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Cleaning and oiling balance and jewels

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meanoldmanning Watch Enthusiast

meanoldmanning

Posted
Posted

For those who use One Dip, how do you use it? Do you transfer it to a more practical jar to use it and then back to original container?

I transfer some into a small glass jar with a glass pipette. Easier to work with that way and can be sealed up so it doesn’t flash off as quickly.


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Mark
Mark

I have always cleaned the balance mounted to the plate, with the jewels in place. That's how I was taught when I was an apprentice and I have been doing it ever since. Never once damaged a hair spring

Nucejoe
Nucejoe

Spread a white sheet of paper or thin cardboard on a flat surface, drop the end stone on it  flat side down facing the paper, put you index finger on end stone, pour a bit of naphta or lighter fluid o

Nucejoe
Nucejoe

I put the balance in a jar (upper pivot down, roller table up) then pour lighter fluid or IPA in the jar( fill so fluid levels with the roller and wont reach the shellac and impulse jewel) clsoe the l

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VWatchie Distinguished Member

VWatchie

Posted
Posted
On 3/22/2019 at 2:50 PM, tony1212 said:

Is there a risk that the glass fiber brushes leave marks on the metal parts? How to you use them? Liberally or with specific care?

Yes! I use them to remove rust and corrosion from stems, wheel pinions, and wheel pivots (steel). You have to use them with "specific care" as they can produce some pretty ghastly scratches on the wheels themselves (non-steel parts). I hold the wheels as steady as I can with brass tweezers or in a vice, and then I brush the pinion in one direction away from the wheel towards the pivot. Fibreglass scratch brushes are extremely potent, sometimes too potent and that's why I've just ordered a nylon scratch brush which can be used more liberally and on other non-steel parts but still have a very good effect.

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mikepilk Distinguished Member

mikepilk

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Posted

I use a small ultrasonic - lighter fluid (naptha)  for cleaning and isopropanol for rinsing.

Worried about shellac dissolving, I tried an old pallet in IPA for 5 mins in the ultrasonic without any noticeable change

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Nucejoe Distinguished Member

Nucejoe

Posted
Posted
12 hours ago, VWatchie said:

Yes! I use them to remove rust and corrosion from stems, wheel pinions, and wheel pivots (steel). You have to use them with "specific care" as they can produce some pretty ghastly scratches on the wheels themselves (non-steel parts). I hold the wheels as steady as I can with brass tweezers or in a vice, and then I brush the pinion in one direction away from the wheel towards the pivot. Fibreglass scratch brushes are extremely potent, sometimes too potent and that's why I've just ordered a nylon scratch brush which can be used more liberally and on other non-steel parts but still have a very good eff

Out of materials of your choice, I make several  golves to pull over a flat wooden ice creame cone, to use as brush on pallet jewels, Your one directional strokes of the brush is A okay.

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Nucejoe Distinguished Member

Nucejoe

Posted
Posted
Just now, Nucejoe said:

Out of materials of your choice, I make several  golves to pull over a flat wooden ice creame cone, to use as brush on pallet jewels, Your one directional strokes of the brush is A okay.

Sorry ice cream sticks not cones

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Nucejoe Distinguished Member

Nucejoe

Posted
Posted
On 3/21/2019 at 1:40 PM, nickelsilver said:

Benzine won't melt the shellac. Alcohol will, but even that needs some time.

I stick pivots into pegwood or cut the tip of a tooth pick with nail clipper to stick the pivot into, rotate the tooth pick " not the pivot"  repeat , best to soak the part in your cleaning solution.  If the shock system lets, remove the jewel ,enter the tooth pick inot the housing, in which case I rotate the wheel. Soak and rinse again.

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VWatchie Distinguished Member

VWatchie

Posted
Posted
On 4/2/2019 at 10:22 AM, mikepilk said:

Worried about shellac dissolving, I tried an old pallet in IPA for 5 mins in the ultrasonic without any noticeable change

I forgot about a pallet in IPA for about 20/30 minutes and the pallets stones came loose, that's why I never rinse the pallets and the roller in IPA for more than a few seconds. Five minutes probably wouldn't do much or any harm, but personally, I just don't want to risk it.

VWatchie Distinguished Member

VWatchie

Posted
Posted
On 4/2/2019 at 11:18 AM, Nucejoe said:

Out of materials of your choice, I make several  golves to pull over a flat wooden ice creame cone, to use as brush on pallet jewels, Your one directional strokes of the brush is A okay.

I'm afraid I can't picture this in my head, could you please provide a picture? It sounds very interesting!

VWatchie Distinguished Member

VWatchie

Posted
Posted
On 4/2/2019 at 12:31 PM, Nucejoe said:

I stick pivots into pegwood or cut the tip of a tooth pick with nail clipper to stick the pivot into, rotate the tooth pick " not the pivot"  repeat

Do you by chance mean pith wood? I think quite a bit a force would have to be used to penetrate peg wood (a toothpick would be softer) with a pivot and in my mind that could break the pivot. Or, do you make a super tiny hole in the peg wood first? Or, perhaps the pivot is so small that it can actually penetrate peg wood without any problem. When thinking about it some more the answer is probably yes!? Oh well, I guess I could try it but if you have the time to elaborate I'd appreciate it. Thanks!

Nucejoe Distinguished Member

Nucejoe

Posted
Posted

Last year endevour run out of idea, liked and used my tooth pick technology:lol:

he then posted the pix on some tutorial thread , I thought he done post, no need for me to bother. Here we are.

IMG_20190404_131525.jpg

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Nucejoe Distinguished Member

Nucejoe

Posted
Posted

You can unlock shock springs, pop the jewel assembly out ,into a jar, stick a tooth pick onto pivot, turn the BW, this pegs the hell out of the pivot. Repeat .

Good luck pal.

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rduckwor WRT Addict

rduckwor

Posted
Posted (edited)

I actually prefer toothpicks for pegging jewel pivots as they are somewhat softer than peg wood.  You can develop a sharpened tip with sandpaper or a fine file.  I do sometimes use peg wood as well though.

 

I use naptha as well in the ultrasonic.  I run thru three separate naptha baths and pith the pivots on wheels, the pallet, and the balance into pith wood for cleaning between bath number two and three.

 

It works for me but use at your own risk.

 

RMD

Edited by rduckwor
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PeterS WRT Addict

PeterS

Posted
Posted

I picked up a movement from Ebay to tinker with, I think it’s Derby 40. I only have experience with incabloc and this one puzzles me. There is a balance jewel and an endstone but no shock spring so why the endstone?
To clean and lubricate the jewel it looks like I’m going to have to remove the hairspring.
Any tips, threads, articles or videos lubricating this?

20190612_213743 (Copy).jpg

20190613_212249 (Copy).jpg

rodabod Distinguished Member

rodabod

Posted
Posted

Open "boot" on index pins. Loosen stud screw. Remove balance. Remove two screws on underside of balance cock to remove cap jewel.

Oil drop should cover around 50% of the cap jewel. Refer to BHI document.

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PeterS WRT Addict

PeterS

Posted
Posted

Thank you for your tips and explanations.

I don’t know how you open the boot. My plan was to loosen the stud screw and slide the hair spring through the boot and index pin to remove it but looking at the picture the hairspring doesn’t go as far as the stud. I’ll have to have a good look at it at home, admittedly I never took a balance apart and I’m not sure how it is actually attached and I can’t see it that well from the picture.

Is the BHI document available to view anywhere?

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