I am cleaning my Hamilton 934 and need some help. I have watched some DVD's about watch cleaning, I have purchased some watch cleaning solution and rinse. I have cleaned the parts as per the manufacturer's instruction by running in an ultra sonic cleaner foe 3 to 5 minutes. The caked on dried oil did not come off. I retried it after brushing it with a tooth brush. The dried oil still did not come off. I cleaned it again in the ultra sonic cleaner for 15 to 20 minutes and the dried oil was still there. I brushed it with a tooth brush and the dried oil still will not come off. The cleaner is getting pretty dirty. It started out a deep golden color and has now turned green but the dried oil will not come off.
Any suggestions out there?

Picture?

Harry
Pre cleaning is most important start with pegwood and alcohol remove all loose stuff and old grease oils etc.

Had to take the pictures. Chris I tried using the pegwood with both the one dip and the formula 67. I have not tried alcohol. I will try that while you both look at the pictures.

The dried caked on oil looks yellow in person and in these photos.

The other side.

Harry-

If you're talking about the yellow areas, that is actually where the platings on the brass plates has been worn off or is missing. That is the brass showing thru from underneath. The areas look clean to me.

Thanks,

Jared

Well do I feel STUPID! After looking at the photos that yellow looked more like brass than it did with my opti-visor so I got out my 20X power loop and it is brass. I did not know that these nickle movements were just nickle plated. I did not know they were brass. It now appears to me that this is a very worn 934.

The roller table was so worn that the half moon notch is all but worn away. That is probably why it was over banking.

I tried putting a 974 roller table on but it locks the pallet fork up. I did not think it would work but I did not and do not have and extra roller table for this 18s.

Please give me your honest opinion. You cans see how worn and scratched this plated is. The roller table has to be replaced and this PL 934 is also the watch that at least one and maybe two of the dial holes are stripped or damaged. The regulator arm had one of the tiny brass pins that hold the hairspring in place broken. I have already replace the pin but with all the wear this watch has do you think it is worth the effort to restore.

I don't have a lot of money in this and I do need a parts watch but I don't have another 934. The jewels look pretty good but with all the other problems I would like your thoughts.
Thank you

Thank you Jared I just figured that out. Please read my last comment and give me your opinion.

Harry, if you have other projects, then I think I would move on and save this one for parts, maybe come back to it another day, but if you've got time on your hands, why not try to restore. Just my opinion.

Gary

Hi Harry,

I would have to concur with Gary, going by the few photos and your comments about the other problems the watch has, you have one very used watch. In my opinion I would be looking for another and keep this one as parts, sometimes you just cannot save them all.

Best Regards,
Bila

I would like to see the movement side of the watch. As the underside [below the dial] will never be seen by anyone.

Harry-

I would have to oppose the other guys here and say this watch is still very well worth fixing, especially as a private label. This being a 17 jewel, there would have been minimal wear to the gears. I have seen this type of wear you are pointing out multiple times, including high grades such as bunn specials. It is from normal everyday use of the watch on non-jeweled areas. This, for the most part, will not affect the timing or running of the watch in any way. I have yet to see a correct roller table (with correct sized roller jewel too) that has been worn out due to the fact that the only the pallet fork should come in contact with the roller jewel, there should not be any contact between the table and the pin. You may have an undersized roller jewel causing all of your problems there. It would allow the pin to hit the table possible and also your overbanking issue. Something to check at least... May be a completely wrong roller table that someone added too.

Here are some photos that I hope is what ya'll wanted to see. I took a few of the roller table. The roller table does not look as bad blown up on the camera. The roller jewel has rotated around but that is not my concern as it is loose and I can correct that. My concern is with the half moon cutout. It looks too shallow to me as if the roller table is worn. How does it look to you guys.

If these are not want you want to look at please let me know and I'll take more. Please also look at the three areas where the dial screws go.

roller table

another

again

Plate I had already started putting it back together.

Plate

Another view

"

Last one

Harry-

I'd get the roller jewel squared up and try her out. the over banking may just be from the banking pins being out of adjustment too. I would not be concerned about the cutout on the roller right now.

Jared

Alright Jared I'll light the alcohol burner and square the roller jewel and I'll let you guys know.
I have never messed with the banking pins before so I'll take all the suggestions I can get especially since this is a full plate 18. Hopefully I will not need to adjust the banking pins.

I hope you mean "squaring" the flat spot of the Roller Jewel tangent to the O.D. of the Roller. Right now it is "Kitty-wampus" and WILL allow overbanking.

I totally concur with Jared, a 17J, 5 Digit Serial# Private Labelled Hamilton is eminently collectible!.

Well I re shellacked the roller jewel with the flat side out facing the half moon cut out in the roller table and it jams. Maybe I shellacked it down to far so that it hits the plate. The escape wheel turns to the left but not the right and the pallet for does not turn.

I put the complete balance assembly of the 926 on and the balance wheel spins freely but the escapement does not turn. The pallet for will move back and forth if you move it manually with the tip of a small screw driver.

If you take the balance assemblies off everything moves fine except the pallet fork. The pallet fork moves freely but it does not move the escape wheel. But the escape wheel moves freely.???