What is the best way...

[fecit^im]

to remove a balance staff?
Any preferred method? How do u go about it to avoid deforming the wheel and how to straighten it when it occurs...pointers please.

[fecit^im]

to remove a balance staff?
Any preferred method? How do u go about it to avoid deforming the wheel and how to straighten it when it occurs...pointers please.

[MikeP]

Riveted staff or friction staff? If a friction staff, a staking tool is used with the appropriate stakes. A riveted staff should be removed by turning off the "head" portion in the lathe. There is also a special tool for use with a staking set that many people use to remove a riveted staff without turning it off on the lathe. It works pretty well but is not as "safe" a method as turning off the rivet - it can still distort the balance under some conditions.

"The Watch Repairer's Manual" by Henry Fried covers all staff-related operations in great detail, including straightening balances, etc. I highly recommend the book. Short of quoting the many pages (and pictures) verbatim, I can think of no way to explain it properly on a site like this. But perhaps others here who are better with words and explanations could properly do so...