Mainspring winders

7109 Views 13 Replies 7 Participants Last post by BenchGuy, Aug 26, 2015

TheWatchBloke

Discussion Starter · Jul 24, 2014

Does anyone here use a mainspring winder when refitting a mainspring into the barrel? I've finally got myself a Bergeon set after along time looking and was wondering what size you use for your Seikos? I'm on about the usual calibres 61xx, 62xx, 63xx, 70xx, 7Sxx etc. A number 7 seems to work OK but I feel the arbor is slightly too big, and worry it could deform the coil. The number 6 has a better sized arbor but the barrel is to small for the majority of Seiko springs.

Or am I just worrying unnecessarily?

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Transporter

· #2 · Jul 24, 2014

I only wish I could afford a Bergeon winder, in fact any winder, is even by a cheap chinese one off the bay if I could find one, I'm afraid if I take the mainsprings out I have to hand wind them back in place, which I don't really have to much drama doing, it's the removing of the bloody things from the barrel that I get the problem, no matter how careful and slow I am it will always come flying out of the barrel.
I've lost count of how many I have painstakingly untangled after this has happened, but apart from one auto spring where the bridle snapped in three places I've managed to get them all back in the barrel successfully.
Sorry if I've hijacked your thread abit mate, any ideas on cheap mainspring winders

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feca67

· #3 · Jul 24, 2014

http://www.clockmaker.com.au/diy_seiko_7s26/chapter10.html
The above method works OK for me - hold the barrel in closed fist when you pull the spring it out. It still gets tangled but at least it unwinds slowly and seems less likely to get damaged.

Transporter said:
I only wish I could afford a Bergeon winder, in fact any winder, is even by a cheap chinese one off the bay if I could find one, I'm afraid if I take the mainsprings out I have to hand wind them back in place, which I don't really have to much drama doing, it's the removing of the bloody things from the barrel that I get the problem, no matter how careful and slow I am it will always come flying out of the barrel.
I've lost count of how many I have painstakingly untangled after this has happened, but apart from one auto spring where the bridle snapped in three places I've managed to get them all back in the barrel successfully.
Sorry if I've hijacked your thread abit mate, any ideas on cheap mainspring winders

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Transporter

· #4 · Jul 25, 2014

Cheers feca, lotsbof helpful info there, ive so many bookmarks etc on both my phone and tablet relating to watch stuff that I forgot that I had it, any way ive been thinking of how to make my own mainspring holder like the ones they come delivered in.
mainly somit makes it easier to wind the bloody things back into the barrels, I was thinking of getting a more manageable piece of perpex and drill a hole ever so slightly smaller than the barrel, have a second pieceunder the first so the spring doesnt get pushed through, then when wound in line upmwith the barrel and push in, I, ll start tomorrow as I have a watch repair day lined up woohooo

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ClockBloke

· #5 · Jul 25, 2014

cannop said:
Does anyone here use a mainspring winder when refitting a mainspring into the barrel? I've finally got myself a Bergeon set after along time looking and was wondering what size you use for your Seikos? I'm on about the usual calibres 61xx, 62xx, 63xx, 70xx, 7Sxx etc. A number 7 seems to work OK but I feel the arbor is slightly too big, and worry it could deform the coil. The number 6 has a better sized arbor but the barrel is to small for the majority of Seiko springs.

Or am I just worrying unnecessarily?

Just rang a old watch guy I know he said #7 for most seiko's. He also said throw it away and do it by hand

He just gave me his bergeon mainspring winder set too and told me to bin it when I get it from him and do it by hand! Grumpy old git!!!

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TheWatchBloke

Discussion Starter · #6 · Jul 26, 2014

Number 7 it is then. I have no problem doing them by hand, it's just that I have on occasions ended up with bits of skin and lord knows what inside the barrel with the spring, which means it all has to come back out again for another go!

I've done a few test barrels now to get used to the tool and it seems a lot simpler and quicker to me.

I still remove the springs by hand though, I can't think of a simpler way of to be honest.

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ClockBloke

· #7 · Jul 26, 2014

cannop said:
Number 7 it is then. I have no problem doing them by hand, it's just that I have on occasions ended up with bits of skin and lord knows what inside the barrel with the spring, which means it all has to come back out again for another go!

I've done a few test barrels now to get used to the tool and it seems a lot simpler and quicker to me.

I still remove the springs by hand though, I can't think of a simpler way of to be honest.

Most clock guys do mainsprings by hand but it does bend them out of shape what ever anyone says. Hence why the makers and Victorian repairers invented the mainspring winder in the first place. I use one every time on my clocks and to date I have NEVER had a issue with a mainspring unless the material has failed. I use a clock mainspring winder to put them in and take them out otherwise the clock springs deform. Can't hurt!

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peter.mone

· #8 · Jul 26, 2014

ClockBloke said:
Most clock guys do mainsprings by hand but it does bend them out of shape what ever anyone says.

Shure? I've wound out and all my Seiko mainsprings by hand and never seen a problem. And I remove always the mainspring for servicing a Seiko.
With some of Seiko mainsprings you havn't any chance to bring them in by mainspring winder like the small lady calibres 10 or the 4005/6 alarm spring ... see the attached photo of the 4006 base plate, really no space to place a mainspring winder.
Best regards, Peter

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ClockBloke

· #9 · Jul 26, 2014

peter.mone said:
Shure? I've wound out and all my Seiko mainsprings by hand and never seen a problem. And I remove always the mainspring for servicing a Seiko.
With some of Seiko mainsprings you havn't any chance to bring them in by mainspring winder like the small lady calibres 10 or the 4005/6 alarm spring ... see the attached photo of the 4006 base plate, really no space to place a mainspring winder.
Best regards, Peter

Yep because I am talking about clock mainsprings not watches

The watch ones I have done so far have been by hand and are fine

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peter.mone

· #10 · Jul 26, 2014

I'm really too angry to touch mainsprings bigger than for alarm clocks :storm:
The biggest I have is working without mainsprings (waiting for complete restauration).
Best regards, Peter

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ClockBloke

· #11 · Jul 26, 2014

peter.mone said:
I'm really too angry to touch mainsprings bigger than for alarm clocks :storm:
The biggest I have is working without mainsprings (waiting for complete restauration).
Best regards, Peter

Ah not sure what that is but looks a large movement. I specialise with English Fusee movements and the occasional longcase clock (grandfather clock in the states).

Sorry wont go off subject anymore Duncan

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BenchGuy

· #12 · Jul 27, 2014

For that application, I use a #7...but I use an arbor from another set. I think mine are Watchcraft...but there were a number of similar made by various manufacturers. No 7, No 8 and this set cover 90% of my needs.

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darlek

· #13 · Aug 26, 2015 (Edited)

BenchGuy said:
For that application, I use a #7...but I use an arbor from another set. I think mine are Watchcraft...but there were a number of similar made by various manufacturers. No 7, No 8 and this set cover 90% of my needs.

I have used these + the bergeon winder & always the same issue, the arbours are too fat for modern springs. I found by adding a tiny amount of Vaseline to the arbour after loading the spring onto the arbour helps with the release.
However this still does not always work & I am wondering if I could modify the winding part of the Bergeon,perhaps by cutting an inspection slots on their sides.
Any thoughts much appreciated

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BenchGuy

· #14 · Aug 26, 2015

Don't understand the purpose of "inspection slots".
I have no issue using the watchcraft arbor with the Bergeon barrel. Being smaller, it requires diligence to keep the ms in the winder...but with a little practice this is really no problem and the watchcraft arbors release just fine.
I wouldn' use vaseline...this will contaminate your mainspring with an incorrect lubricant.
Regards, BG

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Mainspring winders

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