HOW TO LENGTHEN HANDS OPENING

[manodeoro]

Hi,

I'm working on a watch project for which I need a really specific handset.

The hands I need really look like DJ hands but the opening (which will receive the lume) must be really longer.

I'm wondering how to do that and which toll I should use.

So if any member have already succesfully tried such a modification it would be really kind to give me some advices.

Thanks for reading

and here is a comparison pic (photoshopped) showing from where I go and where I want to go.

 

[manodeoro]

UPDATE ...

I had never searched OFREI website and it seems they have a handset that would fit my needs

It depends if the length they annouce are :

1 - measured from the center of the hole ... that would be almost perfect as I need an 8mm hour hand and a 12.7mm minute hand

2 - whole length ... and both would be too short

 

About the hole sizes I wonder if I can broach them a little.

The movement I want to use is a RAKETA 2609so hour hole size is 1.60mm and Mintue hole size is 1.00mm 

So what do you think about broaching :

1 - Hour hand hole from 1.5mm to 1.6mm

2 - Minute hand hole from 0.9mm to 1.0mm

I think it's possible but I have never done that.

[Mattaphysics]

There is indeed a tool for that and it's called... You guessed it, a hand broacher. You should be able to find them easily, always going on eBay or I think O Frei has one... I'm almost sure they do... They have everything.

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[manodeoro]

Hi Mattaphysics

Speaking about hand broachers I suppose you think about broaching the holes so taht they fit on the Raketa movement ?

My biggest problem is, if the hands sold by OFREI are too short, is to modify the openig on the hands.

Do you think I can do that with a square broach ?

[manodeoro]

UP ... if anybody could help me ?

Envoyé de mon Moto G (5) Plus en utilisant Tapatalk

[JohnR725]

On 9/7/2018 at 7:28 AM, manodeoro said:

Do you think I can do that with a square broach ?

you can find the square broach in the same section as the square hole drill which other than for woodworking doesn't actually exist.

the type of hand modification you're attempting to do is something not normally done in watch repair. Usually the only modification is to open the hole of the hand of a different size and occasionally trying to close the hole if the hand doesn't fit. I don't think I've ever seen any references to anyone physically trying to change the inside opening of a hand.

to understand the difficulties of modifying hands I found some videos on making hands.

https://www.kddl.com/watch-hands/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U005_iEAa_A

so when you look at the videos you notice that anything involving a hole of any shape or size is done with metal stamping. Drilling holes grinding cutting with normal conventional tools is really difficult when the material is as thin as this.

The best option would be to Google watch and manufacturing and maybe somebody already has the hand you need. otherwise when you looking at the watch hand manufacturing companies see if they'll do a custom hand probably the want to do 100 though you can sell them on eBay recover your cost of having the made.

then not exactly a DIY project but cutting square holes in really thin materials EDM machine would do that and  a fiber laser should both work but gaining access to those is going to be a challenge they're not normally found in the local hobby shop at least not yet anytime soon probably.

[JohnR725]

I was closing my Google search when I noticed the website below. they have pictures and they're not just modifying hands they are actually cutting the hands with a laser.. Unfortunately they don't have any pictures of the laser cutting and process they do mention a company name accept the company makes lots of different lasers all of which look very expensive. But still does show what a laser can do for you.

https://www.ickler.de/en/steel-hands/