Goliath Balance Problems.

[Geo]

I came across these pictures of what turned out to be my trickiest job.........ever!

The watch is a Goliath pocket watch and the problems were:-

Staff broken at one end.

Hairspring distorted and contaminated with super glue.

Being a Goliath, I thought the staff might just be large enough to allow me to make a repair by re-pivoting, after all the shaft was 1mm diameter. So decision made, I dug out my watchmakers lathe, some pivot steel and a 0.5mm carbide drill. It was more than fiddly to make, but I did succeed on my second attempt.

The first thing I did was to strip down the balance wheel and leave the hairspring soaking in acetone to dissolve the superglue that was binding the spring. I then mounted the wheel complete with staff still attached into the lathe and bored out the end of the shaft. It was a bit like mating hedgehogs! That done I turned down a piece of hard pivot steel using a carbide tool before polishing and fitting to the jewel. I decided to turn the steel when in the hard state to save me the bother of softening it and then having to harden and temper it.

The new pinion was then fitted to the staff. To ensure correct alignment, the staff was held in the headstock of the lathe and the new pinion in the tail stock. I applied a tiny drop of Loctite 386 high strength retaining compound to the hole in the staff then slid the pinion into the hole by sliding the tail stock along the lathe bed. When cured the pinion was rock solid and in perfect alignment.

Now I turned my at tensions to the hairspring. The acetone had done the trick, the spring was now perfectly clean. I pushed and pulled, prodded and twisted and eventually managed to get the spring back in shape.

I now fitted the spring to the staff in its original position and fitted the assembly to the balance cock. This assembly was then fitted back into the movement, and started to tick away quite nicely. After minor adjustment, it is holding about eight seconds a day.

Here are few pictures, the last picture shows the watch running, hence the blurred balance wheel.

[matabog]

I'm in the wrong forum! I thought we were bragging about striping and cleaning and putting back a basic simple watch...

 

 

...chronographs, moon phase, and now staff rebuilding... oh come on!  I QUIT!

 

:)

B

p.s. I'll just stick to reading and asking stupid questions!

[Mark]

I'm in the wrong forum! I thought we were bragging about striping and cleaning and putting back a basic simple watch...

 

 

...chronographs, moon phase, and now staff rebuilding... oh come on!  I QUIT!

 

:)

B

p.s. I'll just stick to reading and asking stupid questions!

 

No you won't - this forum is for all levels.

I demand that you contribute whatever you like (in the context of Horology) :D

 

Well done George - cracking job mate!

[Geo]

Definitely no bragging Bogdan, it's just a wee story of how I got around a problem. I do what I do and just hope I can help someone in the process. :-)

Edited September 16, 2014 by Geo

[matabog]

I wasn't saying you were bragging, Geo, sorry for misunderstanding. I was referring to me - "I thought we were bragging about striping and cleaning and putting back a basic simple watch". (a little self irony)

 

We are learning to fish, and you are hunting whales.

 

And of course I was kidding. Of course I will spam you with obvious beginner stuff...

Edited September 16, 2014 by matabog

[Mark]

I think anybody who can strip and put back together a watch, even if mistakes are made, no matter what level they are on deserves a pat on the back - its not an easy job :)

[Geo]

Absolutely no offence taken Bogdan, keep up the good work and good banter!

[matabog]

I would like to also work on lathes and broaches and washing machines, but I am still talking about a hobby with limited time (10pm - 3am), funds and a very, very small WAF (WAF is the international unit measure for Wife Acceptance Factor)

[Mark]

Surely you only need to work on washing machines when the wife tells you it's broken :)

[Don]

Very impressive and inspiring. Thanks for sharing. One thing I like about this hobby is that there are so many levels to it. Some may just like to mod watches with new hands and dials, some want to learn to service their own watches and some to make and repair parts. There's a lot of enjoyment to be had at every level.

[bobm12]

I second Don, exactly my thoughts, and great job there Geo! If I'm not mistaken you just fixed a Breget overcoil! Way to go!

[autowind]

Well done Geo,  another piece of our history saved from the bin.  You will be moving on to springing and timing next.   :thumbsu:

[Vich]

Outstanding work George well done indeed