Hi Folks,
I am going to try to straighten the roller jewel, which is slightly askew, on a Waltham 12s pocket watch. I have read Fried on this; the procedure is to heat a pair of tweezers and then use them to gently straighten the jewel. The heat from the tweezers transfers to the jewel and then, in turn, to the shellac, softening it just enough to allow movement of the jewel.

Questions: Is there anything else I should know before I embark on this? How hot should the tweezers be? Where on the jewel should I apply the points of the tweezers? Is there a great danger of messing this up -- making the jewel even more askew or, worse yet, having the jewel come out? Thanks for your help,
Pete

Sounds easy enough, but I have never tried it. If I were to attempt it, it would have to be after 24hrs caffeine free! Here is how it would go for me:
1-Heat up tweezers
2-Burn Hand and drop tweezers. Burn foot
3-Heat up tweezers
4-Hold roller jewel
5-Eye loop falls out
6-loose concentration and pull crooked jewel off roller table.
7-Heat tweezers
8-pick up jewel, squeeze too tight, jewel flies across room.
9-Spend 2 days looking for replacement jewel
10-Find original jewel (what luck!!)
11-Heat tweezers
12-grab jewel (gently)
13-Stick it on roller table
14-Jewel is still crooked.
15-Try again later…..
Good luck!

Grant,
I would ammend point number 2 to read:
"Burn hand, drop tweezers in lap, leap to my feet knocking over workbench."
Speaking of dropping things, one of the jewel screws for this watch leapt from my tweezers yesterday. No panic. Checked workbench; screw not there. Slight panic. Find two magnets, get on hands and knees and do a magnetic sweep for five minutes. Examine magnets with loupe. Find a tiny watchband spring (big deal) and -- hooray! -- the jewel screw! (Followed by demagnetizing the screw and tweezers.)
Pete

Isn,t watch repair fun.
I learned not to work close to edge of bench and put something to absorb shock under movement holder or whatever you are using, less chance part will bounce off table onto floor.then you can get on your knees and pray.
Pray is a nice word for what you will actually be saying.

You guys have to remember which Saints you need to pray to while you are on your knees looking for parts. St.Anthony is the patron Saint of lost souls,people,and items. Like watch parts that shoot out of tweezers. And St.Jude is the patron saint of lost causes. Who also deserves a prayer now and then if you want to be a watchmaker.

Peter good to know someone else does the magnet sweep..I lost a pallet fork out of a wristwatch a couple of months ago,,looked everwhere for it and thinking now how could something as big as a pallet fork be that hard to find...found it later that night when i got ready to take a bath it was in the cuff of my pants,, it fell out on the white tile floor when i took my pants off..

I am well familiar with the magnet sweep. I use an old speaker magnet with a large lint-free tissue wrapped around it.

For brass parts, etc... I use a "brass-magnet".....those sticky rollers that you use to take hair off of garments.

However, if jewel screws actually get airborne, they will burn up from re-entry friction and will never be found. Take it from me!

Good idea on the brass magnet ,never thought of that..

always wondered what happened to the jewel screws i zinged ,i now know they are toast burnt up on re-enty,,

thumbs up to the brass magnet

Thank you, gentlemen! That's the best chuckle I've had in many a day...and believe me, I needed one!

High regards! Mark

(Peter, I hope you get more information soon. (grins))

Peter,

You can use heated tweezers and transfer the heat to the shelac through the roller jewel. Just make sure to give time for the heat to transfer before trying to straighten the jewel.

Also, you need to let the shelac cool before removing the tweezers, or else the roller jewel will go right back to it's skewed position.

Folks,
The jewel was loose, much like a loose tooth. I tried the heated tweezer approach with no luck -- although I did it before I read Mike's advice above, and perhaps I didn't do it correctly. Also, I have no shellac to use to bolster the setting (that's next on my order list). I know some folks use Super Glue or Krazy Glue on such things, and I think I know the pros and cons. Does anyone have a strong opinion either way?

As far as loosing big parts like the lever, I was working on a very nice Waltham (Swiss) wristwatch, beautiful movement, and I tried to take off a cannon pinion (not the one on the center post). I couldn't get at it with the usual tools, so I tried to pry it off its post with a screwdriver. Of course it shot off, glanced off my forehead, and disappeared. I searched and swept (magnetically) to no avail. So, there the movement sits, waiting for a chance discovery of the errant piece.
Pete

Just my two cents, but I think that I would remove the jewel,and old shellac. Then re-set it,using some new shellac.Sort of starting from scratch.



Frank

Peter,

Fried's technique will work if the jewel is well set but skewed. It won't work if the jewel is loose to start with.

Frank is right. Time to start from scratch. Look for a good combination tool, shelac, and lots of patience. Fried has a good procedure in his book. Once you get the hang of it, it isnt so bad.

Thanks Gents,
I've got the tool, but I need the shellac and patience. Plus, I just got a beautiful 15 jewel, 12s Elgin that needs a staff and a roller jewel. Looks like I'll get some more practice. I hope to have a good report sometime on at least one of these watches...
Pete

Need a laugh? Trying to replace a roller jewel?
Found this old post while searching for a source of roller jewels. So far, I've only found one source - on ebay for $5 each.
Check it out.