Murphy's Law of stud pins

[eccentric59]

I picked up this beauty on eBay for almost eligibility in the 404 club. I think it was around $8 US.

It has a simple pin pallet movement marked BF 866 which was in pretty good shape except for a broken mainspring. 

After cleaning and reassembly I got a decent amplitude of 250° to 280° but a beat error of 3.0° so I thought what a perfect opportunity to practice some adjusting skills. So I got the stud pin out, turned the collet a degree or two and proceeded to ping the stud pin into the ether. No way I was finding that small brass splinter. No problem, I popped one out of a junk balance from my parts box and put the balance back together. Naturally I turned the collet the wrong direction and was now seeing a beat error of 5°+. Once more to the bench and once more I adjusted the collet --the right way this time -- and launched the stud pin. Okay, so again i thought to turn stupidity to opportunity and make a stud pin on the lathe. Except, the only brass round stock I have is 4mm rod. That would be like making a toothpick from the trunk of a Redwood. I've got a box of 100 coming from Cousins.

 

So, what are your tips, trick and techniques for handling and inserting hair spring stud pins without the need for profanity?

 

[Nucejoe]

 You can rotate the roller table instead, and if obsessed you might inaccurately re-pin , ink mark the loose end of hairspring.

Rgds

[HectorLooi]

Yes, it happened to me too. And it was @Nucejoe who taught me a very nifty trick.

He told me to put a smear of grease on the tip of a screwdriver and use that to pick up the stud pin by the back end. Never lost another stud pin since.

[Neverenoughwatches]

3 hours ago, eccentric59 said:

I picked up this beauty on eBay for almost eligibility in the 404 club. I think it was around $8 US.

It has a simple pin pallet movement marked BF 866 which was in pretty good shape except for a broken mainspring. 

After cleaning and reassembly I got a decent amplitude of 250° to 280° but a beat error of 3.0° so I thought what a perfect opportunity to practice some adjusting skills. So I got the stud pin out, turned the collet a degree or two and proceeded to ping the stud pin into the ether. No way I was finding that small brass splinter. No problem, I popped one out of a junk balance from my parts box and put the balance back together. Naturally I turned the collet the wrong direction and was now seeing a beat error of 5°+. Once more to the bench and once more I adjusted the collet --the right way this time -- and launched the stud pin. Okay, so again i thought to turn stupidity to opportunity and make a stud pin on the lathe. Except, the only brass round stock I have is 4mm rod. That would be like making a toothpick from the trunk of a Redwood. I've got a box of 100 coming from Cousins.

 

So, what are your tips, trick and techniques for handling and inserting hair spring stud pins without the need for profanity?

 

There is always a need for profanity . If you dont want to let the steam out  then dont light the fire. In other words keep your cool, its not a major crisis, no one is going to die lol. Handle them light they're slippery buggers ( round shape and made of brass ). Check your tweezers are dressed correctly. You could file a round in the tips of some old tweezers. There are trains of thought that the pin should have a flat on it so you can correct the hairspring before you push the pin home, I've rarely seen that but have put my own on. I have also filed 2 flats at the fat end so i can turn the pin a bit easier.

[eccentric59]

2 hours ago, Nucejoe said:

 You can rotate the roller table instead, and if obsessed you might inaccurately re-pin , ink mark the loose end of hairspring.

Rgds

I know the roller table is just a friction fit on the staff, but isn't the torque required to spin that a heck of a lot greater than the hair spring collet? Or do you suggest removing the roller table and refitting it?

[Nucejoe]

27 minutes ago, HectorLooi said:

Yes, it happened to me too. And it was @Nucejoe who taught me a very nifty trick.

He told me to put a smear of grease on the tip of a screwdriver and use that to pick up the stud pin by the back end. Never lost another stud pin since.

Hi Doc, 

 Rotating the roller table is less risky and wouldn't hardly  disturbe the rate.....etc . 

You guys have rodico, preferred  to grease or oil to hold the stud when your re-fitting it.

 

Just now, eccentric59 said:

 do you suggest removing the roller table and refitting it?

 Yes remove & refit.

With spinning you risk loosening the grip of balance wheel on staff, or who knows what else, unless one has tools that facilitate spinning safely. 

Rgds

[nevenbekriev]

I have several things to say here, but have no time now.

For sure, there is no need to unpin the hairspring from the stud. I need picture, but am almost sure that the stud can be removed from the cock. Then, no need to remove the studd and the balance at all, the rotating of the collet is done without it.

Then, some words needed here for preparing of tapered pins. Yes, one can buy them, but the skill of making them is something that never will be unnecessary. And, no lathe needed, just piece of wood plank, good fine file and pin vise. And brass wire with close diam. Wire can be drown in drawplate. One will have previously prepared different sizes of brass wire for all the cases it will fit.

[Neverenoughwatches]

7 hours ago, nevenbekriev said:

I have several things to say here, but have no time now.

For sure, there is no need to unpin the hairspring from the stud. I need picture, but am almost sure that the stud can be removed from the cock. Then, no need to remove the studd and the balance at all, the rotating of the collet is done without it.

Then, some words needed here for preparing of tapered pins. Yes, one can buy them, but the skill of making them is something that never will be unnecessary. And, no lathe needed, just piece of wood plank, good fine file and pin vise. And brass wire with close diam. Wire can be drown in drawplate. One will have previously prepared different sizes of brass wire for all the cases it will fit.

How about copper wire, too soft ?

[spectre6000]

19 hours ago, eccentric59 said:

I picked up this beauty on eBay for almost eligibility in the 404 club. I think it was around $8 US.

There's a 1010 club now. 

[nevenbekriev]

17 hours ago, Neverenoughwatches said:

How about copper wire, too soft ?

Yes, copper wire is soft. But it is beter than nothing. At least, when I was school boy and made my first attempts, I used copper wire and it actually worked for me.

[dnhb]

Have you tried filing only the last few mms of a longer piece of wire into the required profile, inserting it & then cutting to length; or, with a ready formed pin, working under a piece of clear polythene...