Hi Tim, many thanks!

Like many antiquated watchmaking tools, the fish carriers that you can find today are likely all old examples as there isn’t a market for anyone to produce new ones. I would expect the best place to look would be eBay, although you may find that they will be sold along with other tools, such as a Jacot tool. Colin

Hi Fai,

Thanks for your comment! The text should be black on a white screen, if you can let me know what device and browser you have viewed the page on them I can look into that.

Colin

Hi Ivan, wow a 0.07mm pivot is really small. I presume you’re making it for a lady’s watch.

I wouldn’t recommend using a micometer (or screw gauge as you call it) on such a small pivot, as any small twist of the gauge when you are measuring it on the will snap the pivot. For such small pivots the only way to measure it is through using a pivot gauge, which is a ring of different sized jewels. They can be expensive though, and I so if you don’t have access to one I would recommend just getting a 0.07mm jewel, which you may be able to get as a 0.0725mm size, and then trying the pivot in it.

This is how watch pivots always used to be measured. In that you basically make the pivot to fit the jewel hole rather than turning the pivot to an exact size.

When instruments, such as the micrometer, were first introduced in the 1800s watchmakers of the time did not believe their accuracy. They actually laughed at the idea of 0.01mm, thinking that such a small size couldn’t physically exist. Despite this philosophy they made pivots accurate to microns – because that was the size that fitted the jewel.

For a cone shaped pivot I would recommend using HSS (High Speed Steel) graver over Tungsten, mostly because it is easier to shape. You will want the tip of the piece to be rounded.

The majority of the final shape of the pivot will come from your burnisher.

When burnishing, moving the pivot more will increase the finish, while moving the burnisher more will remove material. I would also recommend using a thin oil to help with the burnishing, as this will aid in the removal of material from the area.

Like most micomechanical skills, it’s constant repetition that is the key to improving.

Best of luck!

Hi Ivan, is this before or after you have tried to burnish the pivots? If before, then there’s a few possiblities, mostly due to technique.

First of all, make sure your graver is super sharp and flat. Run it across your fingernail and it should scratch it. If you’re having trouble getting it right, the technique for sharpening involves moving your whole forearm pivoting at the elbow and not moving your wrist at all. If you move your wrist, that will make a curved motion, which will then make your graver face curved too. Once you’ve got it sharp, be sure to break off any burrs and give it a very quick once over on an Arkansas Stone.

When turning steel you can use a fairly slow speed. When turning a pivot you will want to swarf to come off as fine dust. If it comes off as swirls or in chunks then you’re putting too much pressure on and/or running your lathe too fast. It is better to take hours to get something perfect than to try and rush it. Your speed will come naturally as your practice. Speed is not important when you’re learning.

If the problem is coming during your burnishing when you’re using the Jacot tool then that’s a sign that you are using a wrong sized groove. An hour glass shape would indicate that it is too big as the tip is falling too far into the groove leaving the middle raised and so when you rub the material it’s just the middle part that is being removed.

You can remove material and also flatten your piece in the Jacot tool before burnishing by using an abrasive stone like a Degussit stone. That can help get it just right so that it sits nice and flat in the groove.

I hope that helps, let me know how you get on with it!