how to locate pivots?

[eric69]

I found its very hard to locate these pivots into their holes when reassembled. can anyone tell some tricks. thanks,

[eric69]

I found its very hard to locate these pivots into their holes when reassembled. can anyone tell some tricks. thanks,

[Mikrolisk]

Well, you need very much patience, really less addiction to aggression, some good tools (two long tapered grippers) and some luck.

:wink:

Andreas

[Harvey Mintz]

If the pivot is going into a jewel, you can usually see the pivot through the jewel, so you know which direction to move it.

If the pivot is going into a bushing, you can usually look from the under side of the place (on larger watches) and see the hole. If you can't (either because of the watch's construction or its' size), then you look through the side of the movement and try to position the wheel so it's exactly parallel to the plate; that will pretty much allways find the hole.

I mount the movement in a movement holder so I can pick the holder up without putting fingreprints on the movement. If you need a little down pressure on the place to hold things together, you can put a small blob of clean Rodico on the plate and push on it with your finger.

Mostly, though, this takes a combination of patience and practice.

[Mikrolisk]

Perhaps you are interested in some pictures?

I took some photos when cleaning two of my english (full plated) pocket watches. Although the descriptions are in german language you can see all the steps (disassembling, cleaning, assembling).

First, an english lever pocket watch, key-wound/-set without chain/fusee:
http://www.mikrolisk.de/show.php?site=205&chapter=7 (http://www.mikrolisk.de/show.php?site=205&chapter=7)

Or second, another english lever pocket watch with chain and fusee:
http://www.mikrolisk.de/show.php?site=205&chapter=8 (http://www.mikrolisk.de/show.php?site=205&chapter=8)

Does this help?

Note: I am not a watchmaker, just a hobbyist!

Regards, Andreas

[John Pavlik]

Andreas,

Just one question on assembly. In the fusee picture, you show the chain wound around the barrel, How do you "keep" the chain wound around the mainspring barrel before installing the top plate..

Regards,
John Pavlik

[Mikrolisk]

Well,
first I had some problems (of that you a thinking right now), the chain falls down every time I tried to set on the bottom plate. But a little bit of Rodico at the outer side of the barrel fixed the chain - thus I was able to put the plate on and span the main spring.
I know there are other ways (adding the chain after setting the plate), but I am only a hobbyist who found out this way on his own - and it worked!

Andreas

[Don Dahlberg]

You do not always need to see the pivot and the hole to know they are close. When the wheel is parallel with the plate, then the pivot is in or nearly in the hole. So I often just manipulate the wheel to get it parallel with the plate and the pivot falls in the hole.

Don