scott60 Posted February 5, 2013 Report Share Posted February 5, 2013 I just bought a Presto #7 hand remover and am fooling around with some cheap watches before I go near my Rolexes. The problem with the tool is the center plunger, which is not centered, and keeps hitting the feet and not making it through the central hole between the feet. I have tried to adjust this by adjusting the spring on either side. I can also sometimes get the plunger tip to go through the hole if I hold the tool in a very particular way, placing so much pressure on the right spring and so much pressure on the left spring in a different position to adjust for the plunger tilt and try to center it. This seems like an awful lot of work to have to go through to make this supposedly good tool behave properly. Is there a better hand remover with a more stable plunger mechanism? And what about when the hands are so close to the dial that when a dial protector is used there is barely room for the hand remover. Is this the time for the manual fork type of tool? thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mch2112 Posted February 5, 2013 Report Share Posted February 5, 2013 I just bought a Presto #7 hand remover and am fooling around with some cheap watches before I go near my Rolexes. The problem with the tool is the center plunger, which is not centered, and keeps hitting the feet and not making it through the central hole between the feet. I have tried to adjust this by adjusting the spring on either side. I can also sometimes get the plunger tip to go through the hole if I hold the tool in a very particular way, placing so much pressure on the right spring and so much pressure on the left spring in a different position to adjust for the plunger tilt and try to center it. This seems like an awful lot of work to have to go through to make this supposedly good tool behave properly. Is there a better hand remover with a more stable plunger mechanism? And what about when the hands are so close to the dial that when a dial protector is used there is barely room for the hand remover. Is this the time for the manual fork type of tool? thanks I ruined a bunch of hands with the presto. Ever since getting the manual lever type it's been no problem at all. Ditch the presto IMO. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rolexman Posted February 5, 2013 Report Share Posted February 5, 2013 A presto works just fine. You probably don't know how it should work. You grip the claws around the hour wheel and just pinch the tool (make sure the hands are bth at 12). The feet will co me down on the dial (use a dial protector) and he claws will move up, removing the hands. The centre post will come down to stabilise the hands so they won't fly off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
offshore Posted February 5, 2013 Report Share Posted February 5, 2013 You can try these as an option.- http://watchbitz.com.au/shop/index.php?_a=viewProd&productId=358 Offshore Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FxrAndy Posted February 5, 2013 Report Share Posted February 5, 2013 The plunger should not go through the hole????? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scott60 Posted February 5, 2013 Author Report Share Posted February 5, 2013 A presto works just fine. You probably don't know how it should work. You grip the claws around the hour wheel and just pinch the tool (make sure the hands are bth at 12). The feet will co me down on the dial (use a dial protector) and he claws will move up, removing the hands. The centre post will come down to stabilise the hands so they won't fly off. Hi, and thanks for your reply. I think I've been unclear. When I pinch the tool the central post is stopped by one of the claws. Shouldn't the central post stay in the middle and go through the holes in the hands? I've tried adjusting the post by fooling with spring tension on either side. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FxrAndy Posted February 5, 2013 Report Share Posted February 5, 2013 NO Take off all hands at one go Set all hands to 12 if you can Put a thin sheet of plastic over the top of the hands and dial use the presto and remove all the hands together they will be held in the plastica and that will also protect the dial Like this but with plastic to protect the hands and dial Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scott60 Posted February 5, 2013 Author Report Share Posted February 5, 2013 NO Take off all hands at one go Set all hands to 12 if you can Put a thin sheet of plastic over the top of the hands and dial use the presto and remove all the hands together they will be held in the plastica and that will also protect the dial Like this but with plastic to protect the hands and dial Hi Andy, Thanks so much for the reply. Can you tell me the purpose of the central plunger in the #7? I'm definitely missing something fundamental here... thanks Todd Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rolexman Posted February 5, 2013 Report Share Posted February 5, 2013 Hi, and thanks for your reply. I think I've been unclear. When I pinch the tool the central post is stopped by one of the claws. Shouldn't the central post stay in the middle and go through the holes in the hands? I've tried adjusting the post by fooling with spring tension on either side. Hahaha You have been very clear and I told you you are doing it wrong..... Do a search on youtube and look up some movies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FxrAndy Posted February 5, 2013 Report Share Posted February 5, 2013 Scott you are thinking to much Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scott60 Posted February 5, 2013 Author Report Share Posted February 5, 2013 OK guys, I know I've been a bit of a dolt here...usually I'm very good with tools and fine work. So my stupidity here is frustrating me even more than you.. I'll do a youtube search thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scott60 Posted February 5, 2013 Author Report Share Posted February 5, 2013 Scott you are thinking to much OK, maybe. But I note that some of the presto removers have no central plunger. This is simple for me to understand. Just use a dial protector, get the remover claws beneath the 2 hands, squeeze and gently remove the hands. In my presto #7 tool, what should the central plunger be doing? I don't have the thing in front of me now, maybe I'll go home later and take a few pics. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scott60 Posted February 6, 2013 Author Report Share Posted February 6, 2013 A presto works just fine. You probably don't know how it should work. You grip the claws around the hour wheel and just pinch the tool (make sure the hands are bth at 12). The feet will co me down on the dial (use a dial protector) and he claws will move up, removing the hands. The centre post will come down to stabilise the hands so they won't fly off. Hi, Actually the center post in a #7 comes down onto the cannon pinion which is where it exerts force when the hands are pulled. It's a different beast than a #1 or #6. Your answer above is fine for a presto #6 as I tried one tonight and it's a breeze. The center post in my #7 does NOT align in the center the way it was designed and so misses the cannon pinion. Which one do you use? thanks, Todd Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scott60 Posted February 6, 2013 Author Report Share Posted February 6, 2013 Best tool ever made, and you only bought one I have about 5 in different sizes lol OK, do you have a #7? The one with orange handle where the center pin has a wheel with 4 different sizes of pins? This one has to have the center pin perfectly aligned in the middle to hit the cannon pinion of the watch, this is where force is exerted when the hands are pulled. My center pin does NOT stay centralized which causes problems when trying to remove hands. I used a #6 tonight and it was a breeze. Much simpler. Please tell me which is your favorite for a basic vintage 50's-60's civilian swiss automatic? thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
level z Posted February 8, 2013 Report Share Posted February 8, 2013 You can try these as an option.- http://watchbitz.com.au/shop/index.php?_a=viewProd&productId=358 Offshore +1 .. the best hand remover i used .. mine is AF swiss ...good stuff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ryaku Posted February 11, 2013 Report Share Posted February 11, 2013 I am in no way a professional but to be honest I much prefer manual levers to the Presto tool Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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