English Lever Pocket Watch - Broken Pivot

[Scouseget]

Hi from sunny Edmonton.

I recently agreed to try to repair a friend's Fusee pocket watch, which has an English Lever movement. Upon disassembly, i found that a pivot was broken on the pallet lever, as can be seen in the accompanying photo. This is minuscule to say the least at 0.17 mm diameter and my question is, is it even feasible for an expert, let alone someone fairly new to this hobby, to attempt to repivot this? I do have a watchmaker's lathe, and even a Jacot Pivot Lathe, and feel reasonably confident in using them but am far from being an expert with either of  them.

Assuming it's even possible, I see lots of complications, such as how do I hold it in the lathe to drill out for the replacement pivot, and is it actually drillable as
I'm guessing it's hardened steel? I'm usually game to try anything but do feel somewhat stymied with this one, so any advice, including "don't even try Roger" will be taken into serious consideration.

Failing repairing the existing lever, anyone have any idea where I could pick up a replacement one, other than in that online auction site we all know and love? How do the pros handle issues like this? 

BTW, the fusee chain was also broken and I was able to repair it with the world's smallest rivet so nothing is insurmountable, given time, patience and money.

Thanks

Roger

[wls1971]

Practice makes perfect and a friends watch is not the best thing to practice on so for this watch I would say dont even try Roger there has been a thread on this forum before about pivot drilling do a search for it. Hardened steel can be cut with carbide pivot drills.

The English lever you have will either have a push fit or screw in pallet shaft if its push fit you could try and turn up a new one on the lathe a screw fit one would be very difficult to make but not impossible.

Edited July 22, 2017 by wls1971

[StuartBaker104]

I'm with wls on this one. Probably best to make a new staff... good practice on your lathe and jacot tool.

If it's a push fit staff then you will be best served with a jewelling press to remove and replace.

[oldhippy]

With these you should be able to push the whole part out. You do not re-pivot these, you simple make the whole piece and push it back in.