P4GTR Posted October 10, 2009 Report Share Posted October 10, 2009 I'm leaking my collection of spare parts like a siv. If it's not bad enough most of these arrive broken, I'm just adding insult to injury sometimes. I've accumulated a nice little trove of parts, and knowledge enough to apparently be dangerous. I figured i'd try to "build" a better sub, using the sum of my best parts. We'll I've managed to destroy most of them. i've unsuccessfully fixed the keyless works of a gen eta 2836. I've erased the print off of a noobmariner dial in an attempt to clean it with a touch of rubbing alcohol. I've scratched a set of hands. I snapped a stem off into an asian movement. I dremeled the tube threads of a sub case shaving the crown guards. lets see... Ive realized that every single dial has posts in a different position than the next dial. I've gorilla glued myself to just about every mechanical watch part invented. I've lost enough tiny screws and orings in my carpet that the dog has probably found and ingested enough stuff to build herself and finally answer the question "who has the best sub". I've flung a brand new WM pearl across the tile floor and spent hours roping off the scene and scouring it inch by inch. I did find it. I've poked a tweezer through the lume application on a subs minute hand. I've stabbed myself with enough PO bracelet pins that my fingers think they are acupuncture test subjects. nothing fits together. Never allow me to swap a part from one watch to another. I will break both of them. I have this accumulation of extra parts because every time I go to put a watch back together I have "extra" stuff leftover. I have a tacklebox full of watch parts and tools and have depleaded half of my stash in one week of trying to increase my skills. I know there's been threads like this before but I've had an especially unlucky week of watch modding. Feel free to laugh at me or share your own frustration. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freddy333 Posted October 10, 2009 Report Share Posted October 10, 2009 Try not to take it too hard. We all go through similar trials by fire in the pursuit of learning the watchmaking game. Look at it this way - at least you have not damaged any rare, expensive parts. Much better to put a hole through the lume on a rep hand (which can easily be made like new with some lume & a toothpick) than the tritium on a vintage gen Rolex hand. Just learn to take breaks when you get frustrated (we all do) & chalk your negative experiences up to the learning process. 1 thing I would recommend that will save you alot of grief is to either move your watchmaking to a room with clean tile or wood (no carpeting) or remove the carpeting in your current room. Carpets are a black hole when it comes to watch parts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbutlerman Posted October 10, 2009 Report Share Posted October 10, 2009 I feel you on the blackhole of carpets. But as of late I have developed an eagle eye for hunting down screws and other metal bits that find there way into the abyss. I used to suck at finding the bits, but I have developed a new skill! I wonder if I should post it on my resume.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slartibartfast Posted October 10, 2009 Report Share Posted October 10, 2009 Love it! I feel for you, and am right there with you! I have screwed up much more than I have ever fixed! Fun, though (strangely). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
P4GTR Posted October 10, 2009 Author Report Share Posted October 10, 2009 Love it! I feel for you, and am right there with you! I have screwed up much more than I have ever fixed! Fun, though (strangely). One good watch out of three. You really begin to appreciate something as a result of your own work. wiping away the print on the submariner dial as I did with rubbing alcohol, gives new meaning to sterile dial. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
signumboy Posted October 10, 2009 Report Share Posted October 10, 2009 lol I'm not alone then. But I bet nearly every one of those jobs started with a spare 20 minutes and the thought of "I know I will just....." then 4 hours later .AAARRRGGGHHHH!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hiker01 Posted October 10, 2009 Report Share Posted October 10, 2009 I guess I'm in good company........the "ORKEL" Group! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RWG Technical Posted October 10, 2009 Report Share Posted October 10, 2009 I feel your pain... My son comes into the downstairs workshop one time because of the hammering he could hear...BANG BANG BANG, the whole bench is jumping up and down...he asks what the heck I am doing...I broke a tap in a rollie case and am trying to drive it out with a puch... How about walking down to the Ultrasonic Machine with a 60 year old ladie's rollie movement in the washing basket...you turn on the light, and when you move your arm back, you accidentially hit the tweezers in the tray, which flips the basket and the contents and fully disassembled movement all over the floor... There are more, but I am in thearapy trying to forget these nightmares. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
P4GTR Posted October 11, 2009 Author Report Share Posted October 11, 2009 I feel your pain... My son comes into the downstairs workshop one time because of the hammering he could hear...BANG BANG BANG, the whole bench is jumping up and down...he asks what the heck I am doing...I broke a tap in a rollie case and am trying to drive it out with a puch... How about walking down to the Ultrasonic Machine with a 60 year old ladie's rollie movement in the washing basket...you turn on the light, and when you move your arm back, you accidentially hit the tweezers in the tray, which flips the basket and the contents and fully disassembled movement all over the floor... There are more, but I am in thearapy trying to forget these nightmares. I don't know how you do it! I think about you zig, those tedious moments have me on the borderline of insanity. signum you're right. A quick dial swap last night.. I already knew what I did wrong last time, so it was just a matter of going and doing it the right way, with a fresh start. A total 4 hour nightmare insued!. Back to the basics. I've been here for years now. Still the same rules apply. Patience. Learn. Read. Patience. I've got a GOOD lesson the past week or two that really I don't know s-h-i-t. i'm inpatient. I'm choffed about missing delivery of my skyland today when i've been at home, all day long, the past two days. And of course Monday is a government holiday (post is closed!!) and I'm back to work on tuesday. It's nothing new to any of us. Your right Freddy. I am not down any watches. Any vintage gen parts, etc. Chalking it up to great learning. The potential to have a good, complete, sub is down the drain unless by sub I mean yacht-mariner. We won't learn if we don't try! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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