Transcriber's notes: Some minor typographical errors have been corrected. The author's spelling has been retained.
A TREATISE
ON
STAFF MAKING
AND
PIVOTING
CONTAINING COMPLETE DIRECTIONS FOR MAKING AND FITTING NEW STAFFS FROM THE RAW MATERIAL
EUGENE E. HALL
WITH NUMEROUS ILLUSTRATIONS
CHICAGO: HAZLITT & WALKER, PUBLISHERS 1910
CONTENTS.
CHAPTER I.
The raw material. The gravers. The roughing out. The hardening and tempering 5
CHAPTER II.
Kinds of pivots. Their shape. Capillarity. The requirements of a good pivot 13
CHAPTER III.
The proper measurements and how obtained 19
CHAPTER IV.
The gauging of holes. The side shake. The position of the graver 23
CHAPTER V.
The grinding and polishing. The reversal of the work. The wax chuck 29
CHAPTER VI.
Another wax chuck. The centering of the work 35
CHAPTER VII.
The finishing of the staff. Pivoting. Making pivot drills. Hardening drills. The drilling and fitting of new pivots 39
STAFF MAKING AND PIVOTING.
CHAPTER I.
To produce a good balance staff requires more skill than to produce any other turned portion of a watch, and your success will depend not alone on your knowledge of its proper shape and measurements, nor the tools at your command, but rather upon your skill with the graver and your success in hardening and tempering. There are many points worthy of consideration in the making of a balance staff that are too often neglected. I have seen staffs that were models as regards execution and finish, that were nearly worthless from a practical standpoint, simply because the maker had devoted all his time and energy to the execution of a beautiful piece of lathe work, and had given no thought or study to the form and size of the pivots. On the other hand, one often sees staffs whose pivots are faultless in shape, but the execution and finish so bungling as to offset all the good qualities as regards shape. To have good tools and the right ideas is one thing, and to use these tools properly and make a practical demonstration of your theory is another.
Table of contents (by pages)
- 1: A Treatise on Staff Making and Pivoting by Hall
- 2: But they cannot be classed as watchmakers
- 3: And drop endwise into linseed oil
- 4: It will not leave the pivot round
- 5: Known respectively as straight and conical pivots
- 6: The word capillarity is of Latin derivation
- 7: Now apply the gauge to the new staff
- 8: Who invariably allow 1 2500 of an inch side shake
- 9: Never use the point of the graver
- 10: The polishing is effected by means of diamantine and alcohol
- 11: After you have carefully centered your wax chuck
- 12: The first requisite is a true taper chuck
- 13: Keeping the lathe revolving slowly all the while
- 14: Many watchmakers make their drills from sewing needles
- 15: The acid simply rusts the pivot and the hole