Internet Horology Club 185
Main Spring Barrel fails drop test

This topic can be found at:
https://ihc185.infopop.cc/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/3426047761/m/1183953187

January 23, 2014, 22:43
Paul D. Trombley
Main Spring Barrel fails drop test
This Iroquois has truly challenged my fledgling skills...

I launched this spring barrel half way across the room when I lost control of it taking the main spring out for servicing.

It did not survive the flight... I could not get a satisfactory free spin test and couldn't figure out why until I took pictures and blew them up 300%.

This little bit of deformation in the barrel tooth is plenty to jam on the center wheel pinion leaf.

Fortunately, my donor watch has a good surrogate barrel. I loose my matching numbers, but it is safer than trying to fix this one.


January 23, 2014, 22:45
Eric Unselt
Don't give up, Paul. You can either "walk" that tooth back upright with a screwdriver or file it back into shape. The metal is plenty soft for that.
January 24, 2014, 09:28
Larry Lamphier
Paul Eric is right. All you have to do is take a smaller screwdriver, put it between the two teeth with the good tooth to the right. Then very gently turn/tilt the screwdriver to the left. That tooth should just line right back up. Then just take a fine file and take the burrs off and do any reshaping that you might have to do, which from the looks of it should be very little.

The tolerance in that is not so close that you will have a problem "and" you will not have to loose your matching serial numbers. Smile

I have done it a few times with no problems. I'm sure I don't have to tell you but, don't forget to clean it really good before you put it back together.

Regards,
Larry