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Posted

Ok, as per pictures I have a smiths rim set and wind on the bench, swimming in oil but all sorted.
The fault I have is the mainspring bridle has lost its tab/notch/hook, like a hebdomas pocket watch the mainspring is fitted to a bridal in the barrel which slides around on full wind onto 4 notches in the barrel wall, thus stopping damage to the mainspring by over enthusiastic winding.
So my questiion is this, what is the best way to create another hook in the bridal, my thoughts are along the same lines as making a new hole in the mainspring end, annealing etc, but what and how to make the hook??

I have a pair of barrel hook pliers that work great in soft brass but won’t even scratch the bridal, what I don’t want to do is whack a hole into it and not have a hook.

the pictures are of the bridal ( broken) and a hebdomas ( complete ) incase you are wondering what I’m on about. And a few of the serivce.

Thanks for any advise.

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  • Like 1
Posted

Nice clock.  Try annealing the broken bridle end making a hole in it then riveting it to the spring using some brass wire.as long as the outside surface is smooth it should slip easily, not forgetting the grease

Posted
12 hours ago, watchweasol said:

Nice clock.  Try annealing the broken bridle end making a hole in it then riveting it to the spring using some brass wire.as long as the outside surface is smooth it should slip easily, not forgetting the grease

Hi watchweasol, yes that is a way of doing it I suppose, I have a pair of mainspring hole making pliers on their way off eBay, the ones with the different shaped punches. I may be able to use them to make a hook.

Posted

Hi. It’s either riveting or welding . I have seen some small home made welding tools on UTube at times may be I should have a go at building one, they are small spot welding machines. Suitable for the likes of these type jobs.

Posted

Just did a quick google, unbelievably there are battery powered micro spot welders on amazon from about 25 pounds up. No knowledge of them, just one of the things that I find fun on this forum, often go off down a new rabbit hole and learn a bit about something I haven’t previously thought about. 😀

thanks for the unexpected diversion 

 

Tom

  • Like 2
Posted
1 minute ago, tomh207 said:

battery powered micro spot welders

I'm currently rebuilding one of these and converting it to run off mains AC.

The circuit of these battery powered spot welders are not very good and it tends to drain the battery flat and kill it.

  • Like 2
Posted
10 minutes ago, HectorLooi said:

I'm currently rebuilding one of these and converting it to run off mains AC.

The circuit of these battery powered spot welders are not very good and it tends to drain the battery flat and kill it.

Thanks Hector, first time looking at these, always good to get information from someone who has had one in hand.👍

 

Tom

Posted
1 hour ago, watchweasol said:

The high voltage will take a toll on the battery but if used occasionally such a the proposed bridle welding I guess if it works it’s worth the price of a battery.

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

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