My First Staking Set Advice

[Birbdad]

2 minutes ago, Waggy said:

I got a Chinese set for about $100 and have used it a few times and very happy - so if you don't get the one on eBay this may be an option for you - check out thread Quality Chinese Tools on this forum

When it comes to tools, especially with this so far i'm finding there's certain things that cheaping out on ends up costing me more. Best i can tell a staking set to a watchmaker is like like a drill press to a fine woodworker. It does a million things and it needs to do them well so i'm thinking i should just go for it with a decent one but yeah i'm on a limited budget. 

I'm probably not gonna go to watchmaking school for over a year so i got a lot of time to keep scouring the bay for deals. This seemed like a great find so i jumped on it. If i don't get it that sucks but i'll keep lookin.

 

 

3 minutes ago, Neverenoughwatches said:

Haha. As far as i know the Boley is a good make but maybe not the best. If i was serious about a career in watch repair i would want the best i could get and in a complete condition.  Plenty here that can advice you much better than i can what to buy . Earlier this week i could kick myself for holding back on price with a very complete production lathe. It went for 50 more than my top bid yet i originally planned to go higher than it sold for .  For starters the staking set will replace you a broken balance staff which is a common issue. I dont think there is anything else that can install one. 

Interesting. I was seeing posts here listing them alongside bergeon as some of the better ones. I assume the stakes can be bought separately. This seems to be an almost complete set i imagine i can just add whatever is missing in the coming years as i need it.

 

 

1 minute ago, Waggy said:

Used my set for closing up the hole in the barrel bridge where there is too much play in the barrel arbor/bridge. Worked a treat and really improved amplitude. Chronoglide have an excellent video tutorial (look up 'hammertime' on their youtube channel) on the best way to do this with your staking set.

Yeah i've seen that. Love chronoglide's channel. I wonder if i could drive out brass posts from seiko bridges and replace them with less beat up ones with one. THey look like they're just friction fit.

[Neverenoughwatches]

38 minutes ago, Birbdad said:

was seeing posts here listing them alongside bergeon as some of the better ones. I assume the stakes can be bought separately

Marshall and K and D are also highly rated. If like me you will probably buy another and then another and end up with 2 or 3 different makes . But as far as this one goes , i would be watching it if it were for sale in theUK. 

[Birbdad]

13 minutes ago, Neverenoughwatches said:

Marshall and K and D are also highly rated. If like me you will probably buy another and then another and end up with 2 or 3 different makes . But as far as this one goes , i would be watching it if it were for sale in theUK. 

The seller in the notes said something about how they hate the UK and everybody in it and your beer and curry is bland and flavorless so uh....yeah don't look for it and definitely don't bid on it
that said there's a marshall set on there as well for 145 with the wooden box but it's missing well over half of the stakes.

Also i saw talk elsewhere about how these boley sets can function as a jeweling tool with an option add on.  That is very interesting if true...

Edited March 8, 2023 by Birbdad

[Neverenoughwatches]

4 minutes ago, Birbdad said:

The seller in the notes said something about how they hate the UK and everybody in it and your beer and curry is bland and flavorless so uh....yeah don't look for it and definitely don't bid on it
that said there's a marshall set on there as well for 145 with the wooden box but it's missing well over half of the stakes.

Also i saw talk elsewhere about how these boley sets can function as a jeweling tool with an option add on.  That is very interesting if true...

Haha fortunately i don't drink beer and can cook an amazing curry, I'm also happy with my Star set for the time being so dont panic lol. I dont think i would get the Marshall set if its your first. Thats going to hold you up on projects while you search to complete it. A lot more expensive doing it that way as well. Stripping down a set is where sellers make more money. Like the lathe i missed out on. Separately the lathe and accessories would  double its total value. I've seen a few dual purpose staking/jewelling tools, i would probably buy one though ( me  being a tool geek ) i always think each seperate tool has its own purpose. Something designed to do two jobs is going to do twice the amount of work. And can it do the job as well as something specifically designed for its purpose ? Like a washer/dryer, if one side of its function breaks then how will that affect the other side of its function?.   I hope you get it at a good price Col, it usually comes down to luck ,how many want it and how much money they want to part with. If you are up against half a dozen Yorkshire men then you are laughing mate . 

[Birbdad]

11 minutes ago, Neverenoughwatches said:

Haha fortunately i don't drink beer and can cook an amazing curry, I'm also happy with my Star set for the time being so dont panic lol. I dont think i would get the Marshall set if its your first. Thats going to hold you up on projects while you search to complete it. A lot more expensive doing it that way as well. Stripping down a set is where sellers make more money. Like the lathe i missed out on. Separately the lathe and accessories would  double its total value. I've seen a few dual purpose staking/jewelling tools, i would probably buy one though ( me  being a tool geek ) i always think each seperate tool has its own purpose. Something designed to do two jobs is going to do twice the amount of work. And can it do the job as well as something specifically designed for its purpose ? Like a washer/dryer, if one side of its function breaks then how will that affect the other side of its function?.   I hope you get it at a good price Col, it usually comes down to luck ,how many want it and how much money they want to part with. If you are up against half a dozen Yorkshire men then you are laughing mate . 

Great now I want curry.

But yeah, i hope i get it assuming it is a good one. are stakes for these things sortof a standardized thing? LIke can i buy another brand of stakes and it will fit this one? I think you said you hav ea few, are all the stakes interchangeable? I saw a few posts pointing out some other models did not use the same stakes as others but they looked to be REAL old and maybe more for clocks or something. 

Here's a pic of the marshall

Edited March 8, 2023 by Birbdad

[Neverenoughwatches]

14 minutes ago, Birbdad said:

Great now I want curry.

But yeah, i hope i get it assuming it is a good one. are stakes for these things sortof a standardized thing? LIke can i buy another brand of stakes and it will fit this one? I think you said you hav ea few, are all the stakes interchangeable? I saw a few posts pointing out some other models did not use the same stakes as others but they looked to be REAL old and maybe more for clocks or something. 

Here's a pic of the marshall

I know there is some interchangability on different brands, i dont know which though. Mine has 4.7mm stakes which is a pretty standard. But a couple of hundredths of a mm might make a difference, which is why i think a complete original set as possible is the way to go. You could ask to see the centering stake, its the most used to accurately line up the base holes with the punch holder. Mine was quite worn so it makes it a little awkward when using the small holes in the base.

[Birbdad]

1 hour ago, Neverenoughwatches said:

I know there is some interchangability on different brands, i dont know which though. Mine has 4.7mm stakes which is a pretty standard. But a couple of hundredths of a mm might make a difference, which is why i think a complete original set as possible is the way to go. You could ask to see the centering stake, its the most used to accurately line up the base holes with the punch holder. Mine was quite worn so it makes it a little awkward when using the small holes in the base.

I get the feeling the seller doesn't know much about this stuff. It's the wife of a deceased watchmaker.....man are there a lot of those

It does say that some of the stakes say Boley and some say K&D so it does look like there is some compatability. 

[Neverenoughwatches]

34 minutes ago, Birbdad said:

It's the wife of a deceased watchmaker.....man are there a lot of those

Thats very possibly due to the combination of having a wife and an obsession with repairing watches. Choose one or the other to live longer.

[Birbdad]

12 minutes ago, Neverenoughwatches said:

Thats very possibly due to the combination of having a wife and an obsession with repairing watches. Choose one or the other to live longer.

Long as i'm not screwing things up i find watch repair to be very zen. those 3 repairs and services inbetween my current and first project were an absolute joy hehe

[Birbdad]

So i got outbid. There's now a K&D incomplete set in the same price range that allows offers. 

Then there's also this OTHER k&d one that comes with an additional staking tool. Bidding is super low....

Wow there's a lot that got relisted recently or didnt' come up in my search. 
Another vintage K&D

[LittleWatchShop]

I have two of these.  Not sure how best to use it...so I don't.

I picked up a Marshall LIttle Giant over a year ago at a local vintage resale shop.  I was shocked to see it there. Got it for $60

Just keep trying on ebay...eventually, you will get a good one at a decent price.

[Birbdad]

40 minutes ago, LittleWatchShop said:

I have two of these.  Not sure how best to use it...so I don't.

I picked up a Marshall LIttle Giant over a year ago at a local vintage resale shop.  I was shocked to see it there. Got it for $60

Just keep trying on ebay...eventually, you will get a good one at a decent price.

My main issue is that i guess i'm n ot sure what's a good one. Are all staking sets more or less the same in function? I did see talk about some taking different sized stakes. I guess my main concern is ending up with a staking set that uses some obsolete vintage stake width or something. If somebody who knows more than me sees any of those ones i posted as being particularly good please let me know so i can bid. 

I see on yours now what people were talking about how you could reverse the stakes. That seems like a feature i would want.....  

[LittleWatchShop]

3 minutes ago, Birbdad said:

reverse the stakes.

Useful, but not critical. K&D calls this "inverto." Marshall, or K&D are superb brands.

[Birbdad]

5 minutes ago, LittleWatchShop said:

Useful, but not critical. K&D calls this "inverto." Marshall, or K&D are superb brands.

Good to know. Sounds like any of the options i've posted would be fine for the right price i guess. placed a low bid on the double set. I too am curious what that second tool is.

[LittleWatchShop]

Marshall stakes are compatible with K&D BTW. Numbering is different however.

[Birbdad]

7 minutes ago, LittleWatchShop said:

Marshall stakes are compatible with K&D BTW. Numbering is different however.

What about modern production stakes from like bergeon or horia? 

[SpringMangler]

7 hours ago, Birbdad said:

What about modern production stakes from like bergeon or horia? 

I have a K&D set and the new Bergeon stakes are compatible. 

[Birbdad]

33 minutes ago, SpringMangler said:

I have a K&D set and the new Bergeon stakes are compatible. 

Ok, that is good to know. Also for what it's worth the seller of the Boley set that many of the stakes were labeled K&D so i'm assuming that means both k&d and boley and bergeon are all taking the same size stakes. 

[Birbdad]

Finally won one for a good price. Marshall staking set, nearly complete for 175

[LittleWatchShop]

3 minutes ago, Birbdad said:

Finally won one for a good price. Marshall staking set, nearly complete for 175

You will likely go to jail for theft!!  That is an unbelievable price

[RichardHarris123]

9 minutes ago, Birbdad said:

Finally won one for a good price. Marshall staking set, nearly complete for 175

A good price indeed. 

[Birbdad]

5 minutes ago, LittleWatchShop said:

You will likely go to jail for theft!!  That is an unbelievable price

Yeah of this specific model iv'e bid on two and they were less complete and went for almost 400.

[LittleWatchShop]

7 minutes ago, Birbdad said:

complete and went for almost 400

What I have found on ebay is that you must be persistent...constantly monitor and you can get lucky...day of week, time of day, coincident with some national news...distractions that give you the edge.  I have had some lucky buys...and some not so lucky ones too!!

Two of my sets are Marshall, I think...at least one of them is.  Everything is cross compatible in my sets.  You are gonna have some fun!!

[Birbdad]

22 minutes ago, LittleWatchShop said:

What I have found on ebay is that you must be persistent...constantly monitor and you can get lucky...day of week, time of day, coincident with some national news...distractions that give you the edge.  I have had some lucky buys...and some not so lucky ones too!!

Two of my sets are Marshall, I think...at least one of them is.  Everything is cross compatible in my sets.  You are gonna have some fun!!

Yeah it's just in time too. For my current project the correct rotor on the movement is a bit loose and seiko has instructions on how to swap out the bearings with a staking set to tighten it up.

Edited March 24, 2023 by Birbdad

[Jon]

3 hours ago, RichardHarris123 said:

A good price indeed. 

Well done! A good looking staking tool