Dial feet

[Hoopty]

I have a dial that has become loose. I checked the dial feet and it appears the feet have been worn to the point where the dial screws are not tight against the pin. All of the feet are firmly attached to the dial.. Any suggestions on how to fix this problem and what materials to use would be appreciated... Thanks again, Bruce

[Hoopty]

I have a dial that has become loose. I checked the dial feet and it appears the feet have been worn to the point where the dial screws are not tight against the pin. All of the feet are firmly attached to the dial.. Any suggestions on how to fix this problem and what materials to use would be appreciated... Thanks again, Bruce

[towrope]

Are you sure the dial screws are fully seated against the dial feet? Remove the dial and the dial screws and be sure the threads on the screws as well in the plate are not blocked with bits of copper. If the indentions in the dial feet are so bad that the screws won't tighten against them any longer, I suggest using a longer dial screw,if you could find one. You also might try melting solder on the end of a soldering iron and flipping it off onto a sponge. Find a very tiny solder ball and push it in the hole ahead of the dial screw. It will act as a spacer and take up the slack between the foot and the screw.
Please remember these suggestions are from an amateur. I'm sure a professional would have better ideas. The best of course would be to replace the dial feet altogether.
Towrope
Jay Thomas
NAWCC member#0156966

[Jerry Treiman]

I would be a little leary of the solder-ball solution. The ball could easily wedge the dial foot into the hole, making it impossible to remove the dial without damaging it. I might suggest a drop of some sort of thick glue in the little groove of the dial foot that would thicken the foot at that point. When it is dry it should not come off and would provide a bearing point for the dial screw. If this is not feasible, I have sometimes glued a thin strip of leather to the back edge of the bezel so that the bezel will prevent a slightly loose dial from rattling.

[Hans Dahlke]

Bruce,

I had pretty much the same ideas as towrope, except instead of using solder make three spacers out of some solid copper wire of the correct diameter for the screw holes and insert them before tightening the dial screws.

I doubt that you will find longer dial screws of the correct size. Of course, if you feel really ambitious you could make three new screws if you have a screw plate with the correct threads.

Hans

[mikeh]

Hoopty,

I can't say I've ever tried this, and it may make some of the real watchmakers cringe(sp?), but you might consider building up the existing feet with what I have heard called 'cold weld'. I don't remember a name brand, but I think it's made for auto repairs of some sort. I've heard that once it sets, it can be drilled, machined, etc., so maybe you could shape the feet up with a file, but I would be exrta careful at this point.

Of course I wouldn't think of trying this on a scarce dial without first testing on a junker!

Just a thought...

Regards,
Mike

[towrope]

The solder-ball or using a material such as glue or JB Weld (which is a metal powder mixed with an epoxy) are certainly expedients worth trying. Hare's another idea that might work if done carefully. It has the advantage of not introducing any foreign material into the screw foot hole and the accompanying risk of wedging the dial tight.
Use a smooth -jawed pair of pliers or strong tweezers. Grasp the dial foot gently next to the indentation and carefully twist to push some of the metal back into the indentation. If the dial foot is only distorted and there has been no metal loss this might work. If the dial foot is still soft and hasn't work hardened this has a good chance of succeeding. You definitely want to practice on a junk dial first. You run the risk of snapping off the foot if you grasp it too tight.
Towrope
Jay Thomas
NAWCC member # 0156966

[Hoopty]

Gentlemen,

Thank you for the ideas.. I have to be very carefull with this dial.. It is a Ball with only a couple of faint hairlines. I have a couple of old dials that I will try your suggestions on.. Thanks Again, Bruce

[Charles Medsker]

How about making a sleeve out of some of the tubing you can order from LaRose? I bought a package of these a couple years ago, and there are several different sizes. I don't think I would use the solder balls as a filler as you don't want anything getting loose into the watch mechanism. Be careful about twisting the dial feet, as this might cause more hairlines than you have now.

[Steve Maddox]

Gentlemen,

Before doing anything rash and "permanently" attaching a dial to a movement, please take a look at the following sketch, which I think should easily explain the consequences of inserting a foreign object into a dial foot hole: http://members.aol.com/lrhorology/ForeignObject.JPG

*NOTE: The image above depicts a cross sectional view of a dial, pillar plate, and dial foot hole, with a foreign object inserted, and the DIAL SCREW REMOVED. Obviously, to remove the dial, the foreign object, swelled on the end by tightening the dial screw onto it, will have to be drilled out.

The best and most "correct" solution is to use a longer dial foot screw. If one isn't available, and can't easily be made, the head of the existing screws can be "shaved" a little on the bottom, which will allow the threaded section to screw farther into the hole.

Less desirable, but similarly effective solutions are to either A.) solder the dimple in the dial foot with soft solder, and fill it up; or B.) use a screw countersink or a dental burr to cut the countersink hole in the plate a little deeper. That also will allow the screw to go in a little more, but it'll also reduce the number of threads holding the screw in place, and permanently alter the plate (though probably not in a significantly harmful way).


------------------
Steve Maddox
President, NAWCC Chapter #62
North Little Rock, Arkansas

[towrope]

I should have made it more clear in my last posting that the idea is to push the metal that has been displaced by the dial foot screw back into the area where the screw will contact, not to use enough pressure to twist the dial foot itself. You want the pliers or tweezers to slide over the surface and cold work the soft copper back into its original shape. If done carefully, it should move enough metal to allow the screw to tighten, provided ,of course , there has been no metal loss.
Once again, the best way is to replace the feet with new ones, but this has worked for me. I tried it last night on several old dials I had. Practice first!!
Towrope
Jay Thomas
NAWCC member #0156966

[This message has been edited by towrope (edited 11-04-2002).]