Workshop Hints and Tips
From The Horological Journal 1994 - January 1999

In line with the British Horological Institute's aim of education in all aspects of horology, there is a wealth of useful hints and tips published in the Horological Journal. One of the main problems is remembering where you read the information. This index will list all the hints and articles which concentrate on solving practical problems found in repairing watches and clocks etc. rather than the theory of horology.

Some articles will be reproduced here and the hyperlinks on this page will take you to them. However, most of the recently published hints will not be reproduced here and members can obtain back issues of the Journals if they missed them. So I strongly suggest that to get the most up to date help Join the BHI NOW.

The index shows the subject followed by the month and year of the magazine and then the page number(s).

8 day wall clock construction Pt 18. Aug. 94 488

correction to pt 18. Sep. 94 517

construction pt 19 Oct. 94 568

construction Pt 20. Nov. 94 600

construction Pt 21. Dec. 94 624

Abrasives

Oilstone powder. Apr. 95 118

Barometers

Servicing - Aneroid Sep 1998 308-311

Bezels

Replacing plaster in the bezel. Jul. 94 450

Useful Books

Collection for the bench May 160

Casting Threads

Casting unusual threads in nuts, May 98 169

Chronometer

Detent Making machine Jun 96 204

Cleaning fluids

Ammoniated Cleaning solutions (SCC) Aug 97 281, Oct 97 328, Dec97 400

Citric, Letter. Jan 94 228

Citric, Letter. Feb. 94 258

Citric, Letter. Mar 94 294

Clock Barrel

Repairs Jun 96 198

Replacing teeth Aug 96 266

Electric Clocks

Conversion of electrically driven pendulum clocks to weights, part 1. Jan 96 28

Repairing a Kundo Electronic clock, July 98, 229

Escapements

Making Accurate dead-beat pallets Aug 97 276

Pallet Refacing Jig (Recoil) Oct 97 338

Finishing

wood and metal, Letter. Dec. 95 400

Bluing Hints Jan 97 19

Grasshopper Escapement

Another Look, Dec 96 412

Grease

A general purpose Horological 'Grease', Jun 99 203

Gravity clocks

description of mechanism. Aug. 94 490

adjustment. Letter. Dec. 94 622

adjustment. Letter. Feb. 95 40

Hairsprings

Chronometer hairsprings Oct 1998 346-350

Collets - Fitting Jan 1999 17-19

Flat Hairsprings Nov 1998 375-377

Truing spiral hairsprings Dec 1998 417-420

Lathes and equipment

Making a milling spindle for the clockmaker Pt 1. Jul. 95 223

Making a milling spindle for the clockmaker Pt 2. Aug. 95 272

Making & sharpening hand engravers Aug 96 277

Screw Holding chuck for Clockmakers, Jul 96 245

Speed controller. Aug. 94 498

Longcase clocks

Beat setting tool. Sep 95 313

Chain making tool. Dec. 94 632

Fixing gut lines, Letter. Nov. 94 583

Repairing a Fragile Great Wheel, Jun 97 194
Splicing a clock rope. Sep 95 314

Mainsprings

Computer Program for calculations Nov 97 371

Failure in storage. Mar 95 92

problems. Oct. 95 338

Selecting, letter, Feb 96 42

Mechanical watches

Forming Breguet balance Spring Overcoils Oct 335

Hand made verge watch Pt 4. Jan 94 244

Hand made verge watch Pt 5. Apr. 94 350

Hand made verge watch Pt 6. Jul. 94 460

Hand made verge watch Pt 7. Nov. 94 611

How did the Stackfreed really work? May 97 154

Making bevel winding pinions, Feb 96 54

Making Cannon pinions for American pocket watches. Mar 94 302

Patek Philippe's Annual Calendar, Ref 5035, Sep 96 317

Replacing Jewels in Antique watches Pt 1 Sep 97 312

Replacing Jewels in Antique watches Pt 2 Oct 97 346

Replacing Jewels in Antique watches Pt 3 Nov 97 380

Replacing Jewels in Antique watches Pt 4 Jan 98 21
Replacing Jewels in Antique watches Pt 5 Feb 98 56

Replacing Jewels in Antique watches Pt 6 Mar 98 81

Restoring pocket watch stems Pt 1. May 94 378

Restoring pocket watch stems Pt 2. Aug. 94 495

Servicing check list (from Dec. 1991 issue)

Softening balance staffs Apr 127

Oils

Oils & Oiling Jun 99 187

Optical Aids

Comparison tests Jun 96 194

Pendulums

Adjustment Jun 96 196

compound pendulums Jul 96 231

Perpetual calendar Regulator

Making Jun 96 190

Pinion

calculation Apr. 95 118

Platforms

Positioning. Nov. 95 392

Quarter-repeating watch

repair. Oct. 95 350

Quartz watches

A 22 function quartz watch analyser Pt 1 Apr. 95 114

A 22 function quartz watch analyser Pt 2 May 95 172

ETA Autoquartz 205.11, news, Sep 96 297

Repair Pt 1. Feb. 94 286 Repair Pt 2. May 96 374

Repair Pt 3. Jun. 428 Repair Pt 4. Aug. 94 500

Repair Pt 5 Oct. 94 565

Silver soldering aids. Jun. 95 191

Repeating Mechanisms

An introduction to repeating mechanisms, pt 1, Nov 96 380

An introduction to repeating mechanisms, pt 2, Dec 96 410

Screw Threads

Casting threads May 168

charts Nov 97 386

Spiders

Eliminating from clock cases, Feb 96 52

Stopwork on clocks and watches

Geared stopwork, Feb 97 63

Swinging clock

gaining, Letter. May 95 148

repair, Letter. Apr. 95 111

Repair continued May 98 171

Taper pin

material. Jun. 95 191

Tools

A Measuring instrument for Pivots Jan 1999 25

Clock bushing tool construction, Sep 96 303

Convex knurling tool, Oct 96 346

Drills Sharpening Jun 96 200

Elma Clock Timer June 98, 196

French clock movement holder. Jun. 95 191

Files Cleaning. Aug. 95 281

Jewelling Accessories for a Staking tool Oct 97 349

Microset Timer July 98 235

Renovating a Staking tool, Feb 97 46
...Steel available in UK, Mar 79
Screwdriver and Graver Sharpening Jig, Aug 97 266
Stepping device for watchmakers' lathe Jan 98 24

Watchmakers Drilling machine Oct 1998 332-333

Tower clocks

Mechanical Clock driving electric dial, Pt 1. Jul 96 240
Repairs to a waiting train Pt 1. Sep 94 536

Repairs to a waiting train Pt 2. Oct. 94 560

Repairs to a waiting train Pt 3. Nov. 94 592

Repairs to a waiting train Pt 4. Dec. 94 647

Repairs to a waiting train Pt 5. Jan 95 6

Repairs to a waiting train Pt 6. Feb. 95 62

Repairs to a waiting train Pt 7. Apr. 95 126

Repairs to a waiting train Pt 8. May 95 150

Replacing locking plate Pt 1 Feb. 94 266

Replacing locking plate Pt 2 Mar 94 314

Replacing missing Fly Arbors Pt 1 Sep 97 308

Replacing missing Fly Arbors Pt 2 Oct 97 352

Replacing missing parts Pt 1. Jun. 95 186

Replacing missing parts Pt 2. Jul. 95 244

Restoration of half minute release movement Pt 1. May 94 371

Restoration of half minute release movement Pt 2. Jun. 94 409

Turning

Using the hand graver for Basic turning cuts, Oct 96 348

Ultrasonic Machines

Avoid baskets, Letter. Dec. 94 622

Watch cases

Sharkskin and pins, letter, Feb 96 40

Recovering verge watch cases Aug 96 276

Wheel cutting

Fly cutter collet. Aug. 95 257

Wheel cutters. Apr. 95 132

Cutter centring device. Nov. 95 371

Making and finishing ratchet wheels, Feb 97 55

Using a dividing head. May 96 384

Using a dividing head, letter. Jul. 96 440

Using a dividing head, letter. Aug. 94 476

Index of Hints and tips