Well, I'm getting there. It noly lost ten seconds overnite. The regulator it about 3/4 to the fast side. Should I return it to center and adust the meantime screws in a little to compensate or should I leave well enough alone and adjust the regulator a little more to the fast side. I never thought I would even know what we are talking about.
What fun! Thanks for the help guys.

Aaron Bereiter
NAWCC# 156432
Chapter 185 Charter #55
Chapter 185 Finance VP

We rise highest when we stoop to help others.

Aaron,
Kudos to the progress you have made on the "Great Watch Detective Hunt". In many cases, repairing or correcting a PW problem is much easier and faster than determining what the problem really was in the first place.
FWIW, one of I signs I look for in a well restored movement is the that the regulator is in the center third of the regulation scale. So, I would vote for an additional tweak of the meantine screws to get the regulator closer to center. You may only have to turn two of the screws if you don't need as much rate change as you needed earlier. Keep us posted.

Ed Ueberall
NAWCC #49688
IHC #34
http://members.aol.com/stdwatch/

Still tinkering but I think I'm getting it.
I'll keep you posted.

Aaron Bereiter
NAWCC# 156432
Chapter 185 Charter #55
Chapter 185 Finance VP

We rise highest when we stoop to help others.

The first thing to check in a watch not keeping time is not the mainspring. I have found most of the watches I see have not had the cap jewels cleaned. Please if you are not a trained watchmacker don't fool around with the timming screws.

Rich Kuhn

NAWCC Member 128623
IHC Member 155

rich_kuhn@email.msn.com

Every now and then there comes a watch that will test your patience. Fresh mainspring in an old railroad is good practice (especially Dueber Hampden). Rich's first question on problem watches is "Did You Clean The Cap Jewels"? If I say NO, his response is call me when you have and the problem still exists. Nine out of ten times dirty cap jewels and pivots was the problem and it isn't much dirt we're talking about. You can beat a watch to death trying to accomodate a little bit of cap jewel dirt.
I have a few prized reminders laying around.

Ralph Rehner
NAWCC# 151536
IHC Member# 149

Rich & Ralph, You guys are talking about the balance cap jewel(s)? Real novice here, just trying to learn something.

Balance cap jewels are the prime area where a little dirt can alter balance swing enough to send you into
regulator adjustment mania. Clean jewels smooth out the swing and save grief. My personal favorite target area is the pallet fork cap jewels. A little dirt in this area robs some of the main spring power being sent to the balance. Listen to the beat of a watch before and after a cap jewel cleaning and you'll see what we mean. A proper cleaning involves all the cap jewels in a watch. Takes some time but it's worth it.

Ralph Rehner
NAWCC# 151536
IHC Member# 149

Ralph and Rich,
Thanks for the advice. This thing was cleaned really well. I had the caps off and cleaned.
Rich,
Thanks for the advice on the timing screws but your about a week late on that one.

Everyone interested,
This thing has keep perfect time within two seconds of my Accutron since saturday morning. Thanks for the help.

VICTORY!!!!!!

Ed, most of all thanks for the lessons over the phone and via e-mail. I got it, and what a learning expierence. Thanks.

Aaron Bereiter
NAWCC# 156432
Chapter 185 Charter #55
Chapter 185 Finance VP
Chapter 69 So Cal.
We rise highest when we stoop to help others.

Aaron,
Congratulations on your successful repair. At least for me, one of the most satisfying areas in watch collecting is having a fine watch operating correctly again after years or even decades of just being an inert hunk of metal.

Ed Ueberall
NAWCC #49688
IHC #34
http://members.aol.com/stdwatch/

Well, now you have my interest piqued. I wanna know what the resolution to this saga is.

---
Paul Anderson
NAWCC Member #156973

Aaron,please run down a time/tweak line,we would like to hear the blow by blow details and what worked.Got most of it in the exchanges,but need a dissertation[or a nice short story!].

Sam Williamson
NAWCC 154312
IHC Charter Member 14
Member Chapters 96 and 185

We all enjoy your adventures in watchmaking Aaron. Say, maybe that's the title...

"Adventures in Watchmaking"

Here goes,
I overhauled the watch due to losing approximately 3 minutes per day. After a good clean and oil with a new mainspring it was still the same. I ended up turning all four meantime screws in approximately one full turn each and a couple of turns out on the requlator. The watch runs great and keeps time to -10 seconds every 72 hours. Thats good for me and I'm real happy. Thanks again for all your help.

And a note to you guys who want to dive into this. Do it. Get a little help and a junker that runs good and go to work. It really changes your eBay shopping habbits. All of the sudden you look at things you didnt before and the "affordable" ones are still good prospects. Give it a shot, it is a true VICTORY when they tick again.

Thanks again guys and girls.

Aaron Bereiter
NAWCC# 156432
Chapter 185 Charter #55
Chapter 185 Finance VP
Freedom is not Americas gift to the world. It is Gods gift to humanity.

Thanks for the update,Aaron.Glad the old gents' doing well! I had some fun this past weekend observing and learning from a friend.We took a 15J K/W K/S Elgin BWR down,cleaned,replaced roller jewel[ twice!],broached a wobbly barrel arbor,tightened the barrel cap,replaced the mainspring[twice!],trued the hairspring in the flat and round[once!],I got to pick up a lot of great tips,see a lot of tools in action,oiled the movement.This guy should teach!Next time,I get to [very carefully] play.I'll let you know if I get booted out!! Nah,he said you've got to accept that you will make mistakes,just don't make them fatal mistakes!What little that I have done,I did manage to insert the mainspring in backwards once.Now I draw a picture with a arrow saying" this way,Dumb A**".

Sam Williamson
NAWCC 154312
IHC Charter Member 14
Member Chapters 96 and 185