Friday, December 18, 2020

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

 WEEK 89

Happy Holidays!

Soon holiday! Had a really fun week as we ended the week with black-polishing! Willy and Michael also had their gear-train exams. We also had our end of year big cleaning, and everyone helped out, thank you! The school feels like new now and it will be so nice and refreshing to get back again! Thank you everyone for all the nice holiday wishes, we wish all of our readers the same! Enjoy the holidays, Christmas and new year and see you ones again in January.




Friday, December 11, 2020

ALMOST THERE!

 WEEK 88


Willy, Yuriy, Alex, Michael
Origin : Singapore, Canada, Taiwan, Malaysia 
Age: n. a.
Watchmaking class: Technician & Fullskill 
Current mood: Week of wonder (According to Willy). Markus baked brownies and made pizza. Alex and Yuriy did their real Gear Train exam. Willy and I will be doing it next week. Have not been feeling well myself and did a few trial exams as well. Looking forward to Christmas!


Pierre Aubert
Origin :Toulouse, France.
Age : 24
Watchmaking class: Fullskill
Current mood: Modifying the 6498’s crown wheel and making a cupping wheel for it! I first turned the step for the crown wheel following last week’s design. Next I turned the cupping wheel with its step higher than the crown wheel’s in order to allow some endshake. Before drilling and tapping the hole for the cupping wheel, I did some lapping with the crown wheel. I did that on the lathe with some tetrabore.
I then drilled the cupping wheel on the jigborer and tapped it.
Last but not least I hardened the cupping wheel and tempered it. Because of hardening, the endshake is gone and I will have to clean the piece and lap it again for smooth functioning. But that did not prevent me from checking how it would look :)! And also see how’s the hidden screw looking from under the bridge! Voilà for this week! Lots of work and I am very much looking forward to resting this weekend. See you next week everyone!


Name: Markus McDonald.
Origin: Stockholm, Sweden. 
Course: 2 years full skill course.
Current mode: 
This week I continued with the hairspring module tackling each new part and the theory.
So far this module has been both challenging and rewarding hitting a wall occasionally but being able to move forward thanks to previous experiences That have pushed me.


STEP 1: MICROMECHANICS! (TECHNICIAN)
Willy making a brass hammer.
Head to be modified later.

Michael made wooden stands for tools and Horia anvils in brass.

Alex working on a special screw for one of his tools, this will be the outer brass part and below is the inner stainless steel part.



Turned, drilled and milled in the lathe.

STEP 2: VIBRATING/COUNTING! (MARKUS)
Markus vibrating one of his oscillators.


STEP 3: SCHOOL WATCH! (PIERRE)
Pierre working on his crown wheel.










HENRIK's WORDS:

Can’t believe we only have one more week left before holidays! This week turned out to be rather creative, the technician course students who finished the barrel and gear exam went back to do all kinds of creative micromechanical work, the Aciera F1, Lathes, Jig borer etc. were all in great use. Markus learned how to vibrate hairsprings as well as lining up inner (collet) and outer pinning points (regulating point) called the 2nd pinning. Pierre was working on his school watch with the crown wheel modification doing good progress, Indeed a nice week! Have a great weekend everyone! 

Friday, December 4, 2020

SNOW!

 WEEK 87



Willy, Yuriy, Alex, Michael
Origin : Singapore, Canada, Taiwan, Malaysia 
Age: n. a.
Watchmaking class: Technician & Fullskill 
Current mood: Winter has come, and during the cold are our first 2 trial exams. As to all exams, the first one is always a bit difficult. It is one thing to complete each task separately and quite another when you have to complete all of them within a certain time frame. Prioritizing is crucial, same with working for a real client. The exam is designed in a way that it is a reflection of the real world, which is amazing in me opinion. Anyway, e all improved a lot for our second trial, so that's great. Some of us will for sure take the real exam next week so fingers crossed. Calling it a day here. Winter has come!!!


Pierre Aubert
Origin :Toulouse, France.
Age : 24
Watchmaking class: Fullskill
Current mood: More time on the barrel bridge! I’ve prepared the bridge to receive a special cupping wheel for the crown wheel. The crown wheel will only consist of an outer ring with teeth, while it will be held in the middle by a cupping wheel with a central pin + a screw. Now the difference is that I’ve decided to hide this screw :)
In that regard I have drilled the hole required for the screw in the bridge and tapped it!
PS the middle section will rest on the bridge and have a second step slightly higher than the crown wheel in order to give it some endshake!
But for now it’s time to go home and rest! See you next week everyone!


Name: Markus McDonald.
Origin: Stockholm, Sweden. 
Course: 2 years full skill course.
Current mode: 
This week I continued with the hairspring module, Focusing on moving down the list of the various tasks and operation checks for the hairspring. The hairspring section has been one of the most intricate subjects I have tackled so far as even though their isn’t much to it in terms of material and inventory. It is one of the most complicated with many tools necessary for checks with an intricate theory built on contradictory rules and fundamentals that are very straightforward but since one step might have complete different rules to another it takes practice and patience.
In conclusion this module is one of the most intricate really distinguishing watching as a classic art.


STEP 1: SCHOOL WATCH! (PIERRE)
Drawing of the modifications to the original 6498 crown wheel. He wanted to have the crown wheel in a more pure style without the screw visible, that's why he decided to modify it and hide the screw so he can later make some nice finish in the center such as black polishing or matt finish or any other cool looking finish on steel.
Searching for a suitable screw.
Found one!
Making some modifications to the bridge as it will be fastened under so its not visible.
Tapping the screw hole.


STEP 2: TOOL MAKING! (ALEX)
Alex decided to finish some unfinished business as a relaxation in between the trial exams, here is his artistic style pointed nose vice in its raw state, will need some more machining.

Locating point made, time to drill!
Final hole drilled.
Tapping!
Trying out the function of the threaded screw holes with Michael's trial screws.



STEP 3: DIAL FEETS! (YURIY)
Thank you Yuriy! We will certainly find use of these in some future projects!




STEP 4: PROBLEM FOUND! (YURIY)
In a previous post 
http://khwcc.blogspot.com/2020/11/transmission-legacy.html we mentioned the reverse umbrella wheel that Yuriy found on one of his Zodiac watches, and we were wondering why this is the case before bending it flat, and now when he learn the jeweling he knows why! it was to compensate for the mainplate jewel being too low so the wheel was bent up to get clearance, otherwise with the lowered jewel this wheel would touch and stop the wheel, now with this new knowledge he can in the correct way solve this problem by first raising the jewel in the mainplate so its ones again correctly divided and then make the wheel flat again, knowledge is power!



STEP 5: SNOW! (ALL)
Its so much better with snow as it brings more light and everything looks amazing!



HENRIK's WORDS:

Great amount of snow arrived this week! Very beautiful! and we may get plenty more over the weekend! The technicians did some practice exams for the barrel and geartrain course this week and the trend is excellent! In between the trials they did some micromechanics and tool making. Markus started to pin up hairsprings to the collet and practiced restoring old hairsprings that were out of shape. Yuriy donated a dial feet assortment to the school, which we will first use to practice with on some old broken scrap dials next year, thank you Yuriy!! Pierre is going strong with his school watch. All in all, a very interesting, intense but also productive and fun week. Have a great weekend everyone! 



Friday, November 27, 2020

JEWEL BEARINGS!

 WEEK 86



Willy, Yuriy, Alex, Michael
Origin : Singapore, Canada, Taiwan, Malaysia 
Age: n. a.
Watchmaking class: Technician & Fullskill 
Current mood: Current emoji: Day by day, task intricacy increases. This week we had most fancy and complex topic by far: gear train and bushing. All sample movements, we have to work on, must be assessed for condition of gear distribution and end shake aspects. All possible malfunctions (broken or incorrectly installed  jewels) replaced or fixed. End shake of all train elements should be set in right progression up to nominal. It took great amount efforts and time of each student. Although it was very satisfying, when in end of the week you can feel a right 0.01mm end shake by hands without microscope!

We are ready for exam. Aren't we? :o)



Pierre Aubert
Origin :Toulouse, France.
Age : 24
Watchmaking class: Fullskill
Current mood: It was time to put my cutters to the test! I made a test piece before I milled on the actual piece. I wanted to see how well they were cutting and measure the potential flex in order to gauge the real travel I’d have to make on the real piece. I have to say I didn’t want to make a mistake on the real barrel bridge as it is the most time consuming bridge to make!
And I am happy to say that machining the recesses went very smoothly! It cut like butter. I then put the winding and setting mechanism in the watch and tested it with the barrel bridge on. It worked like a charm :) No more energy, it’s the end of the week. Time to rest. Have a good weekend everyone! See you next week!


Name: Markus McDonald.
Origin: Stockholm, Sweden. 
Course: 2 years full skill course.
Current mode: 
This week I continued to tackle the hairspring module continuing with the assembling and adjusting and finishing with the poising of the balance. 
Out of the steps so far I have found the poising the most complicated so far as in theory it doesn’t vary much from wheel flattening however what makes it challenging is how it is far more abstract as the poising is incredibly required much more analysis but as in everything it is highly doable.
In conclusion the module is coming along well and with everything it is super rewarding.


STEP 1: JEWELS! (TECHNICIAN COURSE)
Different types of antique natural and synthetic functional jewel bearings.

Horia and Seitz jeweling tools with various pushers and anvils, the more the merrier! 


STEP 2: STATIC POISING OF THE BALANCE! (MARKUS)
Markus practicing static poising of a balance.


STEP 3: TEA CEREMONY! (MICHAEL)
Michael preparing his tea at break time.
Looking delicious!


STEP 4: MILLING! (PIERRE)

Pierre milling the sliding and winding pinion recesses to the barrel bridge with his own made cutters!




HENRIK's WORDS:

This week switched to a bit slower pace, probably due to the new subjects requiring more thinking, the technician course students learn about jewel bearings in movements and the importance of having clearance, good division and correct end-shake and side-shake for small and thin movements up to pocket watch size, obviously they also had to learn how to correctly use jeweling tools to be able to correct the faults. Markus also learn something new and exciting, the static posing of the balance. Pierre could use the cutters he made last week which was nice to see. All in all, a very pleasant week. Have a great weekend everyone! 










Friday, November 20, 2020

TRANSMISSION & THE LEGACY!

 WEEK 85



Willy, Yuriy, Alex, Michael
Origin : Singapore, Canada, Taiwan, Malaysia 
Age: n. a.
Watchmaking class: Technician & Fullskill 
Current mood: Another fun week working with barrels and mainsprings. Getting better with adjusting side shake and end shake. Towards end of the week started doing Flatness Check for the wheels... oh my patience i need to be. Slow is smooth,  smooth is fast. 


Pierre Aubert
Origin :Toulouse, France.
Age : 24
Watchmaking class: Fullskill
Current mood: Very interesting week: I’ve had to make specific cutters before I can mill the sliding and winding pinions’ recesses. It’s the first time I have had to do something like this and I really enjoyed it. It’s getting cold, we’ve had a tiny bit of snow. I am hoping for a lot more in the upcoming weeks. Have a great weekend everyone! See you next week.


Name: Markus McDonald.
Origin: Stockholm, Sweden. 
Course: 2 years full skill course.
Current mode: 
This week I both continued my caliber work and started with the hairspring module specifically a mix of theory and practical such as disassemble and reassembly. 
This was a nice combination and change of pace.
In conclusion this was a solid week


STEP 1: WHEELS & PINIONS! (TECHNICIAN COURSE)

Upon inspection of these wheels from one of Yuriy's vintage Zodiac watches, we can see the pivot with its shoulder for the above wheel is worn, and for the wheel below it has been shaped as a reversed umbrella, most likely to compensate for another error which we will find out later when learning about divisions, side-shakes, end-shakes and clearances of the gear train.

For this wheel, a guide is used to find the spot which is out of flatness, then marked and corrected at that spot.

The wheel is then placed between two anvils with holes in the Horia jeweling tool that would isolate the pinion from the wheel, and near the ink mark, corrected with wood to make it flat again. 

STEP 2: MAKING THREADS IN THE LATHE! (YURIY)
Above making the thread, below the thread.

It was for this tool the thread was made, Yuriy also learn how to turn long tapers as well as experimenting with spotting on the base of the tool, looks cool!


STEP 3: MAKING CUTTERS! (PIERRE)
Designing the cutters.

Setting up the lathe for making the cutters.

After milling and turning the cutter.
Below; hardening the cutter.

Below; Tempering the cutter.
Below cutters ready to mill:








HENRIK's WORDS:

The Technician course feels as if it has reached warp speed now 😊 Most of the barrels from last week have already been properly serviced so we started to have a look at the transmission unit, specifically the wheels and pinions from the centre or great wheel all the way to the escape pinion. Pierre keeps on progressing well with his school watch and Markus started a new course; the balance and hairspring course, learning how to restore watches with a broken balance staff, including disassembly of balance complete with extraction of broken balance staff practicing different techniques, as well as how to rivet back a new balance staff and attach the double roller including all the necessary checks as well as truing the balance in the flat. The school also had the good fortune to be passed on a legacy from a good friend of the school who passed away recently, his wish was to pass on his legacy to the school so that his watchmaking tools can continue to be used in classical watchmaking for the next generation watchmakers and technicians. Such a powerful gesture will never be forgotten! Have a great weekend everyone!


STEP 4: THE LEGACY! (KHWCC)