I've taken a few 'parts' movements to bits and reassembled them, but haven't yet removed cannon pinions, basically because I didn't have a pin vice or a cannon pinion puller. Now I have some pin vices so I'm thinking about removing one.

I realized in reading the Fried book that sliding the pinion back on can be a problem if the center wheel is in a jeweled setting. (You can push the arbor through the jewel, right?) He suggests using a staking tool.

A couple of questions:

(1) Is there a way to do this without a staking tool? I was kind of hoping to get by for awhile without having to buy a set because they are expensive.

(2) It looks from the image in Fried that the weight of the downward push on the pinion is all being borne by the center wheel stem, sitting on the tool at the bottom. Is that correct? Won't it risk bending the stem?

Thanks in advance!

Doug can you post a picture of the movement you are working on that would help .

Hi Samie. I don't have a particular movement in mind, it's a general question about getting started. If the only way to re-attach the cannon pinion on a center wheel with jeweled setting is with a staking tool set, then either I'll have to forego pulling cannon pinions for now or get a staking tool set ...

Doug on most all american movements you can remove the cannon pinion with a good strong set of twezzers ,,you have too pull straight up so you won,t break off the center wheel ,i have a pair of # 5 dumont twezzers that had badly bent ends and cut them off short, reshaped the ends and they are mighty handy when i need strong twezzers..

you should be able too find a good used cannon pinion puller that,s what i use but you can do the job with good strong twezzers..

on Most of the american movements you can install the cannon pinion with a stake from the staking set just press it on by hand with the stake while it is in the movement holder.if you don,t have a movement holder put the movement in you case put on the case back lay it dial up and press that little rascal home.

Thanks, Samie. I've been able to get the cannon pinions off with a pin vice. So far worked OK.

I think the concern I got from Fried (maybe he's wrong?) is that if the center wheel is sitting in a jeweled setting, pushing home the canon pinion can crack the jewel.

That is, unless the center wheel is supported from the back with a stake.

I have some jeweled watches I'd eventually like to take apart and clean but I don't want to risk cracking a jewel when I reinstall the cannon pinion. So I guess I was wondering how to support the center wheel without injuring any jewel in the setting.

Doug it is possable too crack a jewel but your not likley too do so unless the pinion is too tight..Some of the europen watches and some of the old howard watches you have too be careful with,,I clean and repair watches ever day and always replace the cannon pinions while the watch is in the movement holder by using a stake that fits over the pinion and press it on by hand.

that was the way i was showed too replace them and it works fine,, seems like a lot of trouble too try and support the center wheel from the back on most of the american watches that would be hard because the center wheel pinion is recessed down in the jewel making it very hard too get at.