u/AndyMarden

Finally cracked what works for me and thought I would share in case it helps anyone else:

1. I used a dial protector sheet and released the spring one side at a time with the smallest screwdriver, pushing in the central concave part of each side - I learned this from a YouTube video (sorry can't remember who when the dreaded yoke spring was removed under a protector in a similar way)

2. I have a UV torch that does both 365 and 395nm and shone this on the jewels - 395nm works best with jewels - makes it glow neon pink (see photo)

3. I used boxwood tweezers to get the jewels out

4. Cap and the hole jewel assembly came out sandwiched together with oil. I put this on green rodico, cap jewel down, so I could slide off the hole jewel assembly with the boxwood tweezers.

5. Rinsed both in benzine.

6. Lubricated with 9010 and reassembled.

Be interesting to hear of anyone else's approach here!

Just got this and I have to say it is so silky smooth and quiet - bearings seem to be very good and it takes ages to run down when switched off. Cast iron and must weight about 15kg.

Interesting if anyone can identify it - it's British made and I am guessing 1930-1950. Will post plate in comments.

Was away from my bench for a couple of months to a place we have in Bulgaria and took some tools and watches with me to work on.

First one was a cheap pocket watch my son got me and the escape wheel needed repivoting. No lathe - so I decided to build one - the obvious solution!

Not finished yet and I had to work with what I could find. Bulgaria has, what is best described as, a "traditional engineering supply chain". Which means if you want anything that'd not a consumer product, you have to know someone who knows...

- Base made from 18mm top quality beech plywood that I had left offer from a diy horn speaker build

- Head and tail stock bodies are from epoxied pieces of the same, fetchingly shaped to give that "caterpillar" stripe effect.

- Long guides are from galvanised steel brackets from the local diy shop

- Main housing for head and tail stock are galvanised steel joist supports that have an 8mm hole perfectly aligned facing each other.

- T rest is from the same steel design and aluminium block for support

- Tailstock and T rest can be moved back and forth along the guides (secured with bolts, compression washers and wingnuts) and the tailstock spindle can be slid back and forth for fine adjustment

- 8mm/5mm mild steel spindle sleeves, 6mm/4mm sintered bronze bearings (drilled and reamed into sieve recesses) and 4mm silver steel spindle lengths I had to get someone to bring over from the UK - just could not find anything suitable here there.

- Dead centres made from 4mm pop rivets

Still got to finish it off when I go back but thought I would share at this stage. Pretty pleased at the concentricity and alignment so far and there is no preceptible sideshake in the bearings.

It's a dinky little thing - whether it will be truly useful remains to be seen, but I have learned a lot during the process.

Don't let lack of tooling hold you back is what I say!

For your delectation and delight - the 1840's clock tower here in the centre of Tryavna, Bulgaria.

The specification for the BHI D5 practical exam (cock and plate) drops in 96 mins (not that I am counting it in 🤣 - I only have 8 days to complete it out of the allowed 21) so I made a silver steel pivot burnisher and graver - hardened and tempered (I hope).

That pin vice it really good for holding gravers etc.

Engines are revving...

Was looking at those on eBay to hold the micrometer securely as a 3rd hand essentially and then thought: hang on...

Another use for the 360 degree bench pin vice.

...I feel mesmerised... There must be something wrong with me...

(Using it as a pilot hole for a 6mm threaded tool post mounting hole for a slide-in mild steel insert I fashioned after successfully winning a Bellend of the Year award by tightening a lantern tool post with an allen key used as a lever, resulting in a crumbled cast iron t-slot)

The start of a 12BA (1.3mm) screw - first thread I have made. A thing of beauty!