Jump to content

Recommended Posts

Posted

Wow JD, it seems I'm reading minds since I just came from putting the same model in my amazon wish list! Thanks for showing it and clarifying this whole thing! Much appreciated.

 

...ramrod, if the scratches are very deep, you will have to sand too much down and might not be able to either finish it right (not removing the deep scratches completely) and/or making the crystal out of shape...at least that's my interpretation of it, since we are sanding those critters smooth. Still, it would be interesting to see how you fare!

 

Cheers,

 

Bob

Posted

bob - i know what you mean about the crystal getting out of shape. last year i bought another seiko diver and i could tell that it was polished - hard. the surface is all wavy, but there are no scratches. i would think that simple straight line sanding would do the trick. this crystal must have been done mechanically and they weren't consistent with the pressure being placed on the crystal.

Posted

Very true, the way JD illustrated, I see him sanding against a flat surface. Still, if it is too much/deep the scratch, you are risking of "thinning" the crystal....just let's hope for the best! As for me, I'm getting that dremel...experimentation: that's what's all about! :)

  • Like 1
Posted

this would be worth the effort  - if i have the ambition. after looking at it, i think i can get below probably all of these scratches. \on another forum, ausimax (max) had a recipe for polishing glass crystals. i can't put a finger on it, but he was effective in getting some crystals polished out.

if your out there, max, chime in.

Posted

i gotta tell you that is an excellent job. it looks like a new crystal. i just purchased a seiko diver that needs a lot of help with the crystal. i am actually gonna buy a new one, but i'd be interested in trying this method on this crystal. the diver i got has quite a few deep scratches that i think might not polish out.

the deep scratches will polish out if you start with the 240 grip on a drummel. The drum disk.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

  • Like 1
Posted

Hi ramrod,

 

I did a few on Seiko sports 100's they are not too bad to do as the crystal stands proud of the bezel, so you can work them in the case (easier to hold), I have a 4 sided diamond sharpening block 200/300/400 and 600 grit depending on how bad the crystal is , but i usually start at 400 grit and grind out all the marks I can see, then on to 600 grit then I move to wet & dry paper on a sheet of glass and work through 800/1000/1200/1500 grit and finish with 2000 grit, then i polish with a felt buff on the dremel and Brasso.

 

Takes a bit of time and patience but they come up OK and as these are on vintage watches that are not going to be water proof thinning the glass is no real concern, a different matter with an active diver I would go with a new crystal, but for old Seiko's the new original crystal is worth more than the watch.

 

Max

  • Like 1
Posted

Max, your technique is basically what I did with the exception that I was able to get rid of the deap scratches with a drum sanding bit (240 Grit) on the Dremel. Where the crystal has a dome, I did rock it a bit to not flatten the top. It is an acquired skill I think but is worth it. On the diving side, I don't think taking a bit off the top of the crystal makes a difference I the structural integrity of the crystal, unless you dive to 1000 feet or more. Most dives are between 40 and 80 feet...i am an old NAUI certified diver.

From Canada

  • 1 month later...
Posted
On March 11, 2016 at 10:51 AM, jdrichard said:

Ok, revised advice. I took the Crystal once again as there were two small hairline scratches that were just bugging me, and tried to remove them using pumice. That made it worse. Then I used my drumel again and tried to buff out the new scratches; that didn't work. Then I got out the 1200 grit and worked a full sheet of rubbing followed by the 2000 grit and a half sheet of rubbing; THAT WORKED! So new technique should be Drumel with 240 grit drum for the first shooting and major scratches followed by a quick drumel buff with number 6 High Gloss, followed by 1200 grit, Two Sheets of hand rubbing and 2000 Grit 1 sheet of hand rubbing (sanding). DO NOT GO IN CIRCLES while rubbing; back and forth is best. Thanks.c57d3bc465bd728e67c60a8688664877.jpgc80a5f8af13ad56d65617b4a571299ad.jpg

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Hi JD,

My scratches seem to be shallow. Do you think this might work with just a 240 grit paper folloowed 1200 and 2000 grit? Or is the drumel absolutely necessary? 

Thanks, Phil

Posted
Hi JD,

My scratches seem to be shallow. Do you think this might work with just a 240 grit paper folloowed 1200 and 2000 grit? Or is the drumel absolutely necessary? 

Thanks, Phil

Drumel not necessary. Just use 1200 and 2000 if scratches are not deep

  • 7 months later...
Posted

In my experience the only thing that grit 1,200 and 2,000 do to scratches is waste your time, including on a rotary tool. 

Again from experience the best results come with diamond paste on a felt wheel.

Posted

I have tried many methods & all work to a degree. However unless it is a small scratch, if available I just change the crystal.  

  • Like 2
  • 7 months later...
Posted

I see this is a dormant thread. Hope that it's OK  to revive it. 

I've just ordered a set of inexpensive diamond paste syringes from a Chinese (where else?) supplier - 5 grades - and 100 cheap Dremel buffing wheels - which I've found to be very rapidly consumed.  I have a question about handling the crystals. When polishing UBs I use a large dollop of Blu-tack (indispensable tool!) moulded inside the lens and then stuck to a flat work surface. This prevents firing the lens across the room whilst buffing. 

My query is, when diamond paste polishing of mineral glass, using the above fixing method, what is the risk caused by heat build-up?

Roy

  • Recently Browsing

    • No registered users viewing this page.
  • Topics

  • Posts

    • If he was much younger and some sort of sports player it wouldn't be a problem. They would be in there and doing surgery and he'd be back on the field in no time. Unfortunately when you get older little things are bad and big things can be really bad so not good at all.
    • Where I work everything incoming watches whatever detailed descriptions are taken entered into a computer program and photograph of each item. Then ideally although it depends on who's doing the paperwork detailed descriptions can be quite good other times there lacking. Like I really like it with pocket watches if they would record the serial number it avoids confusion later on. Then when watch repairs are completed that is also entered in. It's one of the amusements I learned when I was in school instructor had a shop and commented about the important aspect of keeping detailed records of repairs. Because oftentimes a customer who got a new crystal will come back later on when the watch doesn't work and expect you to fix the entire watch for free. Then you can remind them that they just got a crystal. Strangely enough that keeps coming up or occasionally comes up where I work now. One of the problems of using the service marks on the case is that in the case of pocket watches oftentimes that's not the original case. Then case marks? What I was doing warranty work for a company I used to describe a code number in the back of the case and it would tell me the next time I see the watch that basically what I did I made no attempt at keeping track of customers because we had literally thousands of them I think they sold 30,000 of these watches and they would come back by the hundreds because they had a lifetime warranty. Yes that's a story all of itself but I would put a code number that would reference what was done to the watch the last time and think I had a date in there somehow so it did tell a story if you knew the code. Another shop I once worked out the number would reference the page in the book. So other than knowing we had been in there you would have no idea what happened because you have to go look at the page in the book to see what happened. Then the problem of how you examine a watch you should examine the watch in detail every single time to avoid complications. Although on vintage watches and this is a of amusement I have at work when people ask something and I say of the watches done when it leaves. This is because on vintage oftentimes problems won't show up until the watches much farther into the repair like it's now running and you discover things that you can't discover before because it wasn't running to discover them that also become sometimes difficult to have exact rigid prices are estimates of repairs or in the case of a pocket watch you may not find out if a casing problem to later on when you case it up in the watches running. I was just thinking for all those people that would like to leave a mark maybe you should learn to do what some of the past watchmakers did? Leave a mark but leave it in such a way that no one will ever find it? Typically not done for repair purposes but done for other reasons like identifying it's legit. I have a friend with a Gruen watch and one of the Roman numbers the bottom line that just looks like a line under extreme magnification actually says Gruen watch company or something equivalent. So here's a link showing how to mark your watch without being seen although that's not the actual title. So if you can learn micro engraving you can engrave the watch someplace probably just about any place you just have to remember where you put it. https://cnaluxury.channelnewsasia.com/obsessions/how-to-prove-if-watches-are-authentic-secret-signatures-182516  
    • I have acquired a Citizen Leopard 36000 watch. My reason for purchasing it was my desire to own a timepiece with a 36,000 BPH movement, and the price was reasonable. Another motivating factor was gaining hands-on experience with the mechanism. The watch is in good condition, but I intend to fully disassemble it for maintenance. First and foremost, if anyone has prior experience with this particular model, I would greatly appreciate their insights. I do not have access to Citizen’s specialized lubricants and will need to use the ones available to me, such as 9010, 8000, and 8300 grease. Additionally, I do not possess the appropriate oil for the pallet jewels and will only be able to clean them.
    • Hello all, I am working on an older Valjoux Chrono. It doesn't have a stamp on the movement anywhere but I believe it is a Valjoux 72. I installed the train of wheels and they will not turn. The problem appears to be the 4th wheel and the escape wheel are not interfacing correctly. I had to replace both of these parts as the pivots were broken on each. I sourced genuine Valjoux/ETA replacements. I think the problem is with the escape wheel as all the wheels turn perfectly if I remove just the escape wheel.  My question to those with more Valjoux experience is am I mistaken? Is this some other model altogether and I have the wrong part or parts?    
    • I would remove the wheels, check for damage and if not damaged, clean. 
×
×
  • Create New...