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 Education
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courses offered, available instruction books, videos and downloads.
 Find detailed information on
"How To" by clicking here.
The Beginner's Tool Box and Bench:
We have been asked recently to post on the website, a description of the
beginner's basic tool and book set. After much discussion, we recommend
the following as a solid foundation on which the beginner's skills will
grow.
Books - (We recommend
these for the beginner, intermediate and advanced student. Together, they make
up everything the modern watchmaker or clock maker needs to know. Buy them on Amazon.com
or from AWCI.)
The Watch Repairers Manual 4th Ed., Henry B. Fried, A.W.I. Press,
Cincinnati, OH, © 1986, pages 458, ISBN 0-918845-11-4
Bench Practices for Watch and Clockmakers 2nd Ed., Henry B. Fried,
Arlington Book Co.,Fairfax, VA, © 1993, pages 260, ISBN 0-9656219-1-X
The Watch Escapement, Henry B. Fried, Columbia Communications, Inc.,
New York, NY, © 1974, pages 191, Library of Congress Catalog Card Number
74-80842
Tool Box
Generally, any type of tool box is fine as long as it offers
protection from moisture and dirt. A few things are
important to remember however: The tools we use are, for the most part, specialized and
expensive. The quality of your tools directly reflects the quality of your work. A
poorly kept screwdriver will most surely mean a scratched movement, or worse. I
use a Gerstner and Sons brand wooden tool box; it is my preference as wood has a tendency to keep your tools dryer.
Grizzly Industries
has some great boxes that are much the same as a Gerstner but at a fraction of
the price. Any wooden
tool box will make a beautiful addition to your shop. When I was starting out, I used a
converted wooden bocce ball case, a wine box and cigar boxes.
Tools
There's much debate about which tools are needed
to begin. What we have included here, is a list that will allow you to inspect,
breakdown, clean, polish, oil and reassemble a watch. Tools are available from
any one of the suppliers named on our links page.
Screwdrivers (Don't be cheap here; buy a good set--Swiss or
French. Don't skimp as the quality of the screwdriver determines the
quality of
your work.)
Loupe 5X and 10X
Hand Puller
Parallel
Closing Pliers (These can be pricey)
Cannon Pinion
Puller (These can be pricey. Try to buy a good used pair)
Tweezers (LONG and fine ones. Non-magnetic and a variety of
sizes)
Pith wood
Peg Wood
Balance Tack
Movement
Holder (Either adjustable or a set of graduated rings)
Oil Cup
Synthetic or
natural WATCH oil (NO SEWING MACHINE OR OLIVE OIL
PLEASE!)
Oilers
(A set of 4 is nice.)
Watch
Cleaning Solution (DO NOT USE ALCOHOL! IT WILL
RUIN EVERY SINGLE WATCH MOVEMENT IN LESS THAN 30 SECONDS!
ALCOHOL DISSOLVES SHELLAC,
THE MATERIAL THAT HOLDS YOUR ROLLER JEWEL IN PLACE!)
Mainspring Winder
Parts Trays
Full Spectrum
Light
Watch Paper
Polishing
Compound (like Flitz or Simi-Chrome)
Dial Brush
Small Brush
for scrubbing parts
Case Opener
Extra Long
Q-Tip type swabs
UV Cure Epoxy
(for remounting Glass Crystals)
Bench
If you can't, or don't want to, buy a watch
maker's bench use a table that seems much too high for the chair you are sitting
in (the working surface should be at eye level when sitting), or build a solid, heavy and substantial
desktop platform on which to work. You can
easily make a lap tray, and attach it to your bench or platform to catch loose
and runaway parts. It can be as simple as a 18" x 12" wooden frame
lined with canvas. Remember,
your work should be at, or close to, eye level. Go to your work, whenever it is
on your bench. Moving a partially assembled movement to you can prove disastrous
when parts go flying.
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