Jump to content

Newbie from the Midlands

Juniorp72

By Juniorp72
in Introduce Yourself Here

 Share

Recommended Posts

Juniorp72 New Member

Juniorp72

Posted
Posted

Hello, new member here from the Midlands.

I've been a keen watch collector for some time and I like to wear a nice watch and have a small collection of modern watches. Then a few months ago I started looking at vintage watches and bought a couple, one specifically for my birth year (1972). Then.... this happened! I became a casualty of Covid and I have been made redundant. So with plenty of time on my hands and the need to keep myself mentally active i've decided to engage in the hobby further. I don't have transferable skills directly from my career but I am willing to give this a shot and see where it takes me.

I ordered the equipment required to get started and completed Levels 1&2 of Mark's courses.

My first major frustration was when removing the balance end stone the shock spring some how didn't hinge and came out, I picked it up with the tweezers and away it flew! So after an hour (or 6 :chainsaw:) looking for the spring and trying to find one to order I felt quite demoralised and gave up looking. The following morning whilst having a coffee at my work station I could not believe my luck, there it was blending into the work top. So all ended well this time but a real test/realisation for me as I embark on this journey.

I've now started practising and yesterday dismantled my first project, which appears to have gone well with no flying parts... but there is a date complication so will be a new challenge in reassembly. I've added a little more equipment and today I should take delivery of a watch cleaning machine (without a manual :unsure:).

Happy to be here and look forward to learning more and progressing my skills.

watchweasol Distinguished Member

watchweasol

Posted
Posted

Hello and welcome to the forum    when working with small parts which are prone to flight cover the area with a clear plastic bag or work inside the bag errant parts will not escape then. As you get more profficient with the tools etc and your confidence increases dispense with the bag.  do not get frustrated put down the tools and walk away to try later when calm. Bear in mind I should like to guess that 95 Percent of us have been in the same situation more than once, I certainly have and freely admit it . You are not alone.

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Restore formatting

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
 Share
Go to topic listing

  • Recently Browsing

    • No registered users viewing this page.

  • Topics

  • Posts

    • Mark
      Ad Free WRT

      By Mark · Posted

      Of course it will continue Richard.
    • Rixy
      Help with Hermle ships clock

      By Rixy · Posted

      I have stripped and cleaned a Hermle ships clock. It was just oily, no major faults, and I reassembled it, following my photos in reverse order. The time train is fine but the strike train will not play the ships bell strike for half-past. Ships bells play a four hour sequence for the 'watches' and play double 'ding' for the hour and the double dings plus one for the half past (eg half past the second hour is 'ding-ding' 'ding-ding' 'ding'). Sounds complicated but it isn't really. The strike wheel consists of pairs of bumps (for the ding-ding) and no single bumps. There must me some mechanism on the half-past that lifts the strike lever over one of the bumps so only one ding is played. When I get to a half past, it still plays double ding. I have a feeling it is to do with the lever in front of the rack (there is a sprung attachment  on it) and the position of the wheel (to the right) with the two pins that lets that lever fall, but no matter where I place that wheel I cannot get a single ding at half past! Please can someone help with advice on positioning so I can fix this? BTW Happy Easter 🐣 
    • mbwatch
      Who's doing what in the world of watches today.

      By mbwatch · Posted

      No it's not 52. I had looked at the Pocket Watch lift angles thread, which lists Elgin 6s as something really high like 62° but visually that is not at all what this watch is doing. I think 42° is more correct and that's where my machine is setup. The watch has a million problems but I have made solid progress. Impulse jewel replaced. Hairspring didn't match the balance (which also doesn't match the serial) but I got it down into range this weekend with 8 or 10 huge timing washers. Replaced the mainspring, balance and train are nice and free. At this point it is running consistently and in beat at about 160°, the third wheel has a bend that sends the timegrapher on a little roller coaster every 8 minutes or so. Remaining amplitude problems may be down to the escapement. The banking pins were way out and it didn't run at all before I started. It has one of the old brass escape wheels rather than steel, and I assume the faces its teeth are probably worn or scored in a way I can't yet fix (or see without a microscope). I know this watch is not going to run above 250° but I am going to keep trying to get above 200. But the best part about this watch? Some unscrupulous person stamped "21 JEWELS" on the train bridge sometime in the past, right on top of the Damascening. It's a 15 jewel movement.
    • tomh207
      Smiths rim wind and set

      By tomh207 · Posted

      I think it would rather be the blast of high current drain that would do the damage. But if used occasionally to maybe fix a mainspring or do dial feet it might be worth trying especially if the mainspring or a replacement couldn’t be found.    Tom
    • RichardHarris123
      Ad Free WRT

      By RichardHarris123 · Posted

      This is indeed a unique site and members including myself genuinely care about it.  All we want is the site to continue. 
×
×
  • Create New...