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Screws!

Paul78

By Paul78
in Watch Repairs Help & Advice

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Paul78 WRT Addict

Paul78

Posted
Posted

Do you guys have a way of remembering what screw goes where? This is the only issue I'm having with getting to grips with servicing mechanical movements. At the moment I'm placing screws into the small plastic tubs that Quartz movements come packaged in as I have a million of them, I'm numbering the tub and then writing on a postit note where the screws came from.

Any method your recommend or is it just a case of remembering what goes where with experience?

Marc Distinguished Member

Marc

Posted
Posted

If you look closely at the two pictorials that I have posted recently you will see exactly what I do with them, I put 'em back in the hole they came out of.

This takes a little more time when you strip the movement but it can save a lot of time later in preventing the wrong screw going in the wrong place.

Medtner New Member

Medtner

Posted
Posted

I'm using a domed container for my parts, and I put the screws in the different corners of the partitions and "seal" them in with the bridge or part that they came from. I also try to separate geartrain, keyless work, and so forth, to have some order. 

Maybe this is helpful?

post-575-0-06400100-1421626683_thumb.jpg

joelcarvajal Watch Enthusiast

joelcarvajal

Posted
Posted

I use a pill box with more compartments than the typical 7-day case. I move to the next compartment when I need to distinguish bridges and screws.

I also track the contents by their descriptions. I usually don't clean the screws so when I clean the major parts together, I know where to put them back in the box.

The pill box also helps in remembering the sequence of assembly/disassembly.

bb638400a540aa4ac27d3c13210a2ab2.jpg

  • Like 1
BlakeL WRT Addict

BlakeL

Posted
Posted

I'm using a domed container for my parts, and I put the screws in the different corners of the partitions and "seal" them in with the bridge or part that they came from. I also try to separate geartrain, keyless work, and so forth, to have some order. 

Maybe this is helpful?

attachicon.gifimage2 (2).JPG

 

I do the same thing.  Only thing you have to worry about is the screws moving if you have to move the whole container.

bobm12 Distinguished Member

bobm12

Posted
Posted

Hi Paul,

 

This is a guide so you can recognize the screws in a movement.

 

post-253-0-41565100-1421633129_thumb.jpg

 

The rest is memory and experience. Some people "put back" the screws where they belong in the different bridges and other (feasible) parts. Then clean the whole thing...some times the screws fall off so you are back to square one for those.

 

Hope this helps,

 

Cheers,

 

Bob

  • Like 1
bobm12 Distinguished Member

bobm12

Posted
Posted (edited)

Hi Pete,

 

Thanks for the link. I'm familiar with those but due to the size of the screws, in most cases I find they are not very effective. I do have a couple but they mostly gather dust in the drawer. I suppose some people might find them useful though, it all depends on how each individual uses their tweezers. Still it is good to have them around for the rare occasion I do need them if ever.

Cheers,

 

Bob

Edited by bobm12
Paul78 WRT Addict

Paul78

Posted
  • Author
Posted

I've also found the screw tweezers to be totally useless, I just use normal tweezers. I find the longer the better to minimise the screw flying across the room.

anilv Distinguished Member

anilv

Posted
Posted

One thing that you need to remember is that some movements have one screw shorter than the rest! Whenever you remove the train bridge look at the length of each screw and compare.

  • 1 month later...
clockwatcher WRT Addict

clockwatcher

Posted
Posted

Hi All!

 

While we're on the subject of screws, can anyone tell me whether the watch industry uses screws from a standard range or are screws designed and manufactured by the makers of the movements? Does the illustration that Bob posted above represent some standard screws? I have a number of scrap movements that I can use for spares but, not necessarily having identical movements to the watches I want to repair, will any of the scrapper screws transplant into other movements?

 

The reason I ask is that, as can be seen in the accomapnying picture, there are screws missing from the F-L Duomatic that I recently acquired. Despite this the watch runs well. Both case screws are missing and one from the movement (red arrow). If I needs screws how do I go about sourcing them?

 

All advice will be much appreciated.

Thanks

John

P.S. Did I screw up by posting in this thread?

post-742-0-10491700-1426100751_thumb.jpg

rogart63 Distinguished Member

rogart63

Posted
Posted

I bought a nice little box of different screws on ebay . i have found screws in that box when i have lost or needed some . i have also taken screws from other movements . 

bobm12 Distinguished Member

bobm12

Posted
Posted

Normally, if I loose a screw -- from a watch of course :) -- I check its function and the other "companion" screws so I can determine the size and shape. Then I find an equivalent from my pool of old movements and screws I may have around...that is, if I don't have a donor movement of the same type, model.

clockwatcher WRT Addict

clockwatcher

Posted
Posted

Thanks to you too Bob. Until I start dismantling watches I won't really know what I'm doing but my immediate problem is identifying the type of screws that are missing and which I can't compare. The case screws I don't think will be a problem but I don't even know what PART the other screw is missing from!! :unsure:

clockwatcher WRT Addict

clockwatcher

Posted
Posted

My 250 assorted screws arrived today. As I had a gander at them through a loupe I noticed that quite few were rusted, some badly.

I picked out any that were at all corroded and found a total of 28. Out of 250 screws that's about 11% rejects, however I thought I'd count them and sort them as they were all mixed together.

In the end I counted a total, including duff ones, of 362 screws! I don't think I can complain too much in this case as the good ones worked out at about tuppence a screw!

  • Like 1
  • 4 weeks later...
Affnan Watch Enthusiast

Affnan

Posted
Posted

I too needed few screws, thanks Rogart for posting the ebay link.. The Click Spring screw on my Longines Cal. 12.68z decided to be a plane :)

 

post-660-0-56008500-1428562921_thumb.jpg

 

Hope there is something in there that I can use.

 

Affnan

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