droid but my real name is Rob. I'm from Australia.

I'm quite new to watchmaking and have only built a couple so-called "mod watches" based around the NH3x movements. And other basic tasks like battery replacement and link removal.

I decided to sign up because I invariably find myself here often when Googling and researching various topics and it seems to be a very well established and helpful community.

I've always been quite mechanically inclined, I've worked on cars, mountain bikes and electronic device repair, and when I came across some watch restoration videos on YouTube from the likes of Wristwatch Revival and Nekkid Watchmaker, I was so intrigued. I then found heaps of other channels and people all doing incredible work. I then found out about people making these mod watches - I don't know if that is the correct term - essentially a complete watch made from spare parts sold online, and I thought I would give that a go, as a cheap-ish entry into the field. Long story short and a few hundred dollars in tools and things, both watches went along very well with minimal trouble.

But my aspirations go much beyond this. I haven't been passionate about much of anything for a fair while, but there is something about the intricacies and accuracy of mechanical watches that appeals to me at fundamental level. I very much want to pursue this as more than a hobby even. I know that might sound bold considering how new I am but it feels to me like the right thing to do.

Where I'm at right now is trying to find ways to optimize my experience - within the constraints of my budget. But I know watchmaking & repair and budget generally aren't congruent.
I have ordered a Seagull ST3600 for practicing tasks with, the bloody thing is stuck in shipping, I guess it's that time of year though. I have all the basic tools for assembling a watch but nothing for servicing or repairs as yet. My next purchase will probably be a Weishi Timegrapher. I did experiment at long ends with trying to get the open source software Tg to run well but I could not get clear or consistent results. I tried various mic's including a contact mic and various audio interfaces but the results were never consistent.

Well I think I've said enough for now. Like others have done, I'll probably keep this updated with my journey too. I'll try to get in the habit of taking pictures of any work I do, but I was never any good at doing that with device repair either.

Cheers, Rob

[RichardHarris123]

Hello and welcome from Leeds, England. 

[oldhippy]

Thank you for your introduction and welcome to this friendly forum.

We all look forward to your contributions and continued involvement. 

If there is anything we can help you with don’t be afraid to ask. Nice clear photos can help a lot.

[BangDroid]

My ST36 finally arrived! I still need a few more things before I start practicing disassembly, cleaning, reassembly, oiling etc. I bought this purely for practicing, but now that I have it in  my hands, it just looks so nice! I know it's a cheapie Seagull and there are so many much nicer and expensive movements out there, but it almost feels wrong to take to bits.
But that was the idea and I wont learn unless I do.

Hope everyone has a merry christmas.

[BangDroid]

I've been practicing removing and installing the balance. I've done it several times now and am getting the hang of aligning the pivot in the jewel and carefully ensuring the balance is aligned properly, giving a slight puff with a puffer to see correct movement before screwing down.

Baby steps I know but it's all progress!

I have heard from the factory these ST36 tend to be a little heavy on oil, though I haven't noticed. My next stage will be a complete service, disassembly, cleaning, reassembly and lubrication. Once I get a timegrapher, regulation.

Not having a watch parts washer means manual cleaning. I have heard that 100% IPA is commonly used, being super carful of shellac parts. I may just use pegwood or pithwood for these for the time being. I'm still researching best improvisations for parts washing.

[Nucejoe]

Welcome to the WRT forum. 

 Where do you get 100% ISP from? 

Rgds

[Knebo]

Welcome to the forum @BangDroid. 

Nice introduction! Always good to hear a bit more. 

For cleaning, you'll need also something like naphta/benzine/lighter fluid. IPA is for rinsing afterwards. 

[BangDroid]

On 12/30/2024 at 6:24 AM, Nucejoe said:

Welcome to the WRT forum. 

 Where do you get 100% ISP from? 

Rgds

I have a local solvent supplier that sells IPA, along with other chemicals

[watchweasol]

Hi Rob and welcome to the forum.      Attached a little reading for you

dictionary_ebauches_sa.pdf TM 9-1575.pdf TZIllustratedGlossary.pdf

[BangDroid]

On 12/30/2024 at 7:35 AM, Knebo said:

Welcome to the forum @BangDroid. 

Nice introduction! Always good to hear a bit more. 

For cleaning, you'll need also something like naphta/benzine/lighter fluid. IPA is for rinsing afterwards. 

So in my research I have found a product called Shellite, which is what naphtha is known as in Australia in it's light form, it's considered highly refined and burns very clean. I have a source for this as well as IPA.

Cheers

[BangDroid]

14 minutes ago, watchweasol said:

Hi Rob and welcome to the forum.      Attached a little reading for you

..

Thank you so much that is very appreciated!
I have also ordered a copy of Practical Watch Repairing by Donald De Carle, though it's coming from the UK so could take a while. This looks like solid reading in the meantime.

[Neverenoughwatches]

13 minutes ago, BangDroid said:

So in my research I have found a product called Shellite, which is what naphtha is known as in Australia in it's light form, it's considered highly refined and burns very clean. I have a source for this as well as IPA.

Cheers

Naptha is a common use cleaner for watch parts. It is the main ingredient in lighter fluid which was also at one time very popular for cleaning. IPA is often used for the rinse and water absorption/evaporation cycles as it isn't a particularly good cleaner. You could also give paraffin a try, cheap to buy, has a good creeping and oil/grease dissolving nature. Does not evaporate like naptha and IPA do though, so does require a good method to remove excess fluid from watch parts, spin cycles from a rotary washer or placing on absorbant tissues. 

[Nucejoe]

3 hours ago, BangDroid said:

I have a local solvent supplier that sells IPA, along with other chemicals

  Pure 100% ISP is very expensive, harmful to your health and  not available to the public.

Visit Merckmillipore.com website which is amongst very few companies to supply highly concentrated ISP specifically for industrial use, chemical lab ,,,etc.

I just don't see how a local supplier can be licenced to sell 100% IPS to public.

Rgds