Hairspring vibrator use

[jdrichard]

How does one use a hairspring vibrator like this one?

 

 

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[oldhippy]

I'm thinking this is incomplete. This is how the tool works. I copied this for you. Whe you read it you will understand why I think something is missing.

A hairspring vibrating tool is used to fit a new hairspring into a watch. The new spring, which is much longer than needed, is fitted to the old balance, and "pinned " at a trial location toward the outer end, where the watchmaker estimates the correct length of the new spring to be. The height of the balance/new spring is adjusted so that the lower balance pivot is lightly touching the glass cover. There is a master balance carefully calibrated to vibrate at 18,000 beats/hour, mounted under the glass in the base of the tool. Both balances are rotated an equal number of degrees from the rest position, and released simultaneously. The watchmaker observes both balances to see if the trial spring balance oscillates slower or faster than the master balance. The trial pinning position is then adjusted to make the balance run faster or slower as needed and the process is repeated until the two balances rotate together at the same (18,000 beats/hour) rate. The new spring is then cut to length so that the correct "pinning" position will fall between the two index pins when the regulator is in the middle of its fast/slow range.

[JohnR725]

To understand what is missing image is attached. Then I like the paragraph it seems so simple unlike the reality of actually doing it.

[oldhippy]

I have never seen one without a mirror. That is why I think its incomplete.

[jdrichard]

This was from a watchmaker's catalog. No glass, just the image shown. I purchased the spring holding arm and am going to build the rest. I guess I could place a movement under the hairspring and place a glass plate over the movement and then match the bph

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[jdrichard]

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[oldhippy]

That would be a nice project.

[JohnR725]

Horological tool catalogs are interesting source of information. I have some additional images showing your tool. So one version with the instructions basically does it exactly the way you say except it has a notch for the glass. So you can easily put the watch below glass on top exactly as you describe and they give you instructions which seem so friendly and nice. Then there's another version where the dial side is up and I seen this before and I'm going by hazy memory. Basically you can either count the oscillations of your balance wheel and reference it to the watch.  Then there's the other method where you left the balance wheel up just a little more than you would have in the first method and each time the balance swings it will actually lift up and come down and make a ticking sound. So you can count the ticking sent or I've seen this in reference to timing machines you can input this the timing machine by attaching a pickup and reading it off the timing machine.

Then interesting timing for this discussion. The images I have come out of a really nice book that I thought was out of print and the first link gives you an example of what it goes for. So the timing is interesting in that Saturday I was at a meeting where somebody was showing the book purchased for $100 plus shipping. So two separate sources same price first is a relative as they have the same last name the author died about 10 years ago. The second is a really interesting website and she makes it much easier order. I suspect though if you're out of the country shipping will be a little more and this is a really heavy Book. Then the reason why at least we thought the meeting the book is so cheap is that they were probably in a warehouse someplace as it was a private printing.

https://www.amazon.com/Horological-Shop-Tools-1700-1900/dp/0960488804

 

https://www.tedcrombooks.com/

https://mechanicalcurios.com/horological-books-more/

[Watcher]

18 hours ago, jdrichard said:

How does one use a hairspring vibrator like this one?

By using a stopwatch. For 18000bph count 50 oscillations in 20 seconds and you are there - near ebnough to start with. And if you are below or above the good time you will know which way to move. More difficult when comparing with a vibrating balance wheel.

Edited May 14, 2018 by Watcher

[jdrichard]

By using a stopwatch. For 18000bph count 50 oscillations in 20 seconds and you are there - near ebnough to start with. And if you are below or above the good time you will know which way to move. More difficult when comparing with a vibrating balance wheel.

Thanks for the tip


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[jdrichard]

Horological tool catalogs are interesting source of information. I have some additional images showing your tool. So one version with the instructions basically does it exactly the way you say except it has a notch for the glass. So you can easily put the watch below glass on top exactly as you describe and they give you instructions which seem so friendly and nice. Then there's another version where the dial side is up and I seen this before and I'm going by hazy memory. Basically you can either count the oscillations of your balance wheel and reference it to the watch.  Then there's the other method where you left the balance wheel up just a little more than you would have in the first method and each time the balance swings it will actually lift up and come down and make a ticking sound. So you can count the ticking sent or I've seen this in reference to timing machines you can input this the timing machine by attaching a pickup and reading it off the timing machine.
Then interesting timing for this discussion. The images I have come out of a really nice book that I thought was out of print and the first link gives you an example of what it goes for. So the timing is interesting in that Saturday I was at a meeting where somebody was showing the book purchased for $100 plus shipping. So two separate sources same price first is a relative as they have the same last name the author died about 10 years ago. The second is a really interesting website and she makes it much easier order. I suspect though if you're out of the country shipping will be a little more and this is a really heavy Book. Then the reason why at least we thought the meeting the book is so cheap is that they were probably in a warehouse someplace as it was a private printing.
https://www.amazon.com/Horological-Shop-Tools-1700-1900/dp/0960488804
 
https://www.tedcrombooks.com/
https://mechanicalcurios.com/horological-books-more/

Wow. Big thanks for this reply. I will look at purchasing the book and most likely used the watch under glass technique.


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[marcoskaiser]

Did you build the tool, jdrichards?

Is this tool of any interest? I wonder how the roller would be used. It’s beautiful...


https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.com%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F273335752187

[nickelsilver]

The roller pinches the hairspring end against a groove in the smaller rod. That rod can be turned with the upper knob, which feeds the hairspring through the groove and roller. Very handy as you aren't constantly manipulating the spring with tweezers, and the same design was used by Greiner on their old stroboscopic (and current) vibrating machines. It can be sketchy to use with very small hairsprings like under 7 ligne.

[marcoskaiser]

The roller pinches the hairspring end against a groove in the smaller rod. That rod can be turned with the upper knob, which feeds the hairspring through the groove and roller. Very handy as you aren't constantly manipulating the spring with tweezers, and the same design was used by Greiner on their old stroboscopic (and current) vibrating machines. It can be sketchy to use with very small hairsprings like under 7 ligne.

Thanks! I just missed one part: it is used to make a hairspring (like from a flat piece of metal) or to fix one already bent?

[nickelsilver]

5 minutes ago, marcoskaiser said:

Thanks! I just missed one part: it is used to make a hairspring (like from a flat piece of metal) or to fix one already bent?

It's used with preformed hairsprings. It doesn't alter the curve of the coil, just the active length.