Trying may hand a installing a roller jewel pin. After several trys at getting it to fit into the "D" shaped hole, by using Radico got it in place. My question is does anyone have any advice on how to secure it in place? I have seen some recommendations on using "superglue" and others using melted shellac. Any advice on how to use the melted shellac method?

Thanks
Wayne C. Anderson

Wayne,

The most common form of jewel shellac is a type that comes in "sticks" about the size of broom straws, and about an inch long. In order to use that, you have to melt the end over a heat source to get it to "ball up," much like melting the end of a nylon string. It's the melted part that's useful for cementing roller and pallet jewels, and you can either "rub" it into position on a warmed part, or you can chip off a small piece of the "ball," and position it in the right spot before heating the entire assembly. In either event, just a tiny bit is all that's required, and using an excessive amount will only result in a messy job.

In my experiences, nothing adheres to the surface of a jewel better than shellac. SuperGlue®, epoxy, and all other sorts of adhesives may seem like they'd do the job, but with just the slightest provocation, the bond breaks, and the jewel can come loose and fall out.

For holding both the roller jewel and table in position while heating and/or applying shellac, it's best to have a tool that's specifically made for the job. There are lots of different types of those, but three good examples are labeled as "D," "Q," and "W" in the following image (my favorite is "Q"): http://members.aol.com/lrhorology/31Tools.JPG

Only a moderate amount of heat is required to melt the shellac, (I'd guess about 250 degrees, but that's just a guess) and excessive heat will burn it. The traditional method is to heat the cementing tool briefly over the flame of an alcohol lamp, but similar results can be obtained using a cigarette lighter, or even an electric soldering iron (I frequently use a soldering iron for that purpose myself).

Like most watchmaking jobs, having the proper tool is a tremendous help, but perhaps more than anything else, patience and practice is essential to a successful job. As always, if you have any problems, feel free to post additionally, and we'll try to help you in any way we can!

Steve Maddox
President, NAWCC Chapter #62
North Little Rock, Arkansas