- Look mommy I made a mainspring flower.

[jdm]

41 minutes ago, vinn3 said:

thumbs are the way to go,  if you are thin skined or  bleed easly;  use leather gloves.  i forgot to mention "acidic hands"  it could be a problem.   vinn

Try not to use thumbs, it's easy. Left hand keeps coils pressed in the barrel with the flat of the tweezers, right hand (with gloves or finger coats) puts in the spring, and the tweezers follows. Let the tool do the hard contact, not your skin.

 

 

[nicoyenny]

I wind mine by-hand ... guess how I felt the first time I accomplish the utterly impossible job only to find I coiled it backwards

... and that was a 7750 spring, tough little #$%%#!!!

[vinn3]

is there a chart somwhere to tell you  which direction YOUR  watch main spring is wound?  IT IS  possible to get it ALL back  together  AND  still not know  WHATS THE HECK WRONG NOW?   vinn

[jdm]

2 minutes ago, vinn3 said:

is there a chart somwhere to tell you  which direction YOUR  watch main spring is wound?  IT IS  possible to get it ALL back  together  AND  still not know  WHATS THE HECK WRONG NOW?   vinn

A picture before taking things apart would help I think. And if no picture look at the barrel screw if left of right threaded.

Edited July 28, 2016 by jdm

[Marc]

Look at the hook on the main spring arbour.

[clockboy]

As you can see by this guy winding a spring by hand is not easy. I used to use his method but I had lots of failures. Also notice that he does not wear finger cots & I suspect no lubrication has not been applied to the spring. My advise is to bite the bullet and purchase a spring winder.

[Cad101]

I've put so many mainsprings back by hand I bet I'm not far off the speed of a winder I usually get one coil in then press down on top of the spring using alternate thumbs the spring just follows its natural route around the inside its simple when you've done a few.

[Vich]

I seem to manage watches ok but only the once I wound a carriage clock spring in by hand and required safety goggles one leather glove and one poly glove.  I will have to be backed into a corner to repeat the experience.

there are a few examples of videos using the winders or by hand to learn from but you do need some luck as well and the skill will appear eventually. Don't give up though - speaking as someone who has probably made a hash of numerous different parts of a watch over the time I have been tinkering.

Cheers,

Vic

[MrBeat]

One method by hand ive not used in years is placing the arbour in place and holding it very firmly with a pin vice from opposing side of barrel, then with the mainspring hole end fitted to the arbour turn the pin vice to wind the spring in whilst using the tip of your left finger to hold in the primary coil ( using a finger cot of course ). Easier to see in practice than explain in writing but im sure you get the principle  

And help to have a good range of pin vices

[Vich]

Sounds interesting Mr Beat but also seems like you would need three hands.

Cheers,

Vic