BUSY!

 WEEK 128

Michael

Origin : Malaysia 

Watchmaking class: Technician & Fullskill 

Current mood: I have finished the parts that was requested by Yuriy and was very satisfied with the results although I have to modify the cutter and learned a lot about cutter making as well. On the other hand, we went to the EPHJ on Wednesday and it was an eye opening event for me. It was great to meet different people and various companies such as dial makers, case makers, movement suppliers and so on. There was also many interesting new start-up companies showing their sleeves. Then, I am back to more repairs and preparing for my final exams in early October. Have a great weekend everyone! 

Renato & David

Origin: Zug, Zürich, Switzerland

Watchmaking class: Fullskill

Current mood: Finished polishing the big cylinders on the practice winding stem. Had some scratches there and pegwood with a special diamond paste fixed that. Finally moved on to my first restoration project(s)! Two high grade pocket watch chrono movements that need some attention. For the first one I made a brass prototype winding stem. Very interesting, as there was no original stem at all for it. Taking the measures and seeing how it fit is great. More to come on this one later. Started a steel winding stem on the other movement as well. It came with the wrong (and broken) stem and the crown was screwed onto it. They crown is a conical square press fit though... looking forward to see that one work again. It will also get a custom display case. Nice! Renato

This week I worked on practicing making winding stem slots in hardened and tempered steel. To do this I had to make a specialised slot graver from tungsten carbide. I used the Agathon diamond grinding machine to modify the graver to the specified dimensions. Turning steel in the 8mm lathe was easy with this tool, but the right technique needs to be applied to achieve the correct results. David

Francesco, Åsmund & Robert

Origin: Italy, Norway, USA

Watchmaking class: Fullskill 

Current mood: I've been practicing on the lathe with a hand-held graver. The project eventually ends as a reverse/female cone, "eventually"...as this is a skill that will take some development. This is one of those steps that keeps popping up and filling me with admiration for those that have mastered this art of watchmaking and all it's skills...and we are starting off with the easy steps.

Speaking of "easy" steps, I did two filing trials. It seems that each time I do this exercise, I think of another way to speed up a step, or combine two steps, or increase the accuracy of the finished parts. The last filing trial was code-named..."Scientific Process". In addition to the usual calipers, I used some precision parallels, light waves, and atomic-level shearing to make the two parts..."light waves"- provided by the bench's overhead light tubes, I had to see, after all...and "atomic-level shearing"- fancy term for making metal chips, this is what filing does, separates bonds between atoms.

Every week there seems to be a new way of looking at something we've learned, and having the opportunity to explore it, and get better at it...and that's why we are here!

Robert

Hello everyone.

This week has been passing very fast, we only had four days of school since me and David went to the EPHJ on Wednesday, which was very good. Got to see lots of interesting tools and equipment for the industry. Also met companies that made very beautiful dials, both artistic and engine turned dials which is very interesting. Got many ideas for my future watch design! 

We also have been introduced to the Aciera F1 milling machine and how to use it. Next week I will be practicing milling, I am looking forward to that. 

Have a good weekend. 

-Åsmund 

This week I finished some tools for the grading at the Schaublin 70. After the lesson I did a lot of practice on zeroing at the Aciera 1 with the microscope. You can reach an high precision with it, I got only 0,03 mm off. For the final touch I needed a dial indicator, with which I reached the perfect straightness.

Then I did some practice on a thick brass piece  on which I have learnt how to cut with some different endmills in the correct position. 

See you next Friday! Francesco.

STEP 1:  SPECIAL PROJECT! (MICHAEL)

Michael made an experimental pinion for a compressor case watch crown to turn the internal bezel, Very interesting work!

STEP 2:  RESTORATION! (RENATO)

Renato design and made a winding stem for one of his pocket watches, this one is the brass prototype, after he will do the steel one since this one worked perfectly!

STEP 3:  POLISHING WINDING STEM! (RENATO)

Renato also practiced polishing his first winding stem and the result looks rather good!

STEP 4:  TREATS! (ALL FROM CJ)

We got a surprise gift from CJ who graduated a few years ago, Thank you for these very lovely treats!!!

STEP 5:  BOOKS! (RENATO)

Nice treat from Renato!

STEP 6:  MILLING! (ASMUND, FRANCESCO, ROBERT)

Robert squaring up stock!

Francesco using the milling machine!

STEP 7:  EPHJ! (ASMUND, DAVID, MICHAEL)

Networking!

STEP 8:  SLOT GRAVER! (DAVID)

David made his first slot graver to be used to make the winding stem slot!

HENRIK's WORDS:

This week got really busy! I will keep it short as I am running out of time, Asmund, Robert and Francesco got introduced to the manual milling machine and had each a try, Robert had his Birthday so we also had a really nice evening celebrating him! Renato learn how to design a winding stem for one of his pocket watches as it was missing and he had to use the interacting parts to figure out the new design, I am sure it must have been an interesting new thing for him to learn! Also Michael finished his special project, which came out really nice in the end!! Anyway, very busy week but also really interesting!  Have a great weekend everyone!