Hi guys
I've got a Japy Freres French clock movement in which stopped, and the reason I've discovered is that the pivot on the escape wheel is broken (a little stub left). The arbor is 1.1mm across before the shoulder, and judging from the stub the pivot might be around 0.4mm.
I can get carbide drill bits this small, and with a micro-chuck I think I can hold them in the tailstock. I'm going to do some tests on a few scraps as I have not worked on anything remotely approaching this level of delicacy before (generally I'm looking at longcase clock parts - giants, by comparison). Can anyone advise on tips, tricks or generally the best way to do this? I'm concerned about concentricity, how to spot the centre of such a small arbor, and how to support the part in the chuck - I imagine even the slightest wobble is going to break the drill bit?
Many thanks,
Michael
I've got a Japy Freres French clock movement in which stopped, and the reason I've discovered is that the pivot on the escape wheel is broken (a little stub left). The arbor is 1.1mm across before the shoulder, and judging from the stub the pivot might be around 0.4mm.
I can get carbide drill bits this small, and with a micro-chuck I think I can hold them in the tailstock. I'm going to do some tests on a few scraps as I have not worked on anything remotely approaching this level of delicacy before (generally I'm looking at longcase clock parts - giants, by comparison). Can anyone advise on tips, tricks or generally the best way to do this? I'm concerned about concentricity, how to spot the centre of such a small arbor, and how to support the part in the chuck - I imagine even the slightest wobble is going to break the drill bit?
Many thanks,
Michael