ACIDS AND SALTS.
154. The watchmaker has occasion to employ a few acids and salts. He should never forget the advice already given to keep them away from his work-bench and always to well wash a piece of metal that has been in contact with them.
155. Acids. Nitric Acid, either in a concentrated or dilute form, will dissolve iron, steel, copper, lead, silver, zinc, brass, nickel, mercury, German silver. It does not dissolve tin, but reduces it to a white powder, known as metastannic acid. Hence, if an attempt be made to dissolve bronze which contains tin, this metal is deposited, and the copper and zinc pass into solution.
Sulphuric acid will dissolve iron, steel, copper, tin, silver, zinc, brass, nickel, mercury, German silver.
Hydrochloric acid will dissolve iron, steel, zinc and nickel and has a slow action on copper, tin, brass and German silver.
Aqua regia, a mixture of about 2 parts hydrochloric and 1 part nitric acid, will dissolve all the above-named metals, and in addition, gold and platinum, although separately neither acid will attack these metals.
Hydrofluoric acid attacks and dissolves all metals, except platinum, lead and silver with violent effervescence. It is also used for etching on glass or enamel. It is usually preserved in gutta-percha bottles, and is of such a dangerous nature that no use should be made of it without a good knowledge of its properties.
Acids are rarely employed pure by watchmakers; they are diluted with water. Nitric acid of commerce has a density of about 1.4 (38° on Baume’s hydrometer). If this density is reduced by the addition of water to 1.16 (20° Baume), we obtain the acid most commonly employed. For cleaning metallic surfaces prior to soldering etc.; for giving a grained surface to brass, and for whitening blue steel, special proportions are found most convenient, which the reader can best determine experimentally for himself, remembering that the action of the acid should neither be too quick nor too slow. When once he has ascertained the best proportion, he can always recover it by the aid of the hydrometer.
156. Salts. Borax serves as a flux in soldering gold, silver, platinum, etc., (131); also for the same purpose in brazing (138); it is met with in crystals or as a powder.
Sal-Ammoniac (also called Chloride of ammonium), is used for soldering tin, either as a powder or made into a paste, with sweet oil or with water, or mixed with resin.
Alum dissolved in water may occasionally be used in place of nitric acid for cleaning surfaces that have been soldered; it attacks iron or steel more energetically than copper, zinc, or brass. This fact is often taken advantage of for removing broken screws, etc., from brass plates. All other steel parts are removed and the plate placed in a solution of alum, when the steel screw is gradually eaten away by being converted into rust.
In 100 parts of cold water, only 9 parts of alum will dissolve, but if the water be boiled, it will take up 75 parts. Its action will then be proportionately more energetic when boiling.
OIL.
157. The oil intended for use as a lubricant for watchwork, etc., should be kept away from the light, as otherwise it would be discolored; it is on this account that the bottles containing such oil are frequently covered with black paper. Only the quantity wanted for immediate use should be placed in the oil-cup.
Two preliminary tests will afford some indication as to the quality of an oil. A thick layer is placed on a small portion of the surface of a glass plate, and side by side, a similar layer of another oil used for comparison, and they are exposed to the air for some time without being touched. The one that is found to be sticky under the finger when the other has dried up will, in all probability, be preferable. The second preliminary test is made on a whetstone; it is usually found that the oil that takes the longest time to thicken is of better quality. Of course these tests will only suffice to afford a rough approximation, and cannot be accepted as conclusive.
The mode adopted for testing either the acidity or the purity of oil will afford no evidence as to how long it will maintain its fluidity; and very good results have at times been secured by the use of oils that were slightly acid, or from mixtures of oils of two or more qualities.
Many of the methods recommended for purifying oils are to a great extent illusory, for they cannot impart to the fluid characteristics that are wanting from the beginning. Success depends largely on the skill of the manipulator; and if he is not endowed with the power of judging, mainly by the taste, whether oil satisfies certain prescribed conditions, he can never be certain of the result. Crops differ as regards degree of maturity, etc., from year to year; and the animals from which oils are procured are rarely in the same condition as regards health, age, nourishment, etc.
Tests made on a whetstone, and on a window-pane, as well as observations made on drops of oil placed in jewel holes, or in oil-cups in a metal plate kept for the purpose—some of the drops being exposed to the air, while others are in closed boxes—will afford valuable indications; and according to the observations of M. H. Robert, it is safe to consider an oil bad if, at the end of six or eight days after being placed on a plate of good brass, it shows a marked green tinge—especially so if a clearly defined fringe forms round the drop, or else if the brass itself is discolored.
After all, the only evidence on which the watchmaker can rely is that which he obtains by experimenting on watches which he keeps to lend to his customers while their own are undergoing repair, and these trials should last for at least a year.
And there is great variety among the wearers of watches. Some live in constantly varying temperatures, often dusty; many ladies use perfumes; some persons perspire more than others; all these causes influence the oil, and make it alter or evaporate more rapidly in one watch than in another.
158. To secure the maximum permanency in oil. In the case of very many watchmakers who complain bitterly of the oils they employ, the fault is their own and not that of the oil; for they neglect the most simple precautions, both in purchasing and in using it.
The following are a few points to which attention should be given:
Do not buy, from motives of economy, bottles that have lain for years in the shop.
Keep the oil away from the light, and only take in the oil cup the amount required for immediate use, as stated above.
Ascertain that the watch-cases close well. If they do not, there will be air currents generated, and the oil will suffer.
The oil in a cylinder escapement will always deteriorate very rapidly; some watchmakers coat over the inside of the dome-joint and recommend the owner not to open it. By doing so, the oil can be maintained in good condition at the escapement for a long time.
Lastly, when cleaning a watch, the work should be conscientiously done. This point is very important.
When the parts are carelessly cleaned with soap, or with impure benzine, they will, after a few months, assume a dull colour, in consequence of a thin layer of the materials used in cleaning having been left on the surface. It has at times been noticed that steel work was preserved from rust through the perspiration of the wearer, after being cleaned by certain fluids. Evidently this was due to a thin coating having been left on the surface of the metal. The conclusion to be drawn is obvious: clean carefully; push the pivots into rather hard pith; finish with a soft brush in proper condition, and clear out all pivot-holes with pegwood.
159. Mixed oils: camphorated oils. Good results are frequently obtained by mixing together two different kinds of oil. Thus, American watch oil, which is very fluid and apt to evaporate at the temperature of the pocket, is improved by the addition of a somewhat thicker oil. A mixture of real American oil with the Rodanet oil has been recommended as excellent.
There are some who advocate the addition of a small quantity of camphor to an oil that is known to be satisfactory, but we cannot answer for it from personal experience.
160. Sinks. In cleaning, it is important to avoid removing the gilding in the oil sinks of watches, or the superficial oxide in the sinks of clocks that have been going for a considerable time. For if it be removed, there will be a fresh coating formed in time, and this, too, at the expense of the oil.
In new timepieces that are not gilt, it is well worth while polishing the sinks over their entire surface. If not applied too liberally, the oil will then be more likely to remain in contact with the end of the pivot. Moreover, as the surface is smoothed and hardened, and its pores are, as it were, closed by the action of the polisher, the oil will oxidize more slowly. This fact was first pointed out by Robin.
161. Caution to be observed in applying oil. The precautions to be observed in applying oil will be better considered in Part V. of this work, where we shall describe the method of cleaning and putting a watch together.
162. Retention of oil on acting surfaces. Since oil is essential in order to diminish friction, and the movement of the bodies to which it is applied tends to drive it from the surfaces of contact, it is important, with a view to its being constantly brought back and maintained in proximity to these surfaces, that they be formed in accordance with certain rules based on the laws of hydrostatics.
ALCOHOL.
163. Only what is known as rectified alcohol should be used in cleaning parts of watch work. The copper pan in which it is made to boil should not be too thin. The handle should be so arranged that it can be fixed in the vise, and the lamp held under the pan.
When, in heating, the alcohol ignites, it is best not to attempt its extinction by blowing; if the pan is held against the under side of the bench, the flame will at once be put out, or this can be effected by merely laying a piece of sheet metal over the pan. A good plan for preventing ignition is to make a lid of wire gauze, which is placed over the pan during the application of heat.
The substance known as “methylated spirit” is a cheap preparation of alcohol, and of use for burning in a spirit lamp, and for other purposes where the alcohol is not required to be pure.
BENZINE, ETC.
164. This and other preparations of a similar nature, such as Essence Lemoine, Essence Genevoise, etc., are much used for dissolving clogged oil and other substances of a greasy nature from parts of watches in cleaning.
POLISHING MATERIALS.
165. The following account of the materials used for polishing, is, for the most part, extracted from Holtzapffel’s Turning and Mechanical Manipulation, to which the reader is referred for fuller information in regard to them, and to their mode of application:
Buff Leather glued to a flat surface, or to the edge of a revolving disc, is used with emery, crocus, rottenstone and other powders.
Charcoal is much used by steel and copper-plate engravers. That made by burning elder without access of air is considered the best, but willow and elm have also been recommended.
Diamond, in the form of powder, is used by lapidaries, seal engravers, and watch jewel makers. The latter obtain the diamond bort that is rubbed off stones in faceting, and they separate it into various degrees of fineness, by decantation (168). The mode of applying it is described in articles 207, 216.
Diamantine, Sapphirine, Rubitine, etc., are names given to various chemical preparations for polishing, to be obtained at the tool shops; they must not be assumed to consist in any way of the jewels from which their names are derived.
Emery. At the present day, oilstone dust is very frequently replaced by emery with oil or water, especially in clockwork. Any required degree of fineness can be obtained by decantation. Emery dust is sometimes used in place of rouge for polishing.
The solid emery wheels and sticks, that are now common in the trade, work rapidly, but they have the disadvantage of heating steel, and many of them soon become pasty. The heating renders them less suitable for grinding gravers, but they are very convenient for roughly shaping steel work, or removing the hard surface caused by the application of heat.
To make emery paper. If occasion requires it, this can be done as follows: Fix a sheet of stout rope manila paper on a board, glueing it round the edge. Having put emery powder into a sifter, the mesh of which has the requisite degree of fineness, and rapidly covered the surface of the paper with thin hot glue, shake the sifter lightly over the paper until it is evenly covered, and leave to cool. When dry, detach the paper and shake it vigorously to detach loose grains. Cloth may be used instead of paper, if desired.
Hone slates. Under this heading are included a great variety of stones used for smoothing and polishing.
Ayr stone, or water of Ayr stone, is much used for smoothing brass work prior to gilding (142), etc. It should be kept wet in order to prevent it from becoming hard.
Blue polishing stone is much used by jewelers, clockmakers, and others; it is recommended for use in spotting (174) and for polishing wheels (176.)
Oilstone. This forms the quickest cutting whetstone known. Oilstone slips are used by watchmakers after the manner of files. Oilstone powder, or dust, is much used in the earlier stages of polishing, and is preferable to emery in that it does not leave particles embedded in the surface of the metal. On pewter laps it may also be employed for polishing steel work.
Oxides of iron. Under this head are included the several materials known as crocus, rouge, red-stuff, colcothar of vitriol, etc. It is advisable to remove gritty particles from these materials by decantation (168) before using.
Pumice-Stone is extensively used for polishing cut glass, and is applicable to brass and other metal work.
Putty Powder is oxide of tin, or, more commonly, of tin and lead in varying proportions. The whitest kind, provided it be heavy, is considered the best.
Rottenstone. This variety of tripoli is of the greatest value for polishing brass work, as well as for silver, glass, and even the hardest stones.
Tripoli is of a greyish yellow or red color, and consists mainly of silica. Its principal use is in the polishing of hard woods.
Whiting is common chalk, ground, washed to remove sand, etc., and dried in lumps.
166. Polishing Stones. The following method is described by M. Cadot for preparing these stones, which are very useful for polishing a wheel that is not riveted to its pinion (see article 185).
Carefully select a blue stone; after dressing its surface, smooth it with emery paper of gradually increasing fineness. Saturate the surface with oil, and rub it with a common piece of rough sapphire, one face of which is flat and partly smoothed, until the surface of the stone is hardened.
Such a stone is used dry. The wheels must previously have been carefully smoothed, since the stone does not abrade the metal. If care is taken to avoid scratches, the surface will last for a long time, although, of course, it is only serviceable for gold, brass, nickel or metals of a similar degree of hardness.
167. The several materials used for polishing must be kept carefully packed (glass stoppered bottles are preferable), as a few grains of dust, or of foreign bodies, will suffice to prevent the operation of polishing from being successful. Polishers should be filed very smooth, with a perfectly clean file that is not quite new. Files that are dirty or new will deposit small hard particles of dirt, or cause pieces off the points of their teeth to become embedded in the surface of the polisher.
PREPARATION OF POLISHING MATERIALS.
168. Decantation. This consists in causing a material in a fine state of sub-division to fall slowly through a liquid with the view to separate coarse particles, or various degrees of fineness, by taking advantage of their different rates of descent.
The watchmaker should prepare all his smoothing and polishing materials, etc., by decantation. He will by this means obtain them in grains that are much more uniform in size, of any required degree of fineness and free from hard or large particles.
The operation is exceedingly simple. The material having been pounded under the hammer or otherwise, is thrown into a vessel more or less filled with a liquid, water, oil, etc. After being thoroughly stirred, it is allowed to partially settle, and the liquid is carefully poured into another vessel. All the coarse heavy grains will be found as a residue in the first vessel; they are collected and used for coarse work. After again stirring and leaving to settle for a longer period, the liquid is again poured off, and the powder thus separated will be the second degree of fineness, so that it may be termed No. 2. By successive operations, in which a gradually increasing interval of time is allowed, Nos. 3, 4, etc., can be obtained; that is to say, a series of powders of the same material but presenting a greater degree of uniformity in the size of grains and of gradually increasing fineness. It may be observed that when the powder of the requisite degree of fineness is nearly attained the mass should be left to settle until the following day, or, rather, until the fluid is clear; then decant carefully so as not to lose any of the deposit.
When treating a material that is soft and friable, it should be crushed between the fingers, as by using a hammer hard grains of foreign matter might be accidentally intermixed. Oil may be used for decanting diamond powder or oilstone dust for smoothing; water for rottenstone or tripoli; alcohol for hartshorn, etc.
169. To prepare diamond powder. Select rough diamonds of a blackish tint, of such a size that there are four or five to a caret. These are crushed in a hard steel mortar of the form indicated in fig. 40, the pestle being provided with a small stuffing box that can be brought down on to the mortar to prevent the escape of diamond-dust; but it is well to first crush one stone, with a single blow of the hammer on the pestle; remove all the fragments and examine the end of the pestle; it will be found that a number of particles have bedded themselves in it; these should be examined to select pieces to serve as drills and gravers. The larger fragments serve for gravers, and particles should be sought that are as nearly as possibly triangular prisms about ¹⁄₅₀ inch long for making drills. The other stones may be treated in similar manner till enough fragments are found. Now place all other pieces in the mortar, and continue for two or three hours striking the pestle with the hammer, turning it partly round after each few blows to prevent the powder from imbedding itself in the steel. When no “bite” is perceived in rotating the pestle, the diamond is sufficiently reduced; it is shaken out of the mortar into a watch-glass containing the most limpid oil attainable, and if necessary the fragments are released by a steel spatula, at the same time striking the external surface of the mortar with the hammer. Thoroughly mix the oil and the powder, subdividing the latter as much as possible by rubbing against the glass with a spatula; allow the mixture to rest for an hour and pour off the liquid into a second glass, leaving the larger particles behind. Leave the oil in the second glass for four hours; then decant, into a third glass with the same precautions; this is left for eight hours; the next glass sixteen hours. When all the powder has settled pour off the oil, and the several degrees are ready for use.
Some jewelers prefer to leave the powder for two or three days in a mixture of equal nitric and sulphuric acid in order to dissolve particles of steel. The acids are then much diluted with water, left for some days and decanted. Then wash the powder in two fluid ounces of pure alcohol, leave for two days, decant and dry, and afterwards treat with oil. The operation is long and hardly necessary.
SMOOTHING.
170. If a surface is smoothed well, the labor of polishing will be diminished by at least one-half, and it is an essential preliminary if a good gilding on brass is required.
The materials most frequently used are emery and oilstone dust for steel, pumice and water of Ayr stone for brass. The stones should not be traversed by veins, nor exhibit hard grains. Powders should be freed from large or hard grains by decantation, and it is advisable to repeat this operation several times in order to have several degrees of fineness.
SMOOTHING OF BRASS.
171. Every watchmaker knows that after finishing the object with a smooth file, it is smoothed, first with a blue stone or rather coarse water of Ayr stone, and then with one of finer grain. If the brass is to be gilt, the operation is concluded with a series of circular strokes, so as not to leave any striæ or bright spots; if the surface is to be spotted or watered the final strokes should all be parallel.
A soft piece of charcoal applied with water may also be used on objects intended for gilding; in other cases it is used with oil.
172. Wavy or watered smoothing. This is done with water of Ayr stone and oil carefully prepared, or with a piece of wood charged with oilstone dust, etc. The oiled corner of an emery buffstick can occasionally be used.
To obtain wavy undulations on a smooth piece of metal, the finger should first be placed at the point of commencement of the undulations. Resting the wood or stone against the finger, it is moved a little in a straight line, and then in a series of semicircular waved lines, from right to left or left to right. The finger is advanced through a definite distance and the operation repeated, and so on.
A very good watered surface can be produced with soft charcoal. With a view to increasing the regularity in the marks, a rule may be laid on the object, against which the charcoal is brought.
Parallel watering is usually done mechanically, but any watchmaker can secure regularity by the following simple device.
Fix a graduated rule t g across the cork (fig. 41) and two pins A A, to form stops for preventing the stick or stone from traveling too far. A division of the rule is made to correspond with the line v v; and, when the first line has been traced, advance the object by one, two or three graduations of t g, according to the interval that is to be left between successive undulations. Then trace the second wave, and so on.
173. Wavy and curvilinear smoothing. These are of two kinds; some are entire circles, which we shall proceed to consider; others radiate in curves from the circumference to some other point of the circle as, for example, many of those that are met with on keyless ratchet wheels. The latter will be discussed farther on, when discussing the smoothing of steel, for the process is identical for both steel and brass, except that with the latter named metal and nickel the stick may be replaced by a strip of zinc or tin, and coarse rouge is used.
174. Circular snailing or spotting. This is produced on a special tool by which several motions can be given to the object, but watchmakers, as a rule, so seldom have occasion to trace this class of ornament, that it will suffice to explain how it can be produced by the appliances that everyone has at hand.
The universal mandrel may be employed for the purpose, but, in that case, the operation is a very slow one, whereas, with the ordinary lathe, it can be done both rapidly and well.
Adjust a rest of the form shown at s (fig. 42), taking care that the height of the center is sufficient; the small rectangular bed a a has a projecting edge, divided by equidistant graduations. To the headstock of the lathe is attached, at b, a piece of bluestone or wood. Having set the rest at a convenient height, and holding the object to be spotted, P, on the rest, bring in it contact with b when in rotation. When the mark is made, lean the object from b, slide it along a a so that its edge coincides with the next division and make another mark, and so on until an entire row is completed. Then raise or lower the rest and repeat the process for a second row, and so on.
Instead of applying oil to the acting face of b, which would have to be renewed at each operation, it is usual to cover the object P with oil, if b is a stone, or with oil mixed with the substance used for smoothing, if b is of wood. If this precaution is taken, the work will progress much more rapidly.
When the object operated upon is of irregular shape it must first be attached to a rectangular plate and then proceed as already stated.
A still more simple method, but one that is, in certain cases quite sufficient, consists in passing through the poppet-head a center of the form f d (H, fig. 42) which is caused to rotate by the fingers or any other means.
To make spottings that, instead of being parallel, radiate from the center to the circumference, the rest a a must carry a disc that can rotate on a clamping screw, and is maintained in position by a finger, with an even number of equidistant divisions on the circumference of the disc. The object to be operated upon is then fixed to the disc, and a stick used, the diameter of which is equal to the distance between two radii that pass through a pair of graduations on the disc; for example, the small circle s (fig. 43). A series of circular spots is then made by gradually rotating the disc. Now replace the rod s by one of the diameter n; advance the support until it corresponds with the position n, and make the second range of circular spots, and so on. The figure renders any further explanation unnecessary.
The watchmaker who has clearly followed what precedes will be able, should occasion require it, to construct a special tool acting with certainty; but it will be well to remember that there is a great advantage in driving the spotting stick by the foot, and bringing it down on the object by a small hand lever, after the manner of the drilling machines used in factories.
SMOOTHING OF STEEL.
175. The smoothing of a steel object is commonly done on a piece of cork, with a large iron polisher charged with oilstone dust and oil. If a flat surface, it can be finished with a copper polisher or on a sheet of glass. In the case of staffs, arbors, etc., that are not intended to be polished subsequently, a certain degree of brilliancy is given to the surface by rubbing with wood, usually pegwood, or with a stick covered with the finest emery paper and oil.
A surface that will not be subjected to friction—as, for example, the head of a screw—can be smoothed rapidly and well with a dry emery buffstick if little metal has to be removed, and the polishing can then be at once proceeded with. Only one cleaning is in this case necessary, for after the emery it will suffice to rub with pith and pass a brush over the surface.
For ordinary work, smoothing a staff or head of a screw with dry, fine emery and finishing by the friction of rather hard pith backwards and forwards, will give a fairly satisfactory surface.
176. White and dead smoothing. To produce a graining, the piece of steel must be previously smoothed in the ordinary way, perfectly flat and free from scratches. The graining is produced by rubbing the object on a sheet of ground glass with the finger, taking very small circular strokes, especially towards the end of the operation. The degree of success depends on the quality of the oilstone dust employed. It must be very fine, and it will be a prudent precaution to decant the powder in water, or preferably in oil, and not to use the earlier deposits (168).
When the oilstone dust is not very good, it may be washed in hydrochloric acid, which dissolves most of the hard grains, but it will require to be thoroughly washed in water afterwards, on account of the difficulty there is in removing the last traces of the acid. Of course such a method is only to be resorted to on an emergency.
Perhaps the most difficult piece to grain is a keyless barrel ratchet, because if the operation is at all prolonged the edge of the ratchet may become white before the center and it may even polish. If this happens, the ratchet should be held in the hand and rubbed with a piece of pith cut to a blunt point with a flat end. By this means it is easy to act on the center, avoiding the edges.
177. Dead white or frosted surface. After having grained the steel in the manner above indicated, if it is required to obtain a dead white frosted surface, employ a mud formed of Arkansas stone dust, or the sticky deposit on a whetstone, which is more easily obtained. It should not be too yellow, as the result is all the better according as a greater number of steel particles are mixed with the oil; at least, so we are informed by some very good workmen. A large piece of elder-pith having been divided into two equal parts lengthwise, is smoothed with a new, clean file; the mud is spread upon it, and the piece of steel is moved over it with circular strokes as in producing the graining. In this case the movement can be rapid. If the operation be well done, and if the oilstone dust used be of good quality, the object will, after being cleaned, present a beautiful uniform white surface in which the graining is still visible. Experience and knack are everything in the proper conduct of such an operation, especially in its concluding stage.
The surface may be cleaned in pure benzine mixed with a little sulphuric acid, followed by a very clean buffstick, which will impart a brilliancy to the metal.
M. Bean recommends fine Turkey oilstone powder mixed with turpentine as the best preparation for rapidly producing a dead smooth surface on steel work.
Workmen that are constantly engaged in graining employ a foot-wheel for the purpose. The ground glass is fixed so that, although not rotating, a small circular motion is communicated to it. The steel is then simply held against it; indeed, several pieces can be grained in this manner at once.
To the methods above described we would add the following, which is successfully practiced by several English workmen:
They lightly fix the ratchet, for example, by its edge, and finish the smoothing with a piece of pith, more or less charged with pure charcoal powder and fine oilstone dust. Here also knack is mainly instrumental in insuring success.
178. Snailing. To produce the snailing on a fusee or on keyless wheel-work, the device shown in fig. 44 can be used. The ratchet or fusee is mounted between one pair of centers and driven by a cord from a foot or hand-wheel. The copper or iron lap, having a diameter equal to about three times that of the surface to be snailed, is charged with fine emery powder and oil, or oilstone dust, etc., and set in contact with the face of the steel, which thus causes it also to rotate. The direction of the snailing will be the same, whether the rotation is to the right or left. If it be required to change the direction, the relative positions of the two pieces must be reversed.
It has been already observed that brass and nickel can be snailed in the same way, employing a zinc or tin lap and coarse rouge (173). In some cases, hard wood laps can be used for these softer metals.
In keyless steel wheels a beautiful snailing can be obtained with Arkansas stone mud (or, in its absence, the greasy mass from an oilstone) mixed with polishing rouge.
With reference to the little tool shown in fig. 44, it may be observed that, if the axes of both the steel piece and lap were driven by bow or otherwise, the surface would be polished and not snailed.
In the absence of the tool here referred to, any one can easily construct one for the purpose which will adapt to the mandril or a foot-lathe: in order to help him in doing so we will describe one designed by M. Cadot, of Paris.
179. Tool for snailing. This is shown in fig. 45, and we would at the outset observe that it can be used equally well for polishing. To a shoulder at the extremity, A, of a piece of steel rod, B (which takes the place of the slide-rest cutter) is riveted an L-shaped piece c c d, and to the point d is firmly fixed by a screw or rivet, the upright piece d h parallel to c c; this piece is enlarged at h so as to give a bearing to a hardened steel screw, with a hollow point, in the axis of B: the lap is supported between this screw and a hole in the center of A. The figure will suffice to indicate the form of this lap which is dished internally as shown by the dotted line. It is made of iron or copper if intended for use with hardened steel.
The piece to be snailed is fixed to a chuck of the foot-lathe, and, having fixed the rod B in place of the cutter, the lap is brought, by means of the slide-rest screws, in contact with the steel, taking care not to set it up to the center, as snailing that starts from the center is not so good. Having charged the lap with fine emery and oil, the object is rotated and it sets the lap also in motion.
It was mentioned above that this tool can be employed for polishing: for such a purpose use fine rouge, replace the lap by one of bronze or bell-metal, fix a ferrule at i, and, while the object turns in the lathe, rotate the lap with a bow.
By fixing a rod at L instead of at B, the tool is at once adapted to be used in an ordinary pair of turns, as it can be fixed in place of the T-rest; but it is not so easy to secure parallelism of the two surfaces.
180. To restore the watered surface in nickel movements, etc. Although the following is employed for nickel (or rather German silver) it may be well to observe that it is equally applicable to all other metals.
As these nickel movements are not gilt subsequent to being repaired, it frequently happens that the water marks on the surfaces do not correspond. By the aid of the following device watchmakers can correct this fault, but we must warn them that, as in all operations involving dexterity, they must first make experiments in order to acquire the requisite manual skill.
On a small open frame C C, fig. 46, fix several parallel bars f l, e d, etc., and on two of these adjust a slide p o n m, with two strips glued underneath so that it can travel up and down between a and b. On p o n m, fix a guide of convenient form, as G; and, after cementing the piece, say A, that is to be watered on a board resting on the bench, place the frame C C above it and trace the figure of the guide with a pegwood stick charged with polishing material. The same figure can be reproduced in parallel rows as the guide can be moved up or down.
By varying the shape and position of the guides, the water lines can take the form of waves, festoons, circles or ovals. In the two latter cases the guide has apertures of the requisite form, and the board that carries A, not being more than half the size of the aperture, can be moved about by hand or by a tool.
If preferred, one of the bars, as e d, can be graduated and arrangements can be made for clamping the slide by screws in any position.
These explanations will suffice to enable any intelligent watchmaker, after a few trials, to imitate successfully any of the beautiful watered surfaces that are, on a manufacturing scale, produced by machinery.
As regards the material to be used, first mix medium rouge and putty powder in equal proportions. It will be possible to decide from the shade obtained whether more putty powder should be added, because when there is too much rouge, the surface does not acquire a good white color.
POLISHING.
181. To polish brass. When it is required that a surface be maintained perfectly flat, first dress with somewhat coarse water of Ayr with blue stone and then go over with a softer stone. Next work with fine rottenstone and oil on a felt or buffstick for objects of large dimensions and on a piece of pegwood for smaller articles. They are then soaped, washed and dried in sawdust (151).
The work can be accomplished more rapidly, but without maintaining a perfectly flat surface, by first employing pumice-stone and oil spread over a large piece of soft wood or felt. It is then cleaned and polished with rottenstone.
When the form permits of it, a tin disc charged with tripoli and rotating in a lathe can be employed.
Observations. Pumice-stone is powdered fine and then sifted. In using rottenstone a piece an inch or two cube is crushed between the fingers into a cup of water, and this is decanted so as to give several degrees of fineness (168). The polishing can best be effected by using old wood from which the sap has dried up: French chalk has but little action if the polisher with which it is applied is from the animal kingdom, horn for example, etc.
182. To polish watch wheels. Although the operation of polishing is extremely simple, it is very important that a certain degree of manual skill be acquired by practice, as otherwise the work is never of the best.
We will here enumerate several methods of procedure, in order that, after trial, each can select the method with which he finds himself most successful.
Smoothing. The smoothing should be done carefully with very soft water of Ayr stone, free from veins and hard grains and perfectly flat. The wheel must then be well cleaned.
Polishing. In polishing, rods of walnut or boxwood, of tin, bronze or zinc are used. A buffstick and burnisher are also employed.
The materials applicable are rottenstone (with oil or alcohol, being made very thin in the latter case) tripoli, prepared chalk, polishing rouge, crocus, etc. These materials have been sufficiently described in articles 165-7. Workmen sometimes prefer to make mixtures of two or more substances, but it is more usual to employ them separately.
183. First Method. After smoothing and cleaning the wheel, it is polished while resting on a piece of cork, where it is held between the fingers which cause it to rotate; the best rottenstone is used and is applied by smooth pieces of boxwood, about 8 inches long, which are filed to a bevel edge. It is best to have the grain of the wood crosswise and the polishers should be of sufficient thickness to prevent their bending when in use.
The rottenstone can be replaced by tripoli and the boxwood by walnut. Some wheel polishers prefer a triangular stick of pure tin or zinc which is often planed to ensure perfect flatness; rouge, rottenstone or tripoli can be used with it.
The wheel, after being well washed in soap and hot water, is thoroughly dried and finished with a fine buffstick in good condition, while it rests on a cork covered with smooth felt; this operation is with a view to prepare the surface prior to using the burnisher.
Some polishers, instead of the dry buffstick, prefer one charged with a little rouge, tripoli or rottenstone moistened. But such preparations must be applied very sparingly as they involve a risk of rounding the edges.
The burnisher is next rapidly passed over the surface of the wheel, which rests on cork, covered with a linen rag, or on a piece of wood, covered with smooth paper. Some give long backward and forward strokes with the tool; others give semicircular movements. It will be found sufficient to give short strokes from half an inch to an inch in length. A slight motion of the wrist is all that is required and after a few trials the necessary skill will be attained. We cannot say more. Practice must also be relied on for determining the most suitable pressure.
The burnisher, about half an inch wide and four inches long, is curved in the direction of its length. A straight burnisher might be used, but it is less safe; the angle of the burnisher set against the pinion should be rounded off.
The burnisher is cleaned and restored by drawing across a large flat piece of walnut charged with rouge of very good quality and very pure. After being washed, a little white wax is passed over it, and then it is again rubbed vigorously with a piece of cloth or a buffstick; finally with a soft linen rag. When a tendency to stick shows itself this operation must be repeated.
184. Second process. By this method the surfaces are somewhat rounded off at the edges. But, although not so pleasing to the eye, this circumstance involves no inconvenience except that, when burnishing, the burnisher would not at once come in contact with the entire surface; we need not, however, employ the burnisher.
Laying the wheel on a cork, some workmen smooth the wheel by covering it with oil and fine tripoli and rubbing with a walnut-wood stick. Others spread a layer of such a mixture first on the stick and then rub the wheel. When no more lines are observable across the surface of the wheel it is cleaned, placed on a fresh cork that is covered with a soft linen rag, and polished with a fresh buff stick (or one that has already been used for a similar purpose) and an abundant supply of rouge or even fine rottenstone and oil may be used. The buffstick receives a semicircular movement in all directions in order not to needlessly round the corners, the edges of the teeth and the crossings.
It is then washed in warm water, bathed in alcohol and dried with a fine linen rag.
185. Third process. After smoothing with a very soft stone, rub it with a piece of the root of boxwood cut across the fibre, on which is a layer of the following composition:
Two-thirds rottenstone mixed with one-third castile soap, worked into a paste with a few drops of water so that, although not a liquid, it can be spread out at will.
Make the wheel move backwards and forwards between the fingers while resting on a smooth, good cork, without a linen rag, and, as the operation nears its completion, a semicircular motion should be given to the wood. Wash with soap, boil in alcohol and dry.
The wheel can be burnished on a cork without any linen rag and the (curved) burnisher should be moved with short circular strokes from the center towards the circumference, gradually working up towards to the extremity of the burnisher; the same portion of the burnisher should not pass twice over the wheel (see also article 166). For common work, fairly satisfactory results may be obtained by using French chalk and a piece of hard wood.
Clock wheels are polished with a piece of felt and rottenstone. They are subsequently soaped, washed and dried in sawdust. (151)
186. To polish lever escape-wheel teeth. The Lancashire escape-wheel makers employ a triangular frame carrying at its corners, (1) a cutter to slit the teeth, (2) a cutter to shape them, and (3) a revolving piece of hard leather of a section corresponding to the form of the space. This latter is charged with the finest glossing stuff, used dry, and the sides of the teeth of six wheels at a time are polished by revolving the disc in each of the spaces in turn. It is hardly necessary to observe that the operation is completed before the wheels are removed from the cutting engine.
187. To polish sinks or oil-cups. A piece of pegwood, rounded at the end, is used for this purpose, rotating it in a lathe; the watch plate or cock should be inclined in varying directions to the stick in order to remove scratches. If a very high polish is required it may be given by following with a stick, the end of which is covered with wash-leather charged with rouge.
TO POLISH STEEL.
188. The polishing must always be preceded by a very thorough smoothing, either with oilstone dust, fine emery, or coarse rouge. If any lines are left to be erased by means of fine rouge, the operation becomes tedious and is rarely successful. The oilstone dust is applied on an iron or copper polisher. When it is desired to preserve the angles sharp, at a shoulder for example, the polisher should be of steel.
When using diamantine an iron polisher, drawn out and flattened with a hammer, answers very well.
With fine rouge, a bronze or bell-metal polisher is preferable for shoulders; and, for flat surfaces, discs or large zinc or tin polishers, although glass is preferable to either of these.
After each operation with oilstone dust, coarse rouge, etc., the polisher, cork, etc., must be changed, and the object should be well cleaned—preferably by soaping; perfect cleanliness is essential to success.
Fine rouge or diamantine should be made into a thick paste with oil; a little is then taken on the polisher or glass and worked until quite dry. As the object is thus not smeared over, a black polish is more readily obtained, and the process gets on better if the surface is cleaned from time to time.
189. To get a good black polish. As just pointed out, this is mainly secured by using very little polishing material at once, in a very little liquid on either, the polisher or glass plate and drying up quickly. If the surface does not prove satisfactory at first, it will often be found that a final rapid and light application of dry diamantine or rouge on a piece of glass or pith will produce a brilliant black polish.
If operating on an axis or staff, polish as well as possible, first erasing the marks of the graver or file, and then, hold the ferrule between the fingers, rotate it with one hand and with the other rub the axis lengthwise with a pegwood stick charged with rouge or diamantine.
A rod will show a black polish if it be rubbed lengthwise with emery paper of gradually increasing fineness, oil being applied with the finest quality.
To polish flat surfaces. Place the object on a sound piece of cork covered with a clean rag and rub with, a long strip of ground glass.
To polish a square shoulder. Fix a rod in place of the T-rest of the turns, and set it in such a position that the polisher rests on this vertical rod when lying flat against the shoulder. Another and better method consists in cementing or otherwise fixing in the plane of the shoulder a brass disc of such dimensions that the polisher is constrained to remain flat.
Observations. The corner of the polisher that is used for polishing a shoulder should be neither right-angled nor too acute. In the first case it would round off the shoulder, and in the second it would become soon distorted and leave dull radial marks on the surface.
Diamantine should not be used for polishing the acting surfaces of pivots, the pallets of escapements, etc., since this material, as well as emery, is liable to leave particles embedded in the steel which occasion rapid wear.
CEMENT, WAX, RESIN, ETC.
190. The principal uses to which the watchmaker applies cement is for fixing objects in the lathe, pallet-stones in position, as well as locking and unlocking pallets, ruby-pins, etc.
The selection of a cement or wax is not a matter of indifference; fine sealing-wax causes objects to adhere firmly together, but many of the best workmen prefer refined shellac. Certain kinds of wax are too dry, the consequence being that a false stroke of the graver will often detach the piece; others are thick and soft, and are apt to heat rapidly under the action of the burnisher or polisher, so that the object is displaced. It is only by making a series of trials that the efficiency of the material can be ascertained. Some workers claim that a mixture of sealing-wax and shellac gives good results.
191. Mode of applying cements. When employing wax, resin, cement, etc., for uniting two objects, it is important to note that the mode in which it is applied has an important influence on its efficiency. The following observations on this point are due to M. Sibon, and the reader will be able to select those portions that have reference to his work.
When two objects are united by a cement, this will lose much of its value if unskillfully applied, and, in order to use it to the best advantage, the following practical rules should be observed.
1. The surfaces to be united must be quite clean.
2. The less cement, wax, etc., that is interposed between them, the better they will adhere. This is owing to the fact that with a thick layer the object has, at the junction, no more rigidity than that of the cement itself; as a rule this more fragile than the material it is employed to unite.
3. There should be perfect contact between the cement and the surfaces. With a view to securing this, the object must be first heated to a point such that the wax or cement cannot solidify without having first had time to effect a perfect union.
This remark is especially applicable when using sealing-wax, mixtures of resin, shellac, and similar materials. They will not adhere firmly unless the surfaces have been heated very nearly to the point of fusion of the cement. The sealing of letters offers an example in proof of this assertion. When the seal has been used several times in succession or been left too long on the wax so as to become hot, it will adhere and cause some inconvenience if further employed.
With hot melted glue, adhesion is best secured by friction or a moderate pressure.
Sealing-wax is excellent for uniting metal to glass or stone, providing they are sufficiently heated to melt it; for, if applied to cool surfaces, it will not adhere at all. By heating two pieces of glass or stoneware sufficiently to melt shellac, a small quantity will suffice to make them adhere firmly together; notwithstanding that every one has seen such joints, very few succeed in making them, for the simple reason that they do not recognize the necessity of heating a delicate piece of glass or china to the point which is essential for securing a good result.
In conclusion, the principal obstacles to adhesion are air and dirt. The first is always present; the second is due to accident or carelessness. All surfaces are covered with a thin layer of air that is very difficult to remove; its influence prevents highly polished metal from being moistened when immersed in water. So long as this layer of air is not displaced, the cement cannot adhere to the surface to which it is applied, because it cannot come into direct contact. The most effective agent for displacing this air is heat. Metals heated to about 75° C. (170° F.) are immediately moistened on being plunged into water, hence it follows that, as regards cements that are applied in a fused state, heat is the best means of bringing them into intimate contact with the surface.
We would add that, in addition to possessing this advantage, the application of heat also renders the surfaces more penetrable to the layer of cement, after the manner of soldering, and makes the interlocking of the molecules more perfect; this explains the greater degree of tenacity of a well made joint with only a thin layer of cement.
192. To set in wax in the lathe. Trace a series of concentric circles on the face of the chuck with a graver point, after turning it true: this will increase the adhesion of the cement. Then the flame of the spirit lamp is held under the rotating chuck and, when this is hot enough, its surface is covered with a layer of shellac or sealing-wax, and the object is held against it. Holding it in position with a piece of pegwood supported on the T-rest, the lamp is removed and the lathe kept rotating until the cement sets. The cooling can be hastened by applying a small moist sponge, but it should not set too suddenly.
If the object requires to be very exactly centered, its position must be insured while the cement is still soft by means of a long pegwood stick in its central hole. This stick is held in position until the cement sets, steadying it between two fingers close up to the chuck. The slightest eccentricity will be indicated by a motion of the free end of the stick.
If the object is round, and has no central hole, it must be centered by its circumference, holding the pegwood in front, or resting against a corner of a circular elevation or depression, as, for example, the collet of a wheel, or of a cylinder riveted to its balance, etc.
The beginner should make a number of trials; they will enable him both to acquire lightness of touch, and to recognize the proper degree of softness of the cement for centering, as well as its tenacity.
When it is essential that the two faces of the object be strictly parallel, a precaution is necessary; this consists in leaving on the face of the chuck a slightly projecting circular rim with a fine smooth edge, and of a diameter rather less than that of the object. By moving this latter backwards and forwards after applying it to the wax, and pressing it into close contact while cooling, the requisite parallelism will be secured.
193. To fix a pallet-stone, etc., in position. To fix a pallet-stone or an end-stone by means of shellac it is usual to place a small piece of the latter round the stone when in position and apply heat. But very often the lac spreads unevenly or swells up; and this, in addition to being unsightly, is apt to displace the stone. The inconvenience can be avoided as follows: The pallets are held in long sliding tongs, and, taking a piece of shellac, heat it and roll it into a cylinder between the fingers; again heat the extremity and draw it out into a fine thread. This thread will break off, leaving a point at the end of the lac. Now heat the tongs at a little distance from the pallets, testing the degree of heat by touching the tongs with the shellac. When it melts easily, lightly touch the two sides of the notch with it; a very thin layer can thus be spread over them, and the pallet-stone can then be placed in position and held until cold enough. The tongs will not lose the heat suddenly, so that the stone can easily be raised or lowered as required. The projecting particles of cement can be removed by a brass wire, filed to an angle and forming a scraper.
To fix an end-stone, the cap must be held by its edge in the sliding tongs, and shellac carefully applied around the edge of the hollow. It is advisable to hold the cap in a small tool formed of two parallel blades, as when reversed so as to press the stone on a flat surface, the shellac will spread over the end-stone, from which it will be removed with difficulty.
ENAMEL.
194. This name is applied to an opaque glass, with which various metallic compounds, such as oxide of tin, phosphate of lime, borax, etc., have been incorporated by fusion. The color, of course, varies with the substance so added.
Willis recommends the following as a good white enamel for dials: silver sand, 14 parts; borax, 10 parts; red lead, 18 parts; niter, 2 parts; oxide of tin, 12 parts; flint glass, four parts; and binoxide of manganese, 1-50th of a part. But a good deal of care is requisite, both in selecting the materials and preparing the enamel, in order to insure a pure color of any desired shade; it is, therefore, often desirable to purchase the enamel ready prepared.
In applying enamel, regard must be had to the relative dilatation of the metal to which it is applied, the two being so combined as to expand and contract together; otherwise there is danger of the enamel cracking, either at once or shortly after it has set.
Enamel may be applied to gold or copper. Associated with the latter, it forms the ordinary dials of watches and timepieces, and, with the former, it serves for making enameled gold dials or cases. The gold should be of 22 carat, the 2 carats of alloy consisting of equal parts of silver and copper. If the gold is of a higher standard, it will not adhere so well, and, if lower, there will be a further danger of melting the metal before the enamel is fused.
Silver is apt to cockle on the application of heat, and enamel applied to it presents a bubbly appearance.
195. Application of enamel in the cold. We are indebted for the following particulars to M. Fournier, of Dieppe, a well-known enamel maker:
There are two kinds of false enamel for application, when cold, to damaged dials.
The first, a mixture of white resin and white lead, melts like sealing-wax, which it closely resembles. It is advisable, when about to apply it, to gently heat the dial and the blade of a knife, and, with this, to cut a piece of enamel of the requisite size and lay it on the dial. The new enamel must project somewhat above the old. When cold, the surface is levelled by scraping, and a shining surface is at once produced by holding at a little distance from the flame of a spirit lamp. It is necessary to be very careful in conducting this operation, as the least excess of heat will burn the enamel and turn it yellow; it is, however, preferable to the following, although more difficult to apply, as it is harder and does not become dirty so soon.
The second false enamel contains white lead mixed with melted white wax. It is applied like a cement, neatly filling up the space, and afterwards rubbing with tissue paper to produce a shining surface; if rubbed with a knife blade or other steel implement its surface will be discolored.
PRECIOUS STONES.
196. The principal precious stones used in watches, chronometers and regulator clocks, in their order of hardness, are: diamond, ruby, sapphire, chrysolite.
A watchmaker, although he may not have had any previous experience of jewels, can easily ascertain their relative hardness by rubbing one against the other. The softer will be scratched by those that are harder, and the stone that can be marked by a file may be thrown aside as useless.
197. Diamond. We shall make a very brief reference to this stone, as it is not used except for the end-stones for balances for chronometers and high-class watches.
Splinters of diamond are employed for drilling materials of a less degree of hardness, and fragments fixed at the end of a rod are used for turning very hard steel; diamond dust is the principal material used for working precious stones, polishing, etc. (see articles 165 and 169).
198. Ruby. This jewel, of a rich, velvetty, red color, exists in three principal varieties: oriental, spinel and balas rubies, which differ as regards their chemical composition.
From a jeweler’s point of view, the value of a ruby is enhanced by its rich color and transparency; but this is not the case in regard to its application in horology, for which hardness and capability of taking a high polish are mainly necessary.
The specific gravity of the three varieties is: oriental, 4.2; spinel, 3.7; balas, 3.6.
The first of these is the best, since it is the hardest, both taking a better polish in the first instance and retaining it for a longer period.
In comparison with the other varieties, its specific gravity is greater and it possesses a brighter color, but will often be found to be less transparent.
Spinel and balas rubies are frequently met with that are very beautiful to the eye, but their hardness is inferior to that of the sapphire and even of the chrysolite. They must be carefully excluded from all good work, for, either in consequence of the inferior hardness or the mode in which the oxide of iron, magnesia, etc., is combined, or of other causes, oil rapidly deteriorates in contact with them, and the moving parts, especially if they are of steel, soon show signs of wear. The rubies themselves also suffer, and it is by no means uncommon, especially in the case of the duplex escapement, to meet with such jewels quite rough and even pitted on their acting surfaces.
199. False ruby. In a certain class of watches, a variety of stones pass for rubies that are known to jewelers as rubicelle, rubace, rock ruby, Brazil, Siberian or Bohemian ruby, rose ruby, etc., the hardness of which is even less than that of rock crystal. Pivot-holes made of these imitations of the real ruby are worth less than plain brass settings.
200. Sapphire. The color of this stone, sometimes even milky, passes through all the shades of blue. Like the ruby, there are several varieties that differ appreciably in regard to hardness. The hardness of oriental sapphire is equal to that of oriental ruby; both consist of nearly pure alumina, colored by a little oxide of iron; their chemical composition thus being the same, they only differ in regard to color. It is, then, a great mistake on the part of watchmakers to prefer spinel or balas rubies in place of oriental sapphires.
The sapphire is more brittle than the ruby.
The other kinds of sapphire, such as water sapphires, are not true sapphires; they are soft and should never be used in horology. The density of the oriental sapphire is about 4.01, whereas that of other kinds is only 2.58.
201. Chrysolite. Under this name lapidaries include a variety of stones of yellow-green, apple-green with shades of yellow, and other colors.
That known as oriental chrysolite, which is the same as the oriental topaz, has a beautiful pale yellow color with shades of apple-green; it is the most highly esteemed. This stone has a sufficiently high degree of hardness for use in watchmaking, as it will scratch rock crystal. Its density varies from 3.73 to 3.00.