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!