Oiling advice

[PeterS]

I’m back on track after several weeks of waiting for my oil pots to be replaced that arrived faulty.

I have couple of questions before I start oiling:

What’s the ideal way to clean oil pots? I’d imagine standard wipes most households would have would leave some residue? Rodico can be a little sticky…

Which oilers are the most used oilers? I know that this will depend on the size of the movements, jewels and other factors. I’m looking for a rough idea not to pick up bad habits, which oilers to use for certain tasks, which oilers not use.
I have the Bergeon ergonomic oilers 0.18, 0.24, 0.32 and 0.45

[Tmuir]

I don't know what other people do, do I wipe them out first with household paper towels, then watch paper, which is just lint free paper, and finally I press some old rodico into it to remove any fibers from the papers.

Other than for applying grease to the barrels I usually just use me smallest oiler for everything else on watches.

To get an idea if you are applying too much oil assemble and oil a watch, wear it for a week and then strip it down.

If you see oil has crept all over the place you have used too much and use less next time.

I never realised I was over oiling until I stripped down a watch I had previously serviced when first starting.

[oldhippy]

I used to wash them out in hot water with washing up liquid. Then dry in tissue paper. When it comes to oilers the finest, which was black escapement/ small pivots, green bigger pivots, red for oiling mainsprings, yellow for grease.    

[PeterS]

Thank you for the advice. I'll crack on with it.
As for cleaning the pots, I think I’m only going to be able to wipe them, not wash, then tissue and rodico. They are Bergeon agate in die cast and I’m guessing the reservoirs are glued to the die cast.

[oldhippy]

This is the type I had. There rather old.

 

[PeterS]

I went for these. Heavy base, individual lids and all in one place.

[oldhippy]

There nice.

[PeterS]

The size of the wells, are they different for the amount of oil needed or for viscosity?
I’d be tempted to put them in the order (Moebius), 9415, 9010, D5 and 9501 (smallest to largest well). Thinner oils in the smaller ones and thicker in the larger ones.

[oldhippy]

11 hours ago, PeterS said:

The size of the wells, are they different for the amount of oil needed or for viscosity?
I’d be tempted to put them in the order (Moebius), 9415, 9010, D5 and 9501 (smallest to largest well). Thinner oils in the smaller ones and thicker in the larger ones.

 

You can see they are different. I would say your assumption is correct.   

[PeterS]

8 hours ago, oldhippy said:

 

You can see they are different. I would say your assumption is correct.   

I thought so but I didn’t want to make an assumption

[vinn3]

Quote

 

I prefer  the old "single pots"  or - equilevant (sp).  it depends on the COST of the "oil drop" placed in it.  if properly stored, oil will last till used up.  vin

[PeterS]

This is tricky. I’m struggling to see what I’m doing when I’m oiling. I certainly have to use a magnifier, I have x4 and x12 and light is 6000 K. Oiling metal parts is not so bad but pivot holes I can’t see a thing. The oiler tips are so small that I have to use the magnifier as well when I’m dipping it in the oil pots to see what I’m doing, judging distances is almost impossible with the magnifiers… Everything was going well until I started oiling.
It all looks easy watching videos that are magnified but I’m lost how to do this properly. How do you set yourselves up for oiling?

[oldhippy]

10x for inspection and escapement oiling is the normal, you can get a higher strength. It all depends on your eyes.

These days I would need the highest strength, I’m as blind as a bat when it comes to small objects. What I used to repair, now I can't even see.

[PeterS]

The 4x is definitely not enough for oiling, for me. The 12x is good but I’m too close and I’m somewhat blocking the light. When I unscrew the smaller lens from the 12x it is better, somewhere between the 4x and 12x. Oiling the jewels is what’s giving me a headache. I’m moving the lamp up and down, back and forth, dimming it, whatever I do there are always reflections somewhere and I can’t see it clearly. I think it’s the light I need to get right to be able to see it properly but I’m struggling to get it right.

[PeterS]

31 minutes ago, PeterS said:

The 4x is definitely not enough for oiling, for me. The 12x is good but I’m too close and I’m somewhat blocking the light. When I unscrew the smaller lens from the 12x it is better, somewhere between the 4x and 12x. Oiling the jewels is what’s giving me a headache. I’m moving the lamp up and down, back and forth, dimming it, whatever I do there are always reflections somewhere and I can’t see it clearly. I think it’s the light I need to get right to be able to see it properly but I’m struggling to get it right.

 

It's No. 4 - 2.5 Mag, not 4x mag. I have 2.5x and 12x

[transporter]

I do nearly all my work on x5 then x8 for tricky stuff, as for oiling it come with practice, remember if using a x10 loup you have a 1" work space between the loup and the work. Keep at it it comes quite quickly ok.

[VWatchie]

5 hours ago, PeterS said:

This is tricky. I’m struggling to see what I’m doing when I’m oiling. I certainly have to use a magnifier, I have x4 and x12 and light is 6000 K. Oiling metal parts is not so bad but pivot holes I can’t see a thing. The oiler tips are so small that I have to use the magnifier as well when I’m dipping it in the oil pots to see what I’m doing, judging distances is almost impossible with the magnifiers… Everything was going well until I started oiling.
It all looks easy watching videos that are magnified but I’m lost how to do this properly. How do you set yourselves up for oiling?

 

1

1

I was there a year ago, and very, very frustrated. The solution came in the form of a stereomicroscope. I can't remember the cost exactly, but it was somewhere around $300 with shipping from the US to Sweden. I consider my stereomicroscope alongside my tweezers and screwdrivers indispensable. I just can't do without it!

You can read my mini-review of my stereomicroscope here, and if you're interested, read the entire thread where I in the first post express my frustration over not being able to see what I'm doing and what I'm accomplishing when trying to oil those tiny jewel bearings and pallets.

Good luck!

Edited June 23, 2018 by VWatchie

[PeterS]

I kept adding oil as I couldn’t see the ‘shiny ring’ and the cup shaped jewels were not filling up in the well. My feeling was the oil was going down on the pinion so I took the bridge off and I was right. Probably because I kept moving the pivot with tweezers trying to see the oil.
Maybe I need to put decent amount of oil on the oiler instead of small amounts several times.
I’ll keep trying, I’ll get there eventually.

The microscope would be nice but I’m at a stage when I need more basic tools to be able to proceed. For example mainspring winders, painful but inevitable. I’d like to think that Transporter is right and I’ll get there quickly if I keep trying.

[oldhippy]

You do not fill the oil sink. The sink is made in such a way as to stop the oil from overflowing. A little oil is all that is needed.

[VWatchie]

1 hour ago, PeterS said:

I kept adding oil as I couldn’t see the ‘shiny ring’ and the cup shaped jewels were not filling up in the well. My feeling was the oil was going down on the pinion so I took the bridge off and I was right. Probably because I kept moving the pivot with tweezers trying to see the oil.
Maybe I need to put decent amount of oil on the oiler instead of small amounts several times.
I’ll keep trying, I’ll get there eventually.

 

The microscope would be nice but I’m at a stage when I need more basic tools to be able to proceed. For example mainspring winders, painful but inevitable. I’d like to think that Transporter is right and I’ll get there quickly if I keep trying.

 

As you already know, you should use an extremely small amount of oil in the pivot holes (jewel bearings). It should only be like a thin ring on a finger. Over-oiling is by far the most common error when you're new. I did it too, thinking that if a small amount of oil is good, then more oil must be better, like beer!

Anyway, to much oil will not only contaminate the rest of the movement but also degrade performance by creating drag. I've also learned that you shouldn't oil the pallet fork jewel bearings at all.

I know it may seem like a steep investment, but if you're like me, you will think of your stereomicroscope as indispensable once you get one, and o the joy of seeing those wheels turning and parts moving as you have never seen it before! (No, I'm not trading in stereomicroscopes).

[PeterS]

2 hours ago, oldhippy said:

 

You do not fill the oil sink. The sink is made in such a way as to stop the oil from overflowing. A little oil is all that is needed.

I understand that. I watched Mark’s video and he shows what an over oiled jewel looks like. I was trying to get to a point where I’d think ‘that’s a touch too much now’ because it’s now filling up the sink. But I couldn’t do it, instead of filling up, it was going down the jewel which I couldn’t see, hence adding more and more oil thinking it’s still not enough because the sink is not filling up, which I thought would happen because that’s what I’ve seen in the video.

[ecodec]

12 minutes ago, PeterS said:

I understand that. I watched Mark’s video and he shows what an over oiled jewel looks like. I was trying to get to a point where I’d think ‘that’s a touch too much now’ because it’s now filling up the sink. But I couldn’t do it, instead of filling up, it was going down the jewel which I couldn’t see, hence adding more and more oil thinking it’s still not enough because the sink is not filling up, which I thought would happen because that’s what I’ve seen in the video.

 

I use 2 drops of oil in the well, the oiler is used vertically into the oil for very small amounts for Bal etc. Then at an angle to collect a little more for the train. I use it sparingly and even less now oldhippy gave me guidance in the ESC area.

[PeterS]

29 minutes ago, ecodec said:

I use 2 drops of oil in the well, the oiler is used vertically into the oil for very small amounts for Bal etc. Then at an angle to collect a little more for the train. I use it sparingly and even less now oldhippy gave me guidance in the ESC area.

Sorry what is ESC area?

[PeterS]

The oil pot had to go back. The painted lids were shedding paint when being opened and closed, mainly around the hinges where friction occurs, ending up in the oil.

Any thoughts what I’m doing differently to Mark in his video? When he over-oils the jewel the well fills up, when I over-oil the jewel the oil goes down. I’m guessing I’m putting too little oil on the oiler and the oil goes down rather than capillary reaction forcing it to go round between the pivot and jewel.
I’ll test it when new pots arrive.

[oldhippy]

Are you using the correct oil? The oil should only be around the pivot, if it is running down the shaft of the wheel, then you are using to much.