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Finding Bits I've Dropped

mwilkes

By mwilkes
in Watch Repairs Help & Advice

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mwilkes WRT Addict

mwilkes

Posted
Posted

I've discovered an excellent way of finding bits I've dropped, such as incabloc jewels: after crawling around until my knees hurt, simply order them from Cousins, paying extra for speedy delivery. Magically the dropped part will appear behind your microscope, where you looked before.

Sigh.

If anyone needs an upper incabloc 1347, gimme a shout - I'll have a spare on Wednesday...

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WillFly Distinguished Member

WillFly

Posted
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Ha - my sympathies! I was changing a watch strap t'other day and the pin slipped out of the strap and plinked on to the floor... Luckily, in wristwatch terms, a strap pin is pretty big, and I spotted it straightaway.

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autowind Distinguished Member

autowind

Posted
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Spent many a happy hour on all fours trying to find something that`s invisibly small.  A nice bright led flashlight is a big help, as is a telescopic magnet (although not much use for jewels).  I noticed on videos of the American watch factories that some of the workers wore an apron with a neck loop,  the other end was fixed to the workbench,  this would help in catching runaway parts.

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Lee WRT Addict

Lee

Posted
Posted

I've found using a horsehair shoe brush which is dense in bristles and soft, so things don't ping about a great sweeper to draw tiny "things" into a pile great for aiding the recovery of such "things" lol

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  • 3 weeks later...
Karimn40 New Member

Karimn40

Posted
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There was one student in my class who lost an escape wheel and did use a magnet, check the apron and still couldn't find it. He had a large beard and wouldn't you know the escape wheel fell out of his beard. True story

I apologize for not introducing myself earlier. My name is Karim Noorani and I live in Fresno California. I am in to watch repair as a hobby.

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Vich Distinguished Member

Vich

Posted
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Hello Karim and welcome,

 

I am as bald as the veritable coot without a beard but to compensate I have a moustache.  I shall now check it first before getting on my knees.

 

Cheers,

 

Vich

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Geo Distinguished Member

Geo

Posted
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had a spring ping into the "black hole", days later, putting on socks, that had been through the wash and on the garden line. There it was, embedded in the weave of the sock...... :)

Looks like you need a new washing machine then! :-)

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canthus Super WRT Addict

canthus

Posted
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I have a polished length of steel and attach 2 small (25mm dia) powerful magnets I rescued from the closure flap of a gift box!!  Easy to sweep large areas, and then go through the 'rubbish' with an eyeglass. 

 

For non-metals I use short length of duct tape (Gaffer tape) which is very sticky and again sweep/dab the areas with this and inspect with eyeglass. 

 

I used duct tape to find a cap jewel (took several pieces and much time!), checked pieces several times and found nothing except some pinkish fibre blobs. Angry and frustrated I decided to give up and try and source one elewhere, but ever the optimist I decided to check the tapes one last time before I binned them!  Joy and relief to see the jewel on the 2nd (of 8) strip of tape, which I must have missed several times or thought it to be some of the pinkish fibre,  I did have a clean floor and bench though!! 

 

However some parts still vanish for ever!!!!

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