Jump to content

Manipulating Hairsprings - The iPhone Method

margolisd
 Share

Recommended Posts

margolisd WRT Addict

margolisd

Posted
Posted

I just thought I'd share this as it may be useful for another learner. By far the most difficult thing I've come across starting out in watch repair has been correcting bends in hairsprings. I've got the right tools, the right light, a powerful eye glass and a pile of scrap watches I've been practicing on. But I found time after time I was just making the hairsprings worse. I think part of my problem is that I'm slightly dyslexic and I find looking at the spiral really confusing sometimes. But I had a bit of break through last weekend which has dramatically improved my technique. Quite simply, I hold my eye glass up to my iPhone lens and take a close up picture of the hair spring. I then make a cup of tea and sit and look at the photo, zoom right the way in and really think about what I'm going to do. This is so much more effective than hunching over the hairspring and straining my eyes for long periods and losing patience. Once I've really thought about what I'm going to do, I go back to the hairspring with a clear strategy, ie, slight bend in, fourth from the centre at 3 o'clock. I apply the bend, take another picture and repeat. I know it sounds simple, but it's been a huge help to me and I'm finally having success :)

IMG_0992.jpg

  • Like 9
  • Thanks 2
margolisd WRT Addict

margolisd

Posted
  • Author
Posted

There are some great videos showing the process. Which is essentially to grip the spring with a fine pair of tweezers close to the bend. And then very gently "stroke" the hair spring with a second tweezer opposite to the way it bends. I guess YouTube is blocked in Iran? Can't you use a VPN?

Nucejoe Distinguished Member

Nucejoe

Posted
Posted

Vpn too is a moke here.

I am rather experience with hairspring manipulation, to think how less painstaking it would be using  USB microscopes is discusting. Your method is smart, making use of what is at most every body's disposal.

Regards joe.

  • Like 2
oldhippy Distinguished Member

oldhippy

Posted
Posted

I have heard people that are dyslexic find different colour can help. Have you tried that? I think what you are doing is a great way. If it helps you than keep up, the good work

  • Like 1
margolisd WRT Addict

margolisd

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Yes, that is something I've experimented with actually. For me putting the spring on a clean white sheet of paper helps. The other thing that's confusing manipulating a spiral shape is the fact your correction will change the gap between the spot you're working on and the coil further out but the gap further in will always stay the same! And several times I've reversed that in my head and wondered why my corrections are making the thing worse :D

Nucejoe Distinguished Member

Nucejoe

Posted
Posted

When it comes to H/S manipulation  putting the spring on a white sheet of paper helps all to better see what the hell they are doing, are you putting us on? 

Even this fellow :turkey: sees better what he ate , if put on a white sheet of paper. ha ha

Regards joe

  • Haha 1
clockboy Distinguished Member

clockboy

Posted
Posted

I am Dyslexic but never considered it a barrier to manipulating hairsprings. After distroying many Hairsprings I developed my own methods.  For me stroking the hairspring with a pin works better than stroking it with a tweezer. Also a microscope was the other great help for me. 

  • Like 1
  • 3 weeks later...
rduckwor WRT Addict

rduckwor

Posted
Posted

I have destroyed hairsprings and I have repaired hairsprings.  For me the microscope is essential.    Your methods work for your and there is much to be said about thinking of and planning a strategic approach to the work.  Good for you!


RMD

  • Like 1
 Share
Go to topic listing

  • Recently Browsing

    • No registered users viewing this page.

  • Topics

  • Posts

    • donutdan
      Parts sourcing for FHF 180 movement

      By donutdan · Posted

      Hi Watchrepairtalk, I have some questions about part sourcing I was hoping someone here might be able to help with. I'm working on an FHF 180 movement with a broken balance staff, broken regulator pins, and damaged cap jewels (both top and bottom). Some Googling says that this is similar to other FHF calibers like 150s, 160s, 180s and so on but I can't figure out what the functional difference is between these movements.  Is there any reason I wouldn't be able to acquire a donor FHF 150 or similar (with no shock protection) and use parts from that or would it be smarter to source replacements individually? Also are there any sources someone could recommend to get bulk cap jewels like this? Thank you for the help!
    • Nucejoe
      Greetings from Whidbey Island.

      By Nucejoe · Posted

      Hello and welcome to the WRT forum.
    • JohnR725
      A lathe with indexing that won't break the bank?

      By JohnR725 · Posted

      interesting video nice to see the machine what it can do now I wonder what it costs and I'm sure it's not in my budget. Plus the video brought up questions but the website below answers the questions? What was bothering me was the size of his machine 4 mm because I thought it was bigger than that? But then it occurred to me that maybe they had variations it looks like four, seven and 10. With the seven and 10 being the best because way more tool positions in way more rotating tools. Although I bet you all the rotating tools are probably separate cost https://www.tornos.com/en/content/swissnano   Then as we been talking about Sherline. Just so that everyone's aware of this they have another division their industrial division where you can buy bits and pieces. I have a link below that shows that just in case you don't want to have the entire machine you just need bits and pieces. https://www.sherline.com/product-category/industrial-products-division/   Let's see what we can do with the concept I explained up above and bits and pieces. For one thing you can make a really tiny gear very tiny like perhaps you're going to make a watch. Then another version the center part is not separate it is all machined from one piece. Then fills gear cutting machines have gone through multiple of evolutions. A lot of it based on what he wanted to make like he was going to make a watch unfortunately eyesight issues have prevented that. Another reason why you should start projects like this much sooner when your eyesight is really good or perhaps start on watches first and then move the clocks then local we have from the industrial division? Looks like two separate motors and heads. Then it's hard to see but this entire thing is built on top of a much larger milling machine as a larger milling machine gave a very solid platform to build everything.   Then like everything else that had multiple generations are versions the indexing went through of course variations like above is one version and the one below was the last version. Now the version below I mentioned that previously and somewhere in the beginning to discussion and somebody else had one in their picture. As it is a really nice precision indexing. Then I wasn't sure if I had a the watch photos here is his unfinished watch. No he wasn't going to make a simple watch like none of his clocks were simply either what would be the challenge and that.    
    • Titanium
      Lab Coats

      By Titanium · Posted

      Use a Portwest Howie lab coat. They are the biological type so they have tapped cuffs so you don't end up getting the loose cuffs of normal lab coats catching everything. 
    • Titanium
      Chinese tools debate

      By Titanium · Posted

      Some of the Chinese tools ae great and can be purchased at a fraction of the price of Swiss ones, some are complete garbage and some I'm convinced are coming out the same factory as the branded ones.
×
×
  • Create New...