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Making a Hampden Balance Staff


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I disassembled a Hampden Pocket Watch and was removing the roller table when I noticed that the roller table has a built in lip where the balance is friction fit on. I was using the wrong technique thinking this was a conventional roller table. Now that i have it all apart, with a small twist in the balance, i need to cut the balance staff on my lathe. Here are the shots and the plan. Will update as i go along.f6147a2366a8d112ce0481928619f900.jpge71bf60fdcc8aefb503ec476e991c42f.jpgc0ea08af4341f98ae250b2ebdf5bef73.jpg9aa6c9d77ab9e9239d903d1c0ac2ac37.jpge7676805b805dac6e3164c99a9410f52.jpg19afd34867432d32cf871bd7870db592.jpgb0d18db1b7db09dab6eceae3b78e8b5f.jpg2fd63e90994a820f5a4af555b817f05e.jpg0036d97b3f6e7f733ee11f57d8d46ef9.jpg

 

 

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Now need to measure the old part at it’s largest diameter and pick the piece of blued steel that i will use6373777cc089dbcedc3158862c1571bd.jpg
This is followed by getting the right collet for the job.b58b64f7ba3b5fb3edd8bcf7eb5ca385.jpgThen i need to fit the stock into the collet and measure about 1/2 inch for the cut off.72cd6e33a7c3d1650e994cbf04846e49.jpg
I then cut the piece that i will use and put it back into the collet and make sure it spins true. This is done bu taking a small piece of peg wood and riding it along the bottom of the stock until it has no wobble. I am then ready to cut it down to the first diameter.
a4a9d474038056d05017deea3ee062d4.jpg
I prep the stock and get ready to measure the first cut.


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That sure is a different sort of roller-table setup. I'm not a huge fan of Hampdens, but they do have some nice pocket-watches. Since I only have a couple of them, I haven't bought the book that is available for them. That said, it might be more for collectors than watchmakers, so it may not have mentioned this design.

The images look good. I look forward to watching your progress. I have a 18s 23J Hampden Special Railway that needs to have a staff turned for it. You might just motivate me to sharpen some gravers and have at it. Thanks for sharing. Good luck.

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That sure is a different sort of roller-table setup. I'm not a huge fan of Hampdens, but they do have some nice pocket-watches. Since I only have a couple of them, I haven't bought the book that is available for them. That said, it might be more for collectors than watchmakers, so it may not have mentioned this design.
The images look good. I look forward to watching your progress. I have a 18s 23J Hampden Special Railway that needs to have a staff turned for it. You might just motivate me to sharpen some gravers and have at it. Thanks for sharing. Good luck.

Just need to dig in and start cutting. I don’t really like the design and the double roller: safety, just barely fits on the top of the staff.


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I have often wondered why Hampton named their watches so close to Hamilton.  vin

Marketing angle. It is a nicely made piece. The roller table has a large diameter for an S12 movement. Also need to shellac the impulse jewel back on as it was lose so i removed it.


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55 minutes ago, jdrichard said:


Marketing angle. It is a nicely made piece. The roller table has a large diameter for an S12 movement. Also need to shellac the impulse jewel back on as it was lose so i removed it.


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having worked on both, I find Hamilton superior.

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So in this step, I cut back the stock for the Roller Table; remember that the Balance Is also friction fit onto the roller table. I fit the table in by hand and left just enough diameter to friction fit the roller table.719b7f42cfd0b709fd3e74e300a632c6.jpg
1ff61f2a506de9468ae46796d856a133.jpg
Then I took the original part and placed it up against the new part to determine where the largest diameter ends and where the safety roller fits
476697025ce9ef1bd2f8f8d0603a4460.jpg
The next step was finishing the upper pivot on the hair spring side. I measured the old balance staff pivot using my pivot gauge ruler.09e5765e49de2d2a1e26787707fa704b.jpgIt fit nicely into a .12 millimeter jewel hole. Then I worked on the pivot with a ruby stone to shave it down to .15 mm, leaving enough for the Jacot Tool burnishing and sizing.76a5d8156f3fef6b3704e262f4289309.jpgf91f3b44c1e47093d75e6ca8cd0b9e65.jpg778ab4ad0f01050b3aaf00385c953afd.jpgThe last job was to work the inside pivot a bit before cutting off the balance staff and reversing it in the lathe.7e01fcdc92596d440c96f26bd6737ff0.jpg
Again, my setup. Will finish the other pivot tomorrow. And then Jacot heaven.9dbd87cce9446222f5ad43566f93a4da.jpg4322a2453f1040697c94399ba21a5cce.jpg


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Flipped the staff around in the lathe and started working on the other side 9684781528680c0adca46845b1f8b8e2.jpg
Once i finished the pivot, i started polishing it down to .15mm with a ruby stone.9ef2f06fd2d50df893761a2e0d1fd8b1.jpg
It is now ready for installing the table and Balance and then to the Jacot for final pivot work.
036b31949f5fb3f5ed622d6b537d107c.jpg
Oh, I also did a trial fit of the pivot on the movement; lower balance Jewel. Needs to go down in diameter.1793b5c6222901baa5ed5b84b102cd45.jpg


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  • 11 months later...
I'll be happy to move this thread to "repair walkthrough" as it get completed with more detailed steps and pictures.




Flipped the staff around in the lathe and started working on the other side 9684781528680c0adca46845b1f8b8e2.jpg&key=477334afafb5e5d792f27537818a15be00c2d435848ac04cb6aa46732d0cf8f1
Once i finished the pivot, i started polishing it down to .15mm with a ruby stone.9ef2f06fd2d50df893761a2e0d1fd8b1.jpg&key=904e103a1e8be505a7b6cf381025e60e846041c05fdb72db4d088debf1d29be5
It is now ready for installing the table and Balance and then to the Jacot for final pivot work.
036b31949f5fb3f5ed622d6b537d107c.jpg&key=8626c2ae06583cfef9729da9a6fbb0c4bcce59000416ca62d935079c316751c7
Oh, I also did a trial fit of the pivot on the movement; lower balance Jewel. Needs to go down in diameter.1793b5c6222901baa5ed5b84b102cd45.jpg&key=00b5c040f87b5f2d9038bce0c6e73df2deed7b54bf9fd70d5e40909faef8b525


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You should probably move it to watch repair howto

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