What Will Makes

Category: Horology

  • American Time-Only Clock: Cleaning, Making a New Strip Pallet Escapement

    American Time-Only Clock: Cleaning, Making a New Strip Pallet Escapement

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    This is an American time-only clock movement. It’s very simple because it only gives hour and minute, no bells or whistles. First I put a clamp over the spring and let down the power so I could safely take it apart. I cleaned the parts in an ultrasonic cleaner and by hand with a toothbrush.…

  • Clock Repair: Re-pivoting

    Clock Repair: Re-pivoting

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    In this exercise I practiced giving a shaft a new pivot by drilling a hole and turning a plug to fit the hole snuggly. I was surprised drilling the holes worked so well holding the bit just by hand. I then lathed a plug that fit about halfway in the hole and finally tapped it…

  • Clock Mainspring Barrel Repair Exercises: Teeth and Hook

    Clock Mainspring Barrel Repair Exercises: Teeth and Hook

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    This component houses the main coiled spring and transfers its energy. First I replaced 4 teeth. Cutting a slot was tricky because the barrel kept getting in the way of the jeweler’s saw. The plug needed a step taken out of it on the inside. Soldering the plug in place. After filing the top. Then…

  • Straightening Hairsprings

    Straightening Hairsprings

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    I spent three hours straightening out tangled hairsprings. They also had to be straight when viewed edge-on. I thought these were tricky, but then my instructor showed me some absolutely tiny hairsprings from small watches. I had to use my optivisor, but watchmaker’s literally need a microscope.

  • Replacing Teeth on a Clock Wheel

    Replacing Teeth on a Clock Wheel

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    Replacing Teeth: I removed some teeth from the great wheel of a clock then restored them. This involved cutting out a slot or dovetail, then a plug to fit, and either soldering or riveting it in place, and finally filing new teeth. Cutting a slot. Soldering the plug. Filing a new tooth using needle files.…

  • Watchmakers Lathe Exercises: Perfect Centers and Square Shoulder Pivots

    Watchmakers Lathe Exercises: Perfect Centers and Square Shoulder Pivots

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    Lathe Exercises: To get familiar with the lathe and using hand gravers I was tasked with making some center pivots and also a square shoulder pivot. The center pivots are simply a small hole in the end that comes to a point exactly at the center – they are useful for acting as a pilot…

  • Clock Repair First Days: Tools, File Exercises, and Watchmakers Lathe

    Clock Repair First Days: Tools, File Exercises, and Watchmakers Lathe

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    I have been learning clock repair for about two weeks now. This is a post just about some beginning exercises. Later posts in this series will cover only one topic. Firstly, here are some of the tools I’ve been learning to use: File Exercises and Heat Treating: I was given some stock and tasked with…