This is very basic, but clearly I am doing something wrong on reassembly after cleaning, polishing etc. When I attended a week of basic clock repair at NAWCC headquarters in Columbia PA several years ago, I was taught to reassemble the plates and gears with the movement in a horizontal plane, and my thumb underneath one plate, and my forefingers above on the other plate and to work the pivots into their holes beginning at the bottom near the mainspring barrel and working gradually to the top where the EW and anchor live. Of course the movements we were working on were not as delicate as 400 day movements. Ingrahams were typical. I have recently had a Schatz 49, and a "Germany" fail to run due to bent pivots on the anchor and EWs. Earlier today, I corrected the pivots on the German using some time on a friends metal lathe. I am sure I am being too heavy handed on reassembly and bending the pivots in the process. It seems like a better way to assemble, is to place the front plate, horizointally down, and place each wheel in the gear train in place, scooting them gently around until all the pivots and holes align with the back plate, without the alligator mouth leverage of the thumb and forefinger sqeezing the two plates together. Is there a better way to reassemble?
Most visitors online was 4107 , on 14 Jan 2023