THE CALM BEFORE THE STORM!

 WEEK 186

Team B

Origin: Japan/Switzerland & Canada

Name: Tetsu & Dean

Watchmaking class: Fullskill 

Current mood:

This week, (24~28 October) Dean & Tetsu continued their basic training of pivot gauge turning.

From φ2.0 blued steel, base pieces were cut off to required lengths with 45° cones on both ends by using the Schaublin lathes. 

Then a piece with a glued carrier was set to the Horia 8mm lathes and turned down the specified area to φ1.0.

This will become a handle for a pivot gauge.

As the introduction stage, Dean and Tetsu were turning the blued steel with HSS (high speed steel) gravers before using hard metal (tungsten carbide) gravers, which they will be using heavily next week, so that they would understand and feel the differences.

The real work (pivot turning) will be coming shortly.

We wish you all a nice weekend! 

Dean & Tetsu

Team C

Origin: Switzerland, Norway & USA

Name: Renato, David, Francesco, Åsmund & Robert

Watchmaking class: Fullskill 

Current mood:

Hello everyone,

This week me, Francesco and Robert started off with an introduction to barrel service and restoration. Henrik taught us basically a-z on techniques and different approaches on how to handle barrels for all modern, vintage and even antique movements. He gave us 6 barrels in total with different faults and then we have to use what we learned to approach the problem and solve it, in other words this week was really busy with barrels. 

It’s great getting closer and closer to being able to service watches on our own! 

A few months ago I bought a micrometer stand with a micrometer attached to it. The micrometer only measured 0.01 and I wanted a digital micrometer which measures 0.001. The obstacle would then be that I had to make an adapter to attach to the stand and bore out a precise 8mm hole for the new micrometer, since the new one wouldn’t have fitted onto the stand. I decided to go with German silver for the adapter since that was the biggest bar I had available in school. I got my micrometer last week and it had a big round tip which is useless in my situation - back to this week; last evening I made a new tip with 0.75mm. The results are pretty great so far imo, but I need a way to lift the measuring tip for ease of measuring. 

 

Fransesco is still working on his school project and this weekend Henrik brought him to his brother to borrow some special equipment that he needed. Unfortunately we all couldn’t go, but Henrik took a lot of pictures of his workshop - and it’s a really well equipped workshop! Hopefully we might get a chance in the future! 

Have a good weekend! 

STEP 1: GRAVERS! (TETSU & DEAN)

Tetsu and Dean busy grinding gravers made from HSS to cut hardened and tempered steel by hand!

STEP 2: MODIFICATIONS! (DAVID)

David busy modifying a tool for escapement adjustments for upcoming practice exams!

STEP 3: WATCHES! (ÅSMUND)

Asmund submitted a collection of watches that he will later in the course overhaul and repair!

STEP 4: SCHOOL WATCH! (FRANCESCO)

Francesco and Michael went to Henriks brother to borrow some specialized tools for Francesco's school watch project!

STEP 5: MACHINING! (ROBERT)

Robert made his barrel closing tool!

STEP 6: HAND TURNING! (TETSU)

Tetsu got really long strains of blue steel when turning!

HENRIK's WORDS:

 

 

The weather was a bit mixed but we got summer like conditions on Thursday and Friday! Renato and David did 2 Escapement practice exams this week and Asmund, Robert and Francesco worked mostly on preparing tools for barrels and mainspring work and also started to restore various size barrels, Tetsu and Dean continue to turn blue steel between fixed centres with HSS gravers! Me and Michael have been super busy preparing for the new students coming next week! Me, Michael and Francesco went to see my brother to use some specialized tools for Francesco's school watch project! It was a very nice week! Have a great weekend everyone!

BARRELS!

 WEEK 185

Team B

Origin: Japan/Switzerland & Canada

Name: Tetsu & Dean

Watchmaking class: Fullskill 

Current mood:

This week, (17-21 October) Henrik introduced Tetsu and Dean to pivot gauges, which are used to measure the diameter of holes.  In order to make them, Henrik demonstrated the concept of turning between centres, whereby the work piece is supported at both fixed ends using the Horia 8 mm lathe with head and tail stocks designed for such turning.  This ensures that the workpiece may be machined, removed from the lathe for measuring, then returned to the lathe while maintaining the workpiece’s original central axis to avoid getting eccentric.

A bit of prep work was required to get started by way of making a tool called a “carrier.”  The carrier holds the workpiece in a piece of metal, in this case a small piece of brass with a hole punched for very close fitting  and supplemented with glue to temporarily hold it in place.  Another hole is drilled for the headstock’s drive pin to turn the workpiece.

Tetsu and Dean will be working on practicing their cutting and burnishing skills as they start making their first pivot gauges.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Dean & Tetsu

Team C

Origin: Switzerland, Norway & USA

Name: Renato, David, Francesco, Åsmund & Robert

Watchmaking class: Fullskill 

Current mood:

We learned the last part of the Swiss lever escapement; how to use the escapemeter in order to adjust pallet jewel positions, so that they were safe. Understanding drop, total lock and run to the banking. Adjusting total locks for performance and safety. This resulted in us fine tuning the escapement for the most optimal performance.

Renato & David

STEP 1: BARRELS! (ÅSMUND, ROBERT & FRANCESCO)

Asmund, Robert and Francesco learned a lot about barrel servicing!

STEP 2: WINDING & SETTING! (ÅSMUND, ROBERT & FRANCESCO)

Asmund, Robert & Francesco also experienced very old winding and setting systems.

STEP 3: MACHINING! (ÅSMUND)

Asmund finished another object!

STEP 4: WINDING STEMS! (TETSU)

Tetsu finished some more winding stems!

STEP 5: WINDING STEMS! (DEAN)

Dean testing his winding stem in the case to estimate how long to make the thread for the crown.

STEP 6: BOOKS! (RENATO COLLECTION)

Renato brought these must haves for serious Rolex collectors for everyone to enjoy in the school!

HENRIK's WORDS:

It got warm and sunny most part of the week! Renato and David learned the final part of the Swiss lever escapement servicing, and Asmund, Robert and Francesco worked mostly on lubrication of various winding and setting systems as well as study some very old and different types, Tetsu and Dean learn how to turn blue steel between fixed centres with HSS gravers before they try hard metal gravers! Towards the end of the week Asmund, Robert and Francesco also learn a lot about the barrel and mainspring, which they will work on next week! Super busy week! But it was really enjoyable and interesting at the same time! Have a great weekend everyone! 

ICELAND & HAIRSPRINGS!

 WEEK 184

Team B

Origin: Japan/Switzerland & Canada

Name: Tetsu & Dean

Watchmaking class: Fullskill 

Current mood:

This week, (10~14 October) having passed their exams successfully, Dean & Tetsu continued producing mandatory extra 3 winding stems.

No time limit was required, but the quality must be higher than the exam pieces.

Also making one from blued steel has been set as another project.

Dean took this opportunity as one of the restoration work, which will be added to his repair points.

Tetsu tried the same way as his exam piece to feel and understand the difference between the materials.

They are hoping to finish all in a good shape within a reasonable time scale, and getting into the next step; pivot gauges!

We wish you all a nice weekend! 

Dean & Tetsu

Team C

Origin: Switzerland, Norway & USA

Name: Renato, David, Francesco, Åsmund & Robert

Watchmaking class: Fullskill 

Current mood:

Francesco- This was a week that contained some time spent on a special school project, as well as continuing with the current curriculum of introduction to watch movements: Winding and setting systems, and the Incabloc shock-protection system.

Åsmund- This week was close to a carbon-copy of Francesco's, putting the winding and setting systems into various watch movements, and dis-assembling, cleaning, oiling and re-assembling Incablocs.

Oiling these involves putting a drop of oil onto the center of a flat jewel about the size of the letter "o" in this article, then placing that jewel on top of another jewel in a setting, and placing a little spring about the size of a capital letter "S" on top of that.

Robert- I would only be repeating an explanation of the week of Francesco and Åsmund as above. I did do the dis-assembly of an escape meter I acquired, I want to make sure the internals are in good shape, then might do some finishing on the outside to embellish it a little bit.

We are currently getting rain, too early for snow. Gorgeous weather when we have a dry day.

-Robert

STEP 1: HAIRSPRING COURSE! (GUDRUN)

We had a watchmaker all the way from Iceland who took the hairspring course!

STEP 2: SHOCK ABSORBERS! (ÅSMUND, FRANCESCO & ROBERT)

Robert, Francesco and Asmund were servicing shock absorbers!

STEP 3: HAIRSPRINGS! (GUDRUN)

Gudrun tweaking hairsprings!

STEP 4: WINDING STEMS! (TETSU)

Tetsu working on some final winding stems!

STEP 5: ESCAPEMENTS! (RENATO)

Renato working with escapement adjustments!

STEP 6: SCHOOL WATCH! (FRANCESCO)

Francesco continued with his school watch work!

STEP 7: WINDING STEMS! (DEAN)

Dean was working on his winding stem for his Omega!

STEP 8: CANDY! (EVERYONE)

Gudrun brought some typical Icelandic candy for everyone to enjoy! 

STEP 9: DEMAGNETIZERS! (RENATO)

Renato got himself a bit larger than usual demagnetizer!! 

STEP 10: LE LOCLE! (EVERYONE)

We were all greeted with this amazing sky on Thursday morning!

HENRIK's WORDS:

This week we had Gudrun from Iceland taking the hairspring course and as she was the only one in the course I could adapt the content exclusively to her needs! She works together with Robert Michelsen who was my student way back when I was in WOSTEP and later worked as a teacher together with me as well, small world! During the hairspring course for Gudrun, Michael took over the Fullskill class to guide them with incablocs, winding and setting mechanisms as well as giving advice to David and Renato regarding the checking of the Swiss lever escapement adjustments! Dean and Tetsu continued with their final winding stems as well! It was a very enjoyable week! Have a great weekend everyone!