Best way to remove sharp edges from watch / bracelet?

[Gadgeguy2009]

Hello all,

several of my reps have quite sharp edges on the watch and on the bracelet (while the gens are very nice and smooth - no sharpness at all).

Is there an easy method to solve this? Maybe with a dremel? What tool would you use on the dremel?

Or is it better just leave it as is?

Thank you for sharing your advice!

[its_urabus]

Ill share: I use nail files. you need to get the ones that are foam in the middle, you can get all grits, I get mine at a nail salon (they are better than the ones from the grocery store). small moves, let the file to the work... good luck!!

ps- there are a bunch of posts on this, the search is your friend....

[Noel Fleischer]

Ill share: I use nail files. you need to get the ones that are foam in the middle, you can get all grits, I get mine at a nail salon (they are better than the ones from the grocery store). small moves, let the file to the work... good luck!!

ps- there are a bunch of posts on this, the search is your friend....

me too. also get some fine sanding emory cloth.

[Packard]

When I want to polish metal parts I toss it in the commercial cartridge tumbler we have at work along with some tumbling media. The finest media is made from walnut shells. But stainless steel ball bearings will smooth metal without removing any at all.

I don't know how it would work with a fully assembled bracelet however.

The home versions are fairly cheap (about $75.00) and you can get them on-line. Here is one: http://www.cabelas.com/p-0012545210571a.shtml

Note: These do not really "tumble" the parts, but rather vibrate and make the parts travel in a circular motion.

The most aggressive media is fine sand and it will cut the sharp edges off of just about anything but I think the sand will get in the joints and cause problems.

400, 600 and 800 grit wet/dry sanding cloth is available and ripped into narrow strips it can be used to burnish the edges (like using a shoe shine cloth).

The tool makers in our shop use emory sticks to polish the edges of tooling and I suspect

that would work also: http://www.progresstool.com/cat_paper.cfm

Edited August 1, 2009 by Packard

[Gadgeguy2009]

Thank you all for the very valuable suggestions!

[hooky]

That Lyman Turbo Twin Tumbler would otherwise also the perfect machine to have leather straps aged. perfect for Panerai / vintage straps for example.

[rangers158]

The only problem with the tumbler method is that you probably have to refinish the bracelet again. The metal parts should have gone through this process with ceramic to take off the sharp edge before it is assembled and finish. Cost-cutting measures for rep makers...