Thanksgiving! (or close enough)

 

   Week 49

This week Craig continued his tradition of organizing a school-wide potluck to celebrate the U.S. holiday of Thanksgiving. The feast had to be delayed a week due to Art's final exam, but there was enough delicious food that no one cared too much about such details. Nearly everyone in the school brought something, from Craig's staple Chicken Pot Pie and Michael's Malaysian chicken skewers, to Christiaan's cheese rolls made with Vegemite and Joan's Tortilla de Patatas. Even Henrik made traditional Swedish Gubbröra.

STUDENT HIGHLIGHTS

Workshop A

Students:
    Art, Bernd, Cesar, Joan, Louis Lu, Mun, Nine

     Bernd, Cesar, Joan, and Louis Lu are working through maintenance of the gear train, learning how to inspect and true the wheels to perfect flatness.

Workshop B

Students:
    Christiaan, Craig, Gary, Jaewon, Philippe, Sense    

 

Christiaan, Gary, and Philippe were busy this week, learning both how to use the boring attachment of the jig borer and how to cut gear teeth on the lathe.

 

 

Christiaan lining up the gear tooth cutter to the correct height

 Jaewon also had a productive week, finishing both his pointed nose vise and polishing tripod base, both with a sparkling sandblasted finish.

Pointed nose vise

Tripod base

Thank you for reading!

Hope to see you again next week

The end is near

 This Friday Artemiy has finished his final exam. 5 movements in 5 days, so this weekend is time for celebration.

Hard at work

Craig has also managed to finished manufacturing all the parts for his school watch. When assembled it beats soundly! It is a lovely manual wound calibre, now what is left for him is adjustments and the finishing. 

Jaewon learnt this week how to operate ours school’s jig borer, so he can finish making the tools in the micro mechanics course. Although it is not a very dangerous machine compared to the others, it is the most complicated to use. 

Gary always experimenting, is now trying some enamel dial variations with different layers of powder. They are coming out very lovely!

Blue like the ocean

A few of our students drove up the mountain last night in the snow to attend an event in the watchmaking museum. The event was the 179 years anniversary of Ulysse Nardin. A talk was given on the history of marine chronometers and their technical development. Afterwards we were given the opportunity to see some lovely pieces produced by them.

Until next time!

Milling Time

   Week 47

Is it hot chocolate weather? It's hot chocolate weather.

STUDENT HIGHLIGHTS

Workshop A

Students:
    Art, Bernd, Cesar, Joan, Louis Lu, Mun, Nine

     Art spent the week preparing for his Final Exam. It's crunch time!

 

Cesar worked together with Christiaan to try laser engraving as an approach for drilling holes for dial indices. Very flashy, but don't look directly at it.

 

Workshop B

Students:
    Christiaan, Craig, Gary, Jaewon, Philippe, Sense    

 

Gary has been hard at work on the milling machine, creating prototypes for several case designs.

  

 Jaewon and Philippe also spent some time on the milling machine this week, using the angled vise to make the the wedge shape of the polishing tripod. Jaewon started the milling process for the tripod, while Philippe finished his.

 

Jaewon starting the tripod

Philippe's finished product

Thank you for reading!

Hope to see you again next week

It’s alive!

 The milestone Craig achieved with his watch is that it runs for a full day after being wound. His watch is based on the ETA 7001. He re-designed the mainplate and all bridges, and machined them all by hand. This was done in addition to all regular course work.

The next steps are an improved custom barrel arbor and custom crown wheel, followed by finishing and plating.

Our newest student, Jae won, is trying out some finishing techniques. Here he used grattage on his posing plate, came out looking lovely.

Lovely 

Chris is doing some hand turning exercises before he moves on to pivot gauges and balance staff. He made a cute stand for all his work on the lathe.

Look at those boys on display 

Likewise, Phillip spent a few days mastering the slot graver. Practicing for the winding stem slot. He made a cute stand for his finished pierces.

Lil guys lined up

The senior students who have recently started their technician course are getting classes from their professor on the intricacies of oiling the keyless and motion works. Having 7 different calibres of varying sizes and types to practice on. Recently they also learned how to service and restore a barbell, fixing end and side shakes. In addition they are also practicing how to fix bent wheels! A useful skill of restoring an ancient watch with no spare parts.

Until next time!

Mun Graduates

 

   Week 44

Congratulations to Daniel Sai Mun Lam! This Friday he graduated after finishing the technician course. And he's moving quickly; he will have a full weekend of rest before heading straight to work on Monday.

 

Cheers!

STUDENT HIGHLIGHTS

Workshop A

Students:
    Art, Bernd, Cesar, Joan, Louis Lu, Mun, Nine

     Bernd, Cesar, Joan, and Louis turned a corner in their coursework this week. First, they finished the hour wheel exam, bringing the first year of micromechanics to a close. 

 

Machining the teeth to the right profile

 

They now move on to year two technician work, starting with oiling Incablock jewels.

A LOT of Incablock jewels

Workshop B

Students:
    Christiaan, Craig, Gary, Jaewon, Philippe, Sense    

 

Craig ended the week by passing the hairspring exam, and did so significantly ahead of schedule. This will give him plenty of time to work on his own projects and hone his skills before he takes the final next year.

 

 Jaewon has progressed to another machine in the shop: the milling machine. This tool will be instrumental in several of his projects to come.

 

Thank you for reading!

Hope to see you again next week

Break comes with a storm

 With school coming to an end before a 4 day break, what better send off than a large storm that just arrived and will be staying until the end of the break.

This week was a shorter one but eventful nonetheless. Starting with the most important, Mun took his final exam!

In the last few days he took his written and oral exam, as well as two practical exams, best of luck!

Some students have reached the final hurdle of their first year in micro mechanics. The final task being to complete an hour wheel. Teeth cutting is a time consuming but enjoyable. 

Teeth

More teeth

Teeth aside, the new students have started making progress on their winding stems. This week, playing with fire, they have started to learn to process of hardening and tempering steel bars. 

Burn baby burn 

Ending with Art and Craig who have now started to dive into the intricacies of the chronograph. Their brain powers quickly depleting after a few hours of theory.

Well that’s it for now, until next week!

Cookout!

 

   Week 42

Over the weekend, the students made the most of the fading warmth of autumn and all gathered together for cookout and bonfire. Everyone ate their fill of hamburgers, mac & cheese, and marshmallows before relaxing around the fire. Many thanks to Christiaan for the use of his backyard.

 

STUDENT HIGHLIGHTS

Workshop A

Students:
    Art, Bernd, Cesar, Joan, Louis Lu, Mun, Nine

     A solid achievement for Art this week as he passed his hairspring exam with commendable marks. A weight off his shoulders, to be sure, and one step closer to the Final.

The timing machine analysis for Art's balance and hairspring, showing an average rate (X) of +3 seconds/day and a maximum difference between all positions (D, or delta) of only 5 s/d.

Workshop B

Students:
    Christiaan, Craig, Gary, Jaewon, Philippe, Sense    

 

Philippe not only finished his hand-turning exercises, but made a very nice display block for them.

 

 

Craig used some of his time this weeks to perform a full service and adjustment of a ladies' Omega watch from the 1960s. Very small, and now ticking away happily.

All apart

All back together

Thank you for reading!

Hope to see you again next week