Bench Test!

 

Week 34

 This week we had a bench tester, Nine from Thailand.

She is working on black polishing.

 

STUDENT HIGHLIGHTS

Workshop A

Students:
    Amer, Dunham, Daniel, David, Harold, Miguel

    This week Amer and Dunny passed their escapement exams and moved on to hairsprings. They learned how to disassemble and reassemble a balance complete.

    This week David continued working on pivot gauges, Daniel made a hand vise, and Miguel made 2 pairs of anvils for his Horia tools.

The hand vise was milled from a round bar and black rhodium plated.

The screw was turned from a steel bar and the handle was knurled. It still has some stains from the heat treatment.

The front steel plate is held by a screw and a friction fit pin.

Miguel's 2 pairs of Anvils. The pair on the left are for 3mm plated in white rhodium and the other pair is for 4mm and plated with black rhodium.

The 4mm pair in a Horia tool.

The 3mm pair in a Horia tool.

    This week Harold continued to assemble and disassemble 2 of the 7 movements multiple times. The learning also included a troubleshooting (the elimination of unintended position shift of the operating lever spring between the plates). Will continue until proficient.

GUEST STARRING

Workshop B

Students:
   Ivan, Louis, Varun

    This week Ivan, Louis and Varun learned how to use the milling machine.

    Varun also completed his graver holder, barrel closing tool, and an attachment plate for the polishing tripod.

Left: Barrel Closing Tool
Top Center: Graver Holder
Bottom Center: Tripod Attachment

 

 COMING UP NEXT...

 

 Next week will be the start of Geneva Watch days and we will be going to visit the exhibiting brands!

 

Thank you for reading! Hope to see you next week! 

Back to school!

 

Week 33

Welcome back! Summer break is over and already a lot of things happened.

Starting this week we have a new student from Jordan, Faris! He will be taking the 8 month technician course.

 

SUMMER HIGHLIGHTS 

Restoration Course

During the restoration course, the students learned how to make a variety of parts by making practice prototypes in brass with different machines.

They learned how to make the hour wheel and various winding and setting parts on a lathe, with a milling attachment and on a pantograph.

Henrik giving a demonstration of how to turn a piece between centers

Template drawing of the yoke pieces to be made

Team effort! One person will trace the outline of the part, and the other has to watch the piece to ensure the endmill does not fall out of the work area or cross over the piece.

Test piece made of brass in the movement.

Hour wheel and 2 yokes made of brass

Finishing Course

In the finishing course the students learned to black polish screws and flat parts, straight graining, frosting, sandblasting, matte finish on steel, black polished countersinks, beveling, finished flanks of the bridge, finishing techniques on the lathe such as sunray and snailing. They also learned bluing, electroplating and charbonage!

Snailing done on the lathe between the spindle and the milling attachment.

Finished snail pattern on a ratchet wheel!

  Congratulations to everyone who completed the restoration and finishing course!

 

STUDENT HIGHLIGHTS

Workshop B

    Students:
    Dean, Faris, Ivan, Louis, Tetsu, Varun
 

    This week the students of Workshop B learned how to do electroplating! They learned how to plate tools and parts made of brass with various metals like rhodium and yellow gold.   

    Ivan, Louis and Varun learned how to do frosting with aluminium oxide!

    Ivan finished his pressfit plate and graver holder.

 

     Louis made a new bezel for his omega! He made it in brass and plated it yellow gold to match the original bezel which cracked!

The watch case with the new bezel installed (Left), Original cracked bezel (Right)

 

    This week, Tetsu and Dean continued working on their seven movements, ensuring cleanliness, oiling, escapement adjustments, and hairspring flatness. They will continue until the movements are finished and graded.

COMING UP NEXT...

 

Next week we will have a new bench tester from Thailand!

 

Thank you for reading, see you next week!