Elgin 1884 lever setting issue

[arron]

Howdy,

I am restoring an Elgin 1884 lever set, serial no. 1397818.  I cannot get the setting function to work.  The floating intermediate wheel doesn't properly engage with the the ratchet wheel on the right or the other intermediate wheel on the left.  The wheel on the left also doesn't seem to reach out far enough to turn the cannon pinion.  When I try to set the time, sometimes the gears just bind and i can't turn them at all or sometimes the intermediate and ratchet wheels will turn but not the others.  I tried gently bending upwards the spring underneath the intermediate wheel (the wheel that floats) to put some more upwards pressure on the wheel to get it to better mesh with the other wheels but that did not help.  Am i missing a part perhaps.  Any advice would be appreciated.  Thank you. Arron.

[JohnR725]

it would be nice to have another video of you slowly pulling the lever out. as I'm not sure if all the rest the gears are quite in the right place when you're trying to set the watch

Then the floating wheel as you call it in one of the videos. that most definitely looks wrong. It's only supposed to float up and down it's not supposed to be floating or moving all over the place like yours looks. It's supposed to be riding on a pin which I'm just not seeing in the picture?

https://pocketwatchdatabase.com/search/result/elgin/1397818

 

[arron]

Thanks for the input.  I would have expected a post/pin under that spring (next to the crown wheel) too; to center it and prevent it from moving all over.  But there is none.  I'm attaching more videos of pulling the lever out.

[JohnR725]

2 hours ago, arron said:

I'm attaching more videos of pulling the lever out.

the videos are not attaching themselves in a format that can be played?

[arron]

sorry, videos still not working.  I'm uploading in .MOV format.  it seems to work sometimes.  I'm not finding any guidelines for uploading videos on the site.  I'll try and figure it out.  

 

 

 

Edited July 8, 2021 by arron
video files not working--testing

[JohnR725]

7 hours ago, arron said:

sorry, videos still not working.  I'm uploading in .MOV format.  it seems to work sometimes.  I'm not finding any guidelines for uploading videos on the site.  I'll try and figure it out.  

you not find any guidelines because there appear to be no guidelines as to file type. Then if there was a guideline there would probably be a reference to videos are large in size and the message board does not have a infinite size capacity. So I don't know how big the file sizes are.

Maybe if you could get a decent photograph of the lever in and the lever out one of each.

20 hours ago, arron said:

I would have expected a post/pin under that spring (next to the crown wheel) too; to center it and prevent it from moving all over.  But there is none. 

then yes there definitely has to be a post for the wheel to ride on. If you're lucky Elgin just pushed the pin end to the plate as opposed to machining the plate to have the post.

[arron]

I appreciate you taking the time to help me on this.  I put the plate under my scope and there is the remnant of a post.  It must have broken off over the years.  Am I correct that the plate is toast, unless someday I could learn to solder in a post?  If that's the case I might try to find another movement to put in the case.  Can i put in any movement of the same size, I think this is a 16s.  Or would it need to be the same model, grade, etc.

by the way, I see you are in Seattle.  I'm in Oregon, close to the Tri-cities.  not sure if you are a member of the nawcc.  I'm hoping that the nawcc chapter there will have a meeting soon so I can meet some fellow hobbyists.  

[JohnR725]

7 hours ago, arron said:

Am I correct that the plate is toast, unless someday I could learn to solder in a post? 

you'd have to examine both sides of the plate seal for lucky and maybe they pushed in the pen because then you can push it out and put a new pin in. Otherwise you have to figure out a way to drill a hole in a very exacting position which is not always an easy thing to do. I can think of a way to do it but it would involve watchmaker's lathe and probably some stuff you don't have. On the other hand if it's a pen that's easier to deal with.

Then your case should be in 18 size case all you do is find another 18 size watch. The only issue would be it depends on how the crown is set up is usually a sleeve you can actually pull it out a little bit input different watch and you might have to adjust that otherwise find another watch this lever set and then you won't have that problem.

Yes I think I've heard about the nawcc currently were doing Zoom meetings until August 8 I believe that were going back to the physical location Edmonds. I'm also aware that you have at least one or two chapters in Oregon which I believe are also doing Zoom meetings. But personally I totally despises Zoom so I won't join them for the meetings.

Then if you're willing to drive to Seattle there's another meeting coming up in July on the 24th which is a Saturday. It's the former remnants of a AWCI chapter. Made up of hobbyists professionals students because it's being held in a school for hobbyists. we used to have somebody to drive up from Kennewick to go to the meetings.

[arron]

John, I really appreciate all the information.  I will look to see if a pin was pushed into the plate.