I took apart a 18 sz Hampden today to find a makeshift repair done on the staff that holds the pallet lever.Anyway with very little pressure on the plate when i assembled it and no screws even in the holes i moved the pallet lever over to the pivot and broke the pivot on the pallet lever.It was a screw turned down on one end and the other end was a hole drilled and a pin pressed in the hole.So now i would like to repair.Either replace the part or will have to turn a new staff.Which will be much later as i do not have experience yet in that work.But i want to work up to.
If anybody has a part i would be thankful.
Serial # 1155950

Kevin "Veritas" West
IHC Member 261
Chapter 111,Ottawa
NAWCC Member 158976,
Nepean, Canada

Kevin,

Do you have any close-up pictures? Most pallet arbors do screw into the lever.

John D. Duvall
Vice President, Education

Hi John, i took this picture this morning, was a little difficult to set up.I hope it shows clear enough that one end is threaded and the other end has been turned to size.
I can show a close up on the threaded end where the pivot broke, if needed.

Kevin "Veritas" West
IHC Member 261
Chapter 111,Ottawa
NAWCC Member 158976,
Nepean, Canada

I looked at another pallet arbour and it is was the same way.I also sa another which was turned on both ends, i guess there are a few kinds.I will post a picture of the movement.
Is this a series 2, i saw one in the book with the same kind of regulator?

Kevin "Veritas" West
IHC Member 261
Chapter 111,Ottawa
NAWCC Member 158976,
Nepean, Canada

Kevin,

I've never seen anything quite like that. An Elgin uses an arbor that has both pivots and is threaded at one end where it screws into the lever. Once installed, you have to look through a loop to see any remaining threads that are visible.

John D. Duvall
Vice President, Education

Kevin,

The pallet arbor in your Hampden is (or was) original; that's just their standard design. Unfortunately, Hampdens are not very common around here, and I don't have any loose replacements, nor a parts movement.

At least you're learning one thing -- watch pivots are really small, and it doesn't take much to break them! When big pocket watches are so difficult to work on, imagine how difficult it is working on wristwatch movements that will fall through the balance wheels of most ordinary pocket watches!

I realize the importance of the "can-do" attitude here, and I certainly don't want to discourage anyone, but watch work is NOT easy; if it was, there wouldn't be the shortage of watchmakers that exists today. I've said it before, and I'll believe it until the day I die, regardless of how much education or instruction one receives, and regardless of one's desire or motivation, not everyone has the potential to become a watchmaker.

In your case, it's obvious that you need to develop a much "lighter touch," or you're destined to break a lot of watches.........

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Steve Maddox
Past President, NAWCC Chapter #62
North Little Rock, Arkansas
IHC Charter Member 49

Well Steve i know a light touch is important , but i have had more sucess, than breakage.
I have never seen a pivot break this easy before on a pallet arbour.I have not replaced or removed alot of them but this one broke very easy.
I try very hard at this hobby and put a lot of effort into it, as well as money so i can use the correct tool.
I have only been taking apart watches for less than a year and think i have done resonably well considering the different kinds and varieties i have encountered so far.
I doubt i will break many more pivots as i have learned alot more in the last month than i have since starting this hobby.
One more thing i just wanted to say, i admit publicly about my mistakes and failures.
I am trying and learning.

Kevin "Veritas" West
IHC Member 261
Chapter 111,Ottawa
NAWCC Member 158976,
Nepean, Canada

Steve Maddox says:

"I realize the importance of the "can-do" attitude here, and I certainly don't want to discourage anyone, but watch work is NOT easy; if it was, there wouldn't be the shortage of watchmakers that exists today. I've said it before, and I'll believe it until the day I die, regardless of how much education or instruction one receives, and regardless of one's desire or motivation, not everyone has the potential to become a watchmaker"

Well put Steve as always. Mechanical aptitude is 90% of this and other mechnanised fields. Many individuals can "get by" but you truly have to have the ability AND the desire to service successfully. I remember my first Automatic Chronograph. They are fun to work on and could be a challenge to the trepid. I was very excited when I disassembled it and saw the extra mechanisms that elevated this above being "just" a watch.

A repeater is another nice challenge your first time out.

Viele Grüße

David Fahrenholz
Fahrenholz Clock & Watch
Timeless Service

Kevin,

After pondering your situation for a few days, the best advice I can offer you is to obtain a really common, really junky movement (or a significant portion of one), and break some of the parts (pinions, etc.) on purpose as an experiment. That should give you an idea of how much (or how little) abuse they'll take, and how important it is never to "force" anything in a watch movement.

When all the parts are correctly aligned, most movements will essentially "fall" together, but attempting to overcome lack of alignment by force is certain to break things (usually jewels, pivots, etc.). I think if you'll follow my advice on this, you're going to be really surprised at just how delicate watch parts are, and the experience will help you understand how careful you're going to have to learn to be if you intend to continue working on watches.

Some of the notes you've posted here recently make me wonder about the degree of mechanical aptitude you possess. Perhaps things have been lost in the communication process (which is entirely possible), but it's a subject that may well be worth investigating before you cause a lot more problems for yourself. In short, everyone makes mistakes, and I do appreciate the fact that there's a "learning curve" to any endeavor, but it isn't "normal" for a watchmaker to break two or more pivots in the course of only a few days. Personally, I don't think I've ever broken one in my life (except when attempting to straighten bent ones), but I'll admit that I'm probably an exception, rather than the rule.

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SM