,transcriber's notes3 ,some minor       
typographical errors have been          
corrected4 ,the author's spelling has   
been retained4                          
,a ,,treatise                           
,,on                          ,,staff   
,,making                                
,,and                                   
,,pivoting              ,,containing    
,,complete ,,directions ,,for ,,making  
,,and ,,fitting ,,new ,,staffs ,,from   
,,the ,,raw ,,material                  
,,eugene ,e4 ,,hall                     
,,with ,,numerous ,,illustrations       
,,chicago3                  ,,hazlitt   
,,walker1 ,,publishers                  
#aiaj                                   
,,contents4                             
,,chapter ,i4  ,the raw material4 ,the  
gravers4 ,the roughing out4 ,the        
hardening and tempering                 
#e                            ,,chapter 
,,ii4  ,kinds of pivots4 ,their shape4  
,capillarity4 ,the requirements of a    
good pivot                              

#ac                            ,,chapter
 ,,iii4  ,the proper measurements and   
how obtained                         #ai
                            ,,chapter   
,,iv4  ,the gauging of holes4 ,the side 
shake4 ,the position of the graver #bc  
,,chapter ,v4  ,the grinding and        
polishing4 ,the reversal of the work4   
,the wax chuck                          
#bi                            ,,chapter
 ,,vi4  ,another wax chuck4 ,the        
centering of the work                   
#ce                            ,,chapter
 ,,vii4  ,the finishing of the staff4   
,pivoting4 ,making pivot drills4        
,hardening drills4 ,the drilling and    
fitting of new pivots                   
#ci     ,,staff ,,making ,,and          
,,pivoting4     ,,chapter ,i4   ,to     
produce a good balance staff requires   
more skill than to produce any other    
turned portion of a watch1 and your     
success will depend not alone on your   
knowledge of its proper shape and       
measurements1 nor the tools at your     

command1 but rather upon your skill with
 the graver and your success in         
hardening and tempering4 ,there are many
 points worthy of consideration in the  
making of a balance staff that are too  
often neglected4 ,i have seen staffs    
that were models as regards execution   
and finish1 that were nearly worthless  
from a practical standpoint1 simply     
because the maker had devoted all his   
time and energy to the execution of a   
beautiful piece of lathe work1 and had  
given no thought or study to the form   
and size of the pivots4 ,on the other   
hand1 one often sees staffs whose pivots
 are faultless in shape1 but the        
execution and finish so bungling as to  
offset all the good qualities as regards
 shape4 ,to have good tools and the     
right ideas is one thing1 and to use    
these tools properly and make a         
practical demonstration of your theory  
is another4  ,i shall endeavor to take  
up every point in connection with the   
balance staff1 from the steel to the    

jewels1 and their relation to the       
pivots1 and ,i believe this will then   
convey to the reader all the necessary  
points1 not only as regards staffs1 but 
pivots also1 whether applied to a       
balance or a pinion staff4  ,it may be  
argued1 and we often do hear material   
dealers advance the theory1 that to-day1
 with our interchangeable parts and the 
cheapness of all material1 it is a waste
 of time to make a balance staff4 ,to   
the reader who takes this view of the   
situation ,i simply want to say1 kindly 
follow me to the end of this paragraph1 
and if you are still of the same        
opinion1 then you are wasting your time 
in following me farther4 ,for a material
 dealer to advance this theory ,i can   
find some excuse2 he is an interested   
party1 and the selling of material is   
his bread and butter2 but the other     
fellow1 well ,i never could understand  
him and possibly never shall4 ,when we  
seriously consider the various styles   
and series in old model and new model1  

of only one of the leading manufacturers
 of watches in this country1 to say     
nothing of the legion of small and large
 concerns who are manufacturing or have 
manufactured in the past1 and then think
 of carrying these staffs in stock1 all 
ready for use1 we then begin to realize 
how utterly absurd the idea is1 to say  
nothing of how expensive6 ,on the other 
hand1 if you reside in a large city and 
propose to rely on the stock of your    
material dealer1 you will find yourself 
in an embarrasing situation very often1 
for as likely as not the movement       
requiring a new staff was made by a     
company that went out of business back  
in the '#hjs1 or it is a new movement1  
the material for which has not yet been 
placed on the market4 ,this state of    
affairs leads to makeshifts1 and they in
 turn lead to botch work4 ,the          
watchmaker who does not possess the     
experience or necessary qualifications  
to make a new balance staff and make it 
in a neat and workmanlike manner1 is    

never certain of having exactly what is 
needed1 and cannot hope to long retain  
the confidence of his customers4 ,in    
fact1 he is not a watchmaker at all1 but
 simply an apprentice or student1 even  
though he be working for a salary or be 
his own master4 ,there are undoubtedly  
many worthy members of the trade1 who   
are not familiar with the making of a   
balance staff1 who will take exceptions 
to this statement2 but it is            
nevertheless true4 ,they may be good    
workmen as far as they go2 they may be  
painstaking2 but they cannot be classed 
as watchmakers4  ,this article is       
intended for the benefit of that large  
class whose opportunities for obtaining 
instruction are limited1 and who are    
ready and willing to learn1 and for that
 still larger class of practical workmen
 who can make a new staff in a          
creditable manner1 but who are always   
glad to read others people's ideas on   
any subject connected with the trade and
 who are not yet too old to learn new   

tricks should they find any such4       
,illustration3 ,fig4 #a4  ,good tools1  
in good condition1 are the most         
essential requisites in making a new    
staff4 ,i would not advise any          
particular make of lathe1 as the most   
expensive lathe in the world will not   
produce a true staff if the workman     
cannot center his work accurately and   
does not know how to handle his graver1 
while on the other hand fine work can be
 done on the simplest and cheapest lathe
 by a workman possessing the requisite  
skill4 ,i will take it for granted that 
you use an ,american-made lathe of some 
kind1 or a foreign-made lathe           
manufactured on ,american lines4 ,it is 
advisable1 though not absolutely        
necessary1 to have three gravers similar
 to those illustrated in ,fig4 #a1 ,a   
being used for turning the staff down in
 the rough2 ,b for the conical pivots   
and square shoulders and ,c for the     
under-cutting4 ,the other tools and     
attachments needed will be described as 

,i come to them in use4  ,the balance   
staff should be made of the best steel1 
tempered to such a degree as to give the
 longest service and yet not so hard as 
to endanger the breakage of the pivots4 
,select a piece of ,stubb's steel wire1 
say ,no4 #df1 or a little larger than   
the largest part of the finished staff  
is to be1 and center it in a split chuck
 of your lathe4 ,be careful in selecting
 your chuck that you pick one that fits 
the wire fairly close4 ,the chuck holds 
the work truest that comes the nearest  
to fitting it4 ,if you try to use a     
chuck that is too large or too small for
 the work1 you will only ruin the chuck 
for truth4 ,turn the wire to the form of
 a rough staff1 as shown in ,fig4 #b1   
leaving on a small part of the original 
wire1 as shown at ,a4 ,after the wire is
 roughed out to this general form1      
remove from the chuck and get ready to  
harden and temper it4 ,the hardening and
 tempering may be effected in various   
ways1 and ,i am scarcely prepared to say

 which method is the best1 as there are 
several which give about the same       
general results4 ,one method of         
hardening is to smear the blank with    
common yellow soap1 heat it to a cherry 
red1 and drop endwise into linseed oil4 
,petroleum is preferred by some to      
linseed oil1 but1 to tell the truth1 ,i 
can see no difference in the action of  
linseed1 petroleum or olive oil4 ,be    
sure and have enough oil to thoroughly  
cool the blank1 and a deep vessel1 such 
as a large-mouthed vial1 is preferable  
to a saucer4 ,the blank will now be     
found too hard to work easily with the  
graver1 and we must therefore draw the  
temper down to that of fine spring      
steel4 ,before doing this the blank     
should be brightened1 in order that we  
may see to just what color we are       
drawing it4 ,the main object in using   
the soap in hardening is that it may    
form a scale upon the blank1 and if the 
heating is effected gradually the soap  
will melt and form a practically        

air-tight case around the blank4 ,this  
scale1 if the hardening is carefully and
 properly done1 will generally chip and 
fall off when the blank is plunged in   
the oil1 particularly if the oil is     
cool1 and if it does not fall off of its
 own accord1 it can easily be removed by
 rolling the blank upon the bench4 ,if  
it does not come out clean1 or if soap  
is not used1 it may be brightened by    
again inserting in the lathe and        
bringing it in contact with a piece of  
fine emery paper or cloth4              
,illustration3 ,fig4 #b4  ,i draw the   
temper in the following manner3 ,place  
some fine brass filings in a boiling-out
 cup or bluing pan and lay the blank    
upon these filings1 holding the pan over
 the flame of an alcohol lamp until the 
blank assumes a dark purple color1 which
 it will reach when the heat gets to    
about #ejj ,f4 ,this ,i consider the    
right hardness for a balance staff1 as  
it is not too hard to work well under   
the graver nor too soft for the pivots4 

,at this degree of hardness steel will  
assume an exquisite polish if properly  
treated4 ,another method of tempering is
 to place the staff on a piece of sheet 
iron or copper 7say #a inch wide by #d  
long71 having previously bent it into a 
small angle1 for the reception of the   
staff1 as shown in ,fig4 #c4 ,this piece
 of metal1 when nicely fitted into a    
file handle1 will answer all the        
purposes of the bluing pan and presents 
quite a neat appearance4 ,having placed 
the blank in the angle1 lay on it a     
piece of yellow wax about the size of a 
bean1 and heat it over your lamp until  
the wax takes fire and burns4 ,blow out 
the flame and allow the staff to cool1  
and it will be found to be of about the 
right hardness4  ,illustration3 ,fig4   
#c4  ,we have now arrived at an         
important station in staff making1 a    
junction1 we may term it1 where many    
lines branch off from the main road4 ,at
 this particular spot is where          
authorities differ4 ,i have no          

hesitation in saying that at this       
particular point the split chuck should 
be removed from the lathe head and      
carefully placed in the chuck box and   
the cement chuck put in its place4 ,i   
believe that all of the remaining work  
upon a staff should be executed while it
 is held in a cement chuck4 ,on the     
other hand ,i have seen good workmen who
 turned and finished all the lower part 
of a staff while in a split chuck1 cut  
it off and turned and finished the upper
 part in a cement chuck4 ,all ,i have   
got to say is that they had more        
confidence in the truth of their chucks 
than ,i have in mine4 ,i have even read 
of watchmakers who made the entire staff
 in a split chuck1 but ,i must confess  
,i am somewhat curious to examine a     
staff made in that way1 and must have   
the privilege of examining it before ,i 
will admit that a true staff can be so  
made4  ,we will suppose that the workman
 has a moderately true chuck1 and that  
he prefers to turn and finish all the   

lower portions in this way4 ,of course  
the directions for using a cement chuck 
on the upper part of a staff are equally
 applicable to the lower4 ,before going 
further ,i think it advisable to        
consider the requirements of a pivot1   
but will reserve this for another       
chapter4     ,,chapter ,,ii4   ,the     
chief requirements of a pivot are that  
it shall be round and well polished4    
,avoid the burnish file at all hazards2 
it will not leave the pivot round1 for  
the pressure is unequal at various      
points in the revolution4 ,a pivot that 
was not perfectly round might act fairly
 well in a jewel hole that was round1   
but unfortunately the greater proportion
 of jewel holes are not as they should  
be1 and we must therefore take every    
precaution to guard against untrue      
pivots4 ,let us examine just what the   
effect will be if an imperfect pivot is 
fitted into an unround hole jewel1 and  
to demonstrate its action more clearly  
let us exaggerate the defects4 ,suppose 

we pick a perfectly round jewel and     
insert into the opening a three-cornered
 piece of steel wire1 in shape somewhat 
resembling the taper of a triangular    
file4 ,we find that this triangular     
piece of steel will turn in the jewel   
with the same ease that the most perfect
 cylindrical pivot will4 ,now suppose we
 change the jewel for one that is out of
 round and repeat the experiment4 ,we   
now find that the triangular steel soon 
finds the hollow spots in the jewel hole
 and comes to a stand-still as it is    
inserted in the hole4 ,the action of a  
pivot that is not true1 when in contact 
with a jewel whose hole is out of round1
 is very similar1 though in a less      
marked degree4 ,if the pivot inclines   
toward the elliptical and the jewel hole
 has a like failing1 which is often the 
case1 it is very evident that this want 
of truth in both the pivot and hole is  
very detrimental to the good going of a 
watch4  ,illustration3 ,fig4 #d4        
,illustration3 ,fig4 #e4  ,there are two

 kinds of pivots1 known respectively as 
straight and conical pivots1 but for the
 balance staff there is but one kind and
 that is the conical1 which is          
illustrated in ,fig4 #d4 ,the conical   
pivot has at least one advantage over   
the straight one1 i4 e41 it can be made 
much smaller than a straight pivot1 as  
it is much stronger in proportion1 owing
 to its shape4 ,all pivots have a       
tendency to draw the oil away from the  
jewels1 and particularly the conically  
formed variety1 which develops a strong 
capillary attraction4 ,to prevent this  
capillary attraction of the oil1 the    
back-slope is formed next to the        
shoulder1 although many persons seem to 
think that this back-slope is merely    
added by way of ornament1 to make the   
pivot more graceful in appearance4 ,it  
is very essential1 however1 for if too  
much oil is applied the staff would     
certainly draw it away if its thickness 
were not reduced1 by means of the       
back-slope4 ,before leaving the subject 

of capillarity let us examine the       
enlarged jewel in ,fig4 #e2 c is an     
enlarged pivot1 b is the hole jewel and 
a is the end stone4 ,we observe that the
 hole jewel on the side towards the end 
stone is convex4 ,it is so made that    
through capillarity the oil is retained 
at the end of the pivot where it is most
 wanted4 ,it is1 in my opinion1 very    
necessary that the young watchmaker     
should have at least a fair             
understanding of capillarity1 and should
 understand why the end stone is made   
convex and the pivot with a back slope4 
,for this reason ,i will try and make   
clear this point before proceeding      
further4 ,we all know that it is        
essential to apply oil to all surfaces  
coming in contact1 in order to reduce   
the friction as much as possible1 and if
 the application of oil is necessary to 
any part of the mechanism of a watch1   
that part is the pivot4 ,saunier very   
aptly puts it thus3 ,a liquid is subject
 to the action of three forces3 gravity1

 adhesion 7the mutual attraction between
 the liquid and the substance of the    
vessel containing it71 and cohesion 7the
 attractive force existing among the    
molecules of the liquid and opposing the
 subdivision of the mass47  ,we all know
 that if we place a small drop of oil   
upon a piece of flat glass or steel and 
then invert the same the oil will cling 
to the glass1 owing to the adhesion of  
the particles2 if we then add a little  
more to the drop and again invert1 it   
will still cling1 although the drop may 
be elongated to a certain degree4 ,this 
is owing to the cohesion of the         
molecules of the oil1 which refuse to be
 separated from one another4 ,if1       
however1 we again add to the drop of oil
 and invert the plate the drop will     
elongate and finally part1 one portion  
dropping while the other portion clings 
to the main body of the liquid4 ,the    
fall of the drop is occasioned by       
gravity overcoming the cohesion of the  
molecules4 ,now take a perfectly clean  

and polished needle and place a drop of 
oil upon its point and we will see that 
the oil very rapidly ascends towards the
 thicker portion of the needle4 ,now if 
we heat and hammer out the point of the 
needle into the form of a small drill   
and repeat the operation we find that   
the oil no longer ascends4 ,it rises    
from the point to the extreme width of  
the drill portion1 but refuses to go    
beyond4 ,it clings to that portion of   
the needle which would correspond to the
 ridge just back of the slope in a      
conical pivot4 ,water1 oil1 etc41 when  
placed in a clean wine glass1 do not    
exhibit a perfectly level surface1 but  
raise at the edges as shown at a in     
,fig4 #f4 ,if a tube is now inserted1 we
 find that the liquid not only rises    
around the outside of the tube and the  
edges of the vessel1 but also rises in  
the tube far beyond its mean level1 as  
shown at b4 ,these various effects are  
caused by one of the forces above       
described1 i4 e41 the adhesion1 or      

mutual attraction existing between the  
liquid and the substance of the vessel  
and rod4 ,the word capillarity is of    
,latin derivation1 and signifies        
hair-like slenderness4 ,the smaller the 
tube1 or the nearer the edges of a      
vessel are brought together1 the higher 
in proportion will the liquid rise above
 the level4 ,an ascent of a liquid1 due 
to capillarity1 also takes place1 where 
the liquid is placed between two        
separate bodies1 as oil placed between  
two pieces of flat glass4 ,if the plates
 are parallel to one another and        
perpendicular to the surface of the     
liquid it will ascend to the same height
 between the plates1 as shown at c in   
,fig4 #f4 ,if the plates were united at 
the back like a book and spread somewhat
 at the front1 the oil would ascend the 
higher as the two sides approach one    
another1 as shown at d1 ,fig4 #f4 ,if a 
drop is placed somewhat away from the   
intersecting point1 of the glasses1 as  
shown at m it will1 if not too far away1

 gradually work its way to the junction1
 providing the glasses are level4 ,if1  
however1 the glasses are inclined to a  
certain extent1 the drop will remain    
stationary1 since it is drawn in one    
direction by gravity and in the other by
 capillarity4 ,when a drop of oil is    
placed between two surfaces1 both of    
which are convex1 or one convex and the 
other plain1 as shown at g1 it will     
collect at the point n1 at which the    
surfaces nearest approach one another4  
,we now see very clearly why the hole   
jewel is made convex on the side towards
 the end-stone and concave on the side  
towards the pivot4  ,illustration3 ,fig4
 #f4  ,particular pains should be taken 
to polish those portions of the pivots  
which actually enter the jewel hole and 
to see that all marks of the graver be  
thoroughly removed1 because if any      
grooves1 no matter how small1 are left1 
they act as minute capillary tubes to   
convey the oil4  ,if the hole jewel be  
of the proper shape1 the end-stone not  

too far from the hole jewel and too much
 oil is not applied at one time1 the oil
 will not spread nor run down the staff1
 but a small portion will be retained at
 the acting surface of pivot and jewel1 
and this supply will be gradually fed to
 these parts from the reservoir between 
the jewel and end-stone1 by the action  
of capillarity4  ,having examined into  
the requirements of the pivot and its   
jewel and having gained an insight into 
what their forms should be1 we are the  
better able to perform that portion of  
the work in an intelligent manner4      
,,chapter ,,iii4   ,our wire has been   
roughed out into the form of a staff1   
has been hardened and the temper drawn  
down to the requisite hardness and we   
are now ready to proceed with our work4 
,as ,i said before1 we have now arrived 
at a point where many authorities       
differ1 i4 e41 as to whether the        
finishing of the staff proper1 should be
 performed while the work is held in the
 chuck1 or whether a wax chuck be       

substituted4 ,we will take it for       
granted that you have a true chuck and  
that you prefer to finish all the lower 
portion of the staff while held in the  
chuck4  ,before we proceed with our work
 it will be necessary for us to make    
some accurate measurements1 as we cannot
 afford to do any guess work by         
measuring by means of the old staff4 ,i 
have used a number of different kinds of
 calipers and measuring instruments for 
determining the various measurements for
 a balance staff1 but have met with more
 success with a very simple little tool 
which ,i made myself from drawings and  
description published some years ago in 
,,the ,,american ,,jeweler4 ,this simple
 little tool is shown in ,fig4 #g1 and  
has been of great service to me4 ,it    
consists of a brass sleeve ,a1 with a   
projection at one end as shown at ,b4   
,this sleeve is threaded1 and into it is
 fitted the screw part ,c1 which        
terminates in a pivot ,d1 which is small
 enough to enter the smallest jewel4    

,the sleeve ,i made from a solid piece  
of brass1 turning it down in my lathe   
and finishing the projection by means of
 a file4 ,the hole was then drilled and 
threaded with a standard thread4 ,the   
screw part ,c1 ,i made of steel and     
polished carefully4  ,illustration3     
,fig4 #g4  ,to ascertain the proper     
height for the roller1 place it upon the
 tool1 allowing it to rest upon the leg 
,b1 and set the pivot ,d in the foot    
jewel4 ,now adjust1 by means of the     
screw ,c until the roller is in its     
proper position in relation to the lever
 fork4 ,this may be understood better by
 consulting ,fig4 #h1 where ,a is the   
gauge1 ,c is the roller1 ,e is the      
lever1 ,f is the plate and ,g is the    
potance4  ,illustration3 ,fig4 #h4  ,now
 in order to locate the proper place to 
cut the seat for the roller1 remove it  
from the foot of the gauge and apply the
 gauge to the work as shown in ,fig4 #i4
 ,the foot of the gauge resting against 
the end of the pivot1 the taper end of  

the gauge will locate accurately the    
position of the roller seat4 ,in order  
to locate the proper position for the   
seat for the balance1 proceed the same  
as for the roller1 except that the foot 
of the gauge is lowered until it is     
brought sufficiently below the plate to 
allow of the proper clearance as        
indicated by the dotted lines at ,h4    
,now apply the gauge to the new staff1  
as shown in ,fig4 #aj1 and the taper end
 will locate the exact position for the 
balance seat4  ,illustration3 ,fig4 #i4 
,illustration3 ,fig4 #aj4  ,as          
previously stated1 ,i have taken it for 
granted that you preferred to finish all
 the lower portion of the staff while   
the work was held in the chuck4 ,i have 
assumed that you prefer to work in this 
way because ,i have noted the fact that 
nine watchmakers out of every ten start 
with1 and first finish up1 the lower    
portion of the staff4 ,where this method
 of working originated ,i do not know1  
but it always has the appearance to me  

of placing the cart before the horse4 ,i
 do not pretend to say that a true staff
 cannot be made in this way1 but it     
certainly is not the most convenient nor
 advisable4 ,we all know that the       
heaviest part of the staff is from the  
roller seat to the end of the top pivot4
 ,now it seems to me that it is the most
 natural thing in the world for a       
mechanic to desire to turn the greater  
bulk of his work before reversing it4   
,now if the workman has been educated to
 turn indifferently with right or left  
hand1 it may make little difference1 as 
far as the actual turning is concerned1 
whether he starts to work at the upper  
or lower end of the staff1 but          
unfortunately there are few among us who
 are so skilled as to use the graver    
with equal facility with either hand1   
and it is therefore an advantage to     
start with the upper end1 as you can    
thus finish a greater portion of the    
work more readily4 ,you can readily see 
that when you come to reverse your staff

 and use the wax chuck1 that by starting
 at the top of staff your wax has a much
 larger surface of metal to cling to1   
and again the shape of the balance seat 
is such as to secure the work firmly in 
the wax1 while if the reverse method is 
employed1 the larger portion of the     
balance seat is exposed and the staff is
 more liable to loosen from the motion  
of the lathe and pressure of the graver 
and polishers4     ,,chapter ,,iv4   ,by
 the aid of the pinion calipers and the 
old staff1 the diameter of the roller   
seat and the balance and hair-spring    
collet seats may be readily taken1 but  
it is perhaps better to gauge the holes1
 as the old staff may not have been     
perfect in this respect4 ,a round broach
 will answer admirably for this purpose1
 and the size may be taken from the     
broach by means of the calipers4 ,in    
fitting our pivots1 we can not be too   
exact2 and as yet no instrument has been
 placed upon the market for this purpose
 which is moderate in price and yet     

thoroughly reliable4 ,the majority of   
watchmakers use what is termed the      
pivot-gauge1 a neat little instrument   
which accompanies the ,jacot lathe1 and 
which may be obtained from any material 
house4 ,this tool1 which is shown in    
,fig4 #aa1 is1 however1 open to one     
objection in the measurement of pivots1 
and that is that it may be pressed down 
at one time with greater force than at  
another1 and consequently will show a   
variation in two measurements of the    
same pivot4 ,some of my readers may     
think that ,i am over-particular on this
 point1 and that the difference in      
measurement on two occasions is too     
trivial to be worthy of attention1 but  
,i do not think that too much care can  
be bestowed upon this part of the work1 
and neglect in this particular is1 ,i   
think1 the cause of poor performance in 
many otherwise good timepieces4 ,the    
ordinarily accepted rule among          
watchmakers is that a pivot should be   
made #a_/bejj of an inch smaller than   

the hole in the jewel to allow for the  
proper lubrication4 ,i am acquainted    
with watchmakers1 and men who are termed
 good workmen1 too1 who invariably allow
 #a_/bejj of an inch side shake1 no     
matter whether the pivot is #ab_/bejj or
 #af_/bejj of an inch in diameter4 ,now 
if #a_/bejj of an inch is the proper    
side shake for a pivot measuring        
#ab_/bejj of an inch in diameter1 it is 
certainly not sufficient for a pivot    
which is one-third larger4 ,of course it
 is understood that side shakes do not  
increase in proportion according as the 
pivot increases in size1 for if they did
 a six-inch shaft would require at this 
rate a side shake of #a_/b inch1 or     
#a_/d inch on each side1 which would be 
ridiculously out of all proportion1 as  
the #a_/fd of an inch would be ample    
under any circumstances4 ,neither can we
 arrive at the proper end shake for a   
pivot by reducing in proportion from the
 end shake allowed on a six-inch shaft1 
because if we followed out the same     

course of reasoning we would arrive at a
 point where a pivot measuring #ab_/bejj
 of an inch would require an end shake  
so infinitely small that it would       
require six figures to express the      
denominator of the fraction1 and the    
most minute measuring instrument yet    
invented would be incapable of recording
 the measurement4 ,we must leave        
sufficient side shake1 however1 on the  
smallest pivot and jewel for the        
globules of the oil to move freely1 and 
experiments have shown conclusively that
 #a_/bejj of an inch or #a_/ejjj on each
 side of the pivot1 is as little space  
as it is desirable to leave for that    
purpose1 as the globules of the best    
chronometer oil will refuse to enter    
spaces that are very much more minute4  
,but to return to our pivot gauge4      
,illustration3 ,fig4 #aa4               
,illustration3 ,fig4 #ab4  ,each        
division on the gauge represents        
#a_/bejj of an inch1 which is all that  
we require4 ,the diameter that the pivot

 should be1 can be ascertained by       
inserting a round pivot broach into the 
jewel and taking the measurement with   
the pivot gauge1 and then making the    
necessary deduction for side shake4     
,slip the jewel on the broach as far as 
it will go1 as shown in ,fig4 #ab1 and  
then with the pivot gauge1 take the size
 of the broach1 as close up to the jewel
 as you can measure1 and the taper of   
the broach will be about right for the  
side shake of the pivot4 ,if1 however1  
you prefer to make the measurement still
 more accurate1 you can do so by dipping
 the broach into rouge before slipping  
on the jewel and then remove the jewel  
and the place which is occupied on the  
broach can be plainly discerned and the 
exact measurement taken and an allowance
 of #a_/bejj of an inch made for the    
side shake4 ,another method1 and one    
which is particularly applicable to     
,swiss watches1 where the jewel is      
burnished into the cock or plate1 is to 
first slip on to the broach a small flat

 piece of cork and as the broach enters 
the jewel the cork is forced farther on 
to the broach1 and when the jewel is    
removed it marks the place on the broach
 which its inner side occupied1 and the 
measurement can then be taken with the  
gauge4 ,if care is used in the selection
 of a broach1 that it be as nearly      
perfect in round and taper as possible1 
by a little experiment you can soon     
ascertain just what part of the length  
of the broach corresponds to one degree 
on the gauge and by a repetition of the 
experiment the broach can then be       
divided accurately1 by very minute rings
 turned with a fine-pointed graver1 into
 sections1 each representing one degree1
 or #a_/bejj of an inch1 and the        
measurement will thus be simplified     
greatly4  ,illustration3 ,fig4 #ac4  ,as
 before stated1 much depends upon the   
condition of your gravers and the manner
 of using them4 ,it is of the utmost    
importance that they be kept sharp1 and 
as soon as they begin to show the       

slightest sign of losing their keenness1
 you should sharpen them4 ,the proper   
shape for balance pivots was shown in   
,fig4 #d4 ,now let us examine into the  
best positions for holding the gravers4 
,in ,fig4 #ac two ways of holding the   
graver are shown1 ,a representing the   
right and ,b representing the wrong way4
 ,if the graver is applied to the work  
as shown at ,a1 it will cut a clean     
shaving1 while if applied as shown at ,b
 it will simply scrape the side of the  
pivot and ruin the point of the graver  
without materially forwarding the work4 
,again1 the holding of the graver as    
indicated at ,a has its advantages1     
because the force of the cut is towards 
the hand holding it1 and should it catch
 from any cause the jar of the          
obstruction will be conveyed immediately
 to the hand1 and it will naturally give
 and no harm will be done4 ,if1 on the  
other hand1 the graver should meet with 
an obstruction while held in the        
position indicated at ,b1 the force of  

the cut will be in the direction of the 
arrow1 downward and toward the rest1 and
 the rest being unlike the hand1 or     
rather being rigid1 it cannot give1 and 
the result is that the work1 or graver1 
or both1 are ruined4 ,in ,fig4 #ad two  
other methods of holding the graver are 
shown4 ,the general roughing out of a   
staff should be done with the graver    
held about as shown at ,a1 ,fig4 #ac2   
but in finishing1 the graver should be  
held so that the cut is made diagonally1
 as indicated at ,a1 ,fig4 #ad4 ,it is  
rather dificult to explain in print just
 how the graver should be held1 but a   
little experiment will suffice to teach 
the proper position4 ,the best          
indication that a graver is doing its   
work properly1 is the fact that the     
chips come away in long spiral coils4   
,aim to see how light a cut you can make
 rather than how heavy4 ,never use force
 in removing the material1 but depend   
entirely upon the keenness of the       
cutting edges4 ,never use the point of  

the graver1 except where you are        
compelled to1 but rather use the right  
or left hand cutting edges4 ,by         
following out this rule you will find   
that your work1 when left by the graver1
 requires little or no finishing up1    
except at the pivots4 ,at ,b1 ,fig4 #ad1
 is shown the correct manner of applying
 the graver when turning a pivot4 ,hold 
the graver nearly on a line with the    
axis of the lathe and catching a chip at
 the extreme end of the pivot with the  
back edge of the graver1 push slightly  
forward and at the same time roll the   
graver towards you and it will give the 
pivot the desired conical form4 ,by     
keeping the graver on a line with the   
length of the pivot1 all the force      
applied is simply exerted in the        
direction of the chuck1 and does not    
tend to spring the pivot1 as it would   
were the extreme point applied1 as in   
,fig4 #ac4 ,when we come to such places 
as the shoulder of the back slope1 the  
seat for the roller1 balance1 etc41 we  

must necessarily use the point of the   
graver4  ,illustration3 ,fig4 #ad4      
,,chapter ,v4   ,in chapter ,,iv ,i     
called attention to the right and wrong 
way of holding the graver while using   
the extreme point1 and also the correct 
manner of applying the graver in turning
 conical pivots4 ,i also called         
attention to the fact that it was well  
to only use the point of the graver     
where positively necessary1 as in the   
back slope of the pivot1 etc4 ,in       
turning the seat for the balance1 as    
indicated at ,a1 ,fig4 #ae1 the graver  
,a1 ,fig4 #a1 or a similar one as shown 
at ,b1 ,fig4 #ae1 should be used4 ,the  
slope at ,c should now be turned4 ,in   
turning the pivot and seat for the      
roller1 you should leave them slightly  
larger than required1 to allow for the  
grinding and polishing which is to      
follow4 ,no definite amount can be left 
for this purpose1 because the amount    
left for polishing depends entirely on  
how smoothly your turning has been done4

 ,if it has been done indifferently1 you
 may have to allow considerable for     
grinding and polishing before all the   
graver marks are removed1 while1 on the 
contrary1 if the work has been performed
 with care1 very little will have to be 
removed4 ,avoid the use of the pivot    
file by performing your work properly to
 start with4  ,illustration3 ,fig4 #ae4 
,illustration3 ,fig4 #af4  ,for         
grinding1 bell-metal or soft iron slips 
are desirable1 and the grinding is      
effected by means of oil stone powder   
and oil4 ,two slips of metal similar in 
shape to ,a and ,b1 ,fig4 #af1 are      
easily made1 and will be found very     
useful4 ,a is for square pivots1 etc41  
while ,b is used for conical pivots4    
,these slips should be dressed with a   
dead smooth file1 the filing to be done 
crosswise1 to hold the oil stone powder 
and oil4 ,during the operation of       
grinding1 the lathe should be run at a  
high speed and the slips applied to the 
work lightly1 squarely and carefully4   

,the polishing is effected by means of  
diamantine and alcohol4 ,after the work 
is brought to a smooth gray surface1    
slips of boxwood of the shape shown in  
,fig4 #af should be substituted for the 
metal slips4 ,oil stone slips are       
sometimes used in lieu of metal ones1   
but they soon get out of shape and are  
troublesome to care for on this account4
 ,all things considered1 there is       
nothing better for polishing than a slip
 or file made of agate1 say one inch    
long1 one-quarter inch wide and         
one-eighth inch thick4 ,a slip of this  
kind can be obtained from any lapidary1 
and after grinding with emery and water 
until the surface has a very fine grain1
 it should be mounted by fastening with 
cement into a brass socket and this is  
then inserted into a small wooden       
handle1 as shown in ,fig4 #ag4 ,the     
agate slip should be ground to about the
 shape of ,b1 ,fig4 #af1 so that one    
side can be used for square corners and 
the other for conical pivots4 ,the final

 polish can soon be imparted by means of
 a small boxwood slip1 or flattened     
peg-wood1 and diamantine and alcohol4   
,never try to bring out the final polish
 until you are satisfied that all graver
 marks have been ground out1 otherwise  
you will simply have to go all over the 
work again4  ,illustration3 ,fig4 #ag4  
,when the staff is finished from the    
lower pivot to the seat of the balance1 
the upper part should be roughed out    
nearly to size and then cut off         
preparatory to finishing the top part4  
,attention was previously called to the 
fact that the majority of watchmakers   
prefer to finish all the lower portion  
of the staff first1 notwithstanding the 
fact that there are numerous advantages 
to be gained by proceeding to first     
finish up the upper portion4 ,we have   
now reached the point where the wax     
chuck must be used1 and perhaps these   
advantages may be now more clearly      
defined4 ,in order that the two         
procedures may be more distinctly shown1

 illustrations of both methods are here 
given4 ,fig4 #ah shows the popular      
method1 the lower portion of the staff  
being all completed and fastened by     
means of wax1 in the wax chuck4 ,fig4   
#ai shows the opposite course of        
procedure4 ,in both illustrations the   
lines indicate the amount of wax applied
 to hold the work4 ,it will be noted    
that in ,fig4 #ah the hub of the staff  
is enclosed in the wax very much as a   
cork is fitted into a bottle1 while in  
,fig4 #ai the hub is reversed1 just as a
 cork would appear were the larger      
portion within the bottle and the       
smaller portion protruding through the  
neck4 ,a study of the diagram will      
readily show that in ,fig4 #ai the staff
 is held more rigidly in place and that 
a greater bulk of the work is enclosed  
in the wax than in ,fig4 #ah1 although  
there is less wax used in the former    
than in the latter4  ,illustration3     
,fig4 #ah4  ,illustration3 ,fig4 #ai4   
,before proceeding to set the staff in  

the wax1 it is necessary to make some   
measurements to determine its full      
length4 ,remove both cap jewels and     
screw the balance cock in place4        
,examine the cock and see if it has at  
any time been bent up or down or punched
 to raise or lower it4 ,if so1 rectify  
the error by straightening it and then  
put it in place4 ,now with a degree     
gauge1 or calipers1 proceed to take the 
distance between the outer surfaces of  
the hole jewels and shorten the staff to
 the required length4 ,do not remove too
 much1 but leave the staff a little long
 rather than cut it too short1 as the   
length can be shortened later4          
,illustration3 ,fig4 #bj4               
,illustration3 ,fig4 #ba4  ,a very handy
 tool for the purpose of making these   
length measurements can be constructed  
by adding a stop screw to the common    
double calipers as shown in ,fig4 #bj4  
,the improvement consists in the fact   
that they can be opened to remove from  
the work and closed again at exactly the

 same place1 so that an accurate        
measurement can be made4 ,the           
all-important point in the use of wax   
chucks is to get a perfect center4 ,if  
you are not careful you are liable to   
leave a small projection in the center  
as shown at ,a1 ,fig4 #ba4 ,the ordinary
 wax chuck cannot be unscrewed from the 
spindle and restored to its proper place
 again with anything like a certainty of
 its being exactly true1 and if you     
insist on doing this there is no remedy 
left but finding a new center each time4
 ,it will be found more satisfactory and
 economical in the long run to have a   
permanent chuck for a wax chuck and you 
will then have no necessity for removing
 the brass chuck4  ,the center1 or cone 
for the reception of the pivot1 should  
be turned out with the graver at an     
angle of about #fj and such a graver as 
is shown at ,b1 ,fig4 #a1 will answer   
admirably for this purpose4 ,after you  
have carefully centered your wax chuck1 
place a small alcohol lamp under the    

chuck and heat it until the wax will    
just become fluid and yet not be hot    
enough to burn the wax4 ,revolve the    
lathe slowly and insert the staff so    
that the pivot rests squarely and firmly
 in the center4 ,now re-heat the chuck  
carefully in order that the wax may     
adhere firmly to the staff1 keeping the 
lathe revolving meanwhile1 but not so   
fast that the wax will be drawn from the
 center1 and at the same time apply the 
forefinger to the end of the staff1 as  
shown in ,figs4 #ah and #ai1 and gently 
press it squarely into place in the wax 
chuck4 ,the lines in ,figs4 #ah and #ai 
designate about the right amount of wax 
after the work is ready1 but it is well 
to add a little more than is shown in   
those figures1 and you should be careful
 to keep the wax of equal bulk all      
around1 or when it cools it will have a 
tendency to draw the staff to one side4 
,now remove the lamp and keep the lathe 
revolving until the wax is quite cool1  
when it should be removed1 by means of a

 graver1 down to the dimensions         
designated by the lines in ,figs4 #ah   
and #ai4 ,when this is accomplished     
re-heat a little1 but only enough to    
make it soft1 but not liquid1 and       
placing a sharpened peg-wood on the tool
 rest proceed to the final truing up1 by
 resting the pointed end against the    
hub4     ,,chapter ,,vi4   ,i have      
described above one of the methods in   
vogue for holding a staff by means of   
wax4 ,it is the common method employed  
by most watch repairers1 the popular    
method so to speak4 ,the method which ,i
 am now about to describe may seem      
awkward at first to those who have not  
practiced it1 but once you have fairly  
tried it1 you will never be contented to
 work in any other way4  ,the first     
requisite is a true taper chuck2 and it 
is well to purchase an extra one to be  
used solely for this purpose1 so that   
you will be prepared at all times for   
staff work4 ,select a good steel taper1 
and having placed your chuck in the     

lathe1 see if your taper fits well by   
inserting it in the chuck while running 
slowly4 ,if it fits well1 it will be    
marked almost throughout its length4    
,insert again in the chuck1 and with a  
few light taps of the hammer set it     
firmly in place1 so that you know that  
there is no danger of its working loose4
 ,the taper will then project about     
three-quarters of an inch from the face 
of the chuck4 ,by means of a sharp      
graver1 make the face of the taper      
smooth and straight1 and cut off the    
taper end4 ,now mark a point on the     
taper about one-fourth of an inch from  
the end1 and proceed to turn down the   
diameter from this point to the end1    
leaving that portion of the taper about 
two-thirds of its original diameter1 and
 finish with a nice square shoulder4    
,now with a long-pointed sharp graver   
proceed to cut a nice ,v-shaped center  
with an angle of about #fj4 ,when you   
have proceeded thus far you will find   
that you have an implement resembling   

that shown in ,fig4 #bb4  ,illustration3
 ,fig4 #bb4  ,care must be taken that   
the center is quite true1 and that no   
projection is left like that illustrated
 in ,fig4 #ba1 no matter how minute it  
may be4 ,now examine the center by the  
aid of a strong glass1 and after you are
 satisfied with its appearance proceed  
to test it4 ,take a large sized pin with
 a good point1 and placing the point in 
the center1 maintain it in position by  
pressing upon the head1 and while       
revolving the lathe slowly proceed to   
examine by means of your glass4 ,if the 
center is a good one there will be no   
perceptible vibration of the pin4  ,now 
procure a piece of small brass tubing   
with an internal diameter a little less 
than that of the turned down portion of 
your taper4 ,if the brass tubing cannot 
be procured readily1 you can substitute 
a piece of brass wire a little larger   
than the taper1 and by means of a drill 
a little smaller in diameter than the   
turned down portion you can readily make

 a small tube about one-half inch long4 
,now by means of a broach proceed to    
open the tube to a point one-quarter    
inch from one end1 and carefully fit it 
on the turned down portion of your      
taper4 ,after fitting tightly to the    
shoulder of the taper1 proceed to turn  
out the other end until it will take in 
the hub of your staff easily and leave a
 little room to spare4 ,now turn your   
tube down in length until a little of   
the hub is exposed either way you put   
the staff in4 ,turn the outside of the  
tube smooth and to correspond with the  
outline of the taper1 so you will have a
 nice looking job when completed4 ,just 
below where the hub will come drill a   
small hole in the tube and remove all   
burr1 both inside and out1 that may have
 been made in drilling1 so that the     
shellac or wax will not adhere to it4   
,this little hole acts as an outlet for 
the air in the tube2 and as the hot     
shellac enters at the end of the tube   
the air is expelled through this vent4  

,it also helps to hold the cement firmly
 in place4 ,now try your staff in the   
tube again1 and be sure that it is quite
 free1 and that you will be able to work
 on the portions of it above and below  
the hub1 according as one end or the    
other is inserted4  ,you are now ready  
to insert your staff and proceed with   
your work4 ,hold your shellac in the    
flame of your lamp a moment until it is 
quite liquid1 and then smear both the   
inside and outside of the tube with it4 
,heat the shell or tube gently by means 
of the lamp1 keeping the lathe revolving
 slowly all the while1 and taking the   
staff in your tweezers proceed to insert
 it carefully into the tube4 ,press     
firmly back1 making sure that it has    
reached the bottom of the ,v-shaped     
center4 ,pack the cement well in around 
the staff1 and while centering remove   
the lamp and allow the whole to cool1   
keeping the whole revolving until quite 
cool4 ,now remove the superfluous cement
 by means of the graver1 and heating the

 tube again slightly1 proceed to center 
exactly by means of a pointed peg-wood1 
resting on your ,t rest to steady it4   
,turn slowly in the lathe and examine   
with glass to see that it is quite true4
 ,your completed instrument will        
resemble ,fig4 #bc4  ,illustration3     
,fig4 #bc4  ,the advantage of the device
 is that your center is always ready1   
and all you have to do is to insert your
 chuck in the lathe1 warm it1 and you   
are ready to insert your staff and      
proceed to work4 ,as ,i said in the     
first place1 it is well to employ a     
taper chuck exclusively for this work1  
and not attempt to use it for any other1
 for if you try to remove your taper and
 replace it again1 you will surely find 
that your work is out of center1 and you
 will be compelled to remove the brass  
shell and find a new center each time   
you use it4 ,you can avoid all this     
trouble1 however1 by purchasing an extra
 chuck and devoting it exclusively to   
wax work4 ,of course1 the brass shell   

can be removed and placed in position   
again without in any way affecting the  
truth of the center1 and any number1    
shape and size of shells can be made to 
fit the one taper1 and these shells will
 be found very useful for holding a     
variety of work1 aside from balance     
staffs4     ,,chapter ,,vii4   ,the two 
popular methods of holding a balance    
staff in wax have been described and    
illustrated2 the reader may take his    
choice4 ,the turning and finishing of   
the other end of the staff is performed 
as previously described4 ,that portion  
on which the hair-spring collet goes    
should be turned to nearly the proper   
size1 making due allowance for the      
grinding and polishing that is to come4 
,the balance seat should be slightly    
undercut1 so that the balance can be    
driven on tightly and all riveting      
dispensed with4 ,the size for the pivot 
can be determined from its jewel1 as    
previously described4 ,finish the ends  
of the pivots flat and round the corners

 off slightly2 and right here comes a   
point worthy of consideration in all    
watch work4 ,leave no absolutely square 
corners in any of your work1 but round  
them off very slightly4 ,this may seem a
 very little thing1 but it is one of the
 small things that go to make up        
first-class work4 ,you can judge pretty 
accurately of a watchmaker by the       
corners he leaves on his work1 as well  
as by the appearance of his gravers and 
screw-drivers4  ,when your staff is     
completed and nicely polished1 remove   
from the wax and boil in alcohol to     
clean1 and when dried it is ready for   
the balance4 ,great care must be        
exercised in removing the balance from  
the old staff1 especially if it be a    
compensation balance1 that you do not   
distort it any way4 ,if the balance has 
been riveted on extra care will have to 
be exercised4 ,the riveting may be cut  
by means of a graver1 or a hollow drill 
made from ,stubb's steel wire4 ,the     
recess in the drill should just fit over

 the shoulder left for the reception of 
the hair-spring collet4 ,the edge of the
 hollow drill has small teeth formed    
upon it similar to a fine file1 and will
 cut quite rapidly4  ,after removing the
 balance1 if it appears to be sprung in 
the arms1 the result of removal or      
previous bad treatment1 proceed to bend 
them straight1 and then to true up the  
rim carefully1 and stake on with a flat 
end punch4 ,now put on your roller and  
drive it down to the hub and see that   
the roller is free from the fork4 ,see  
that jewel pin reaches fork properly and
 that the guard pin also reaches the    
roller4 ,see that your balance is free  
from the plate and the bridge4 ,if the  
balance is true and all right1 you are  
ready to put on your hair-spring4 ,see  
that it is in beat4 ,it is well to make 
a mark on the balance before taking off 
the old staff1 showing positions of     
hair-spring stud and jewel pin4         
,three-quarter plate ,english lever and 
,swiss lever balance staffs differ only 

in detail1 except that they are sprung  
under balances4 ,the general operations 
for making1 however1 are similar to     
those described4  ,i have not described 
the method of poising the balance for   
two reasons2 first1 the mere poising of 
a balance for a cheap movement is so    
simple that it needs no explanation2 and
 second1 to describe the poising of the 
balance of a fine watch is a lengthy    
task1 and can hardly be included under  
the heading of staffing and pivoting4   
,the ground has been thoroughly and     
conscientiously covered by ,mr4 ,j4 ,l4 
,finn1 in a little volume entitled      
,poising the ,balance1,a and ,i would   
advise all watchmakers1 both young and  
old1 to read what he has to say4  ,good 
pivoting is an art in itself1 and       
although there are many who undertake to
 do this work1 there are but few who can
 pivot a staff in such a manner that it 
will bear close inspection under the    
glass4 ,we often hear watchmakers brag  
of the secrets they possess for         

hardening pivot drills1 but ,i fancy    
they would be somewhat surprised if they
 traveled around a little1 to find how  
many watchmakers harden their drills in 
exactly the same way that they do4 ,the 
great secret1 so-called1 of making good 
drills1 is to first secure good steel1  
and then use care to see that you do not
 burn it in the subsequent operations4  
,the fewer times the steel is heated the
 better4 ,my experience teaches me that 
you can do no better than to select some
 nice pieces of ,stubb's steel for your 
pivot drills4 ,many watchmakers make    
their drills from sewing needles1 say   
,no4 #c or #d1 sharps4 ,the steel in    
these needles is usually of good        
quality1 but the great drawback is that 
a drill made from a needle will not     
resist any great pressure1 and is liable
 to break just at the time that you have
 arrived at the most important point4   
,if your drill is made from a piece of  
,stubb's steel wire1 or an old ,french  
or ,swiss graver1 you not only know that

 the material in it is first-class1 but 
you can leave the base of the drill     
solid and substantial1 with enough metal
 in it to resist considerable pressure4 
,the part of the drill which actually   
enters the pivot is very short1 and the 
end can be turned down to the desired   
diameter4 ,turn or reduce your wire by  
means of a pivot file so as to be smooth
 and conical1 as shown at ,a1 ,fig4 #bd4
 ,the conical form is given to the drill
 for exactly the same reason that it is 
given to the balance pivots1 because it 
gives additional strength4 ,heat to a   
very pale red for about one-half inch   
from the end1 and then spread the point1
 as shown at ,b1 ,fig4 #bd1 by a slight 
blow of the hammer4 ,we are now ready to
 temper our drill1 and we must exercise 
a little care that the steel is not     
burnt and that the drill is not bent or 
warped when hardening4 ,the flame of the
 alcohol lamp should be reduced as small
 as possible1 or otherwise the steel may
 become overheated and lose all its good

 qualities4 ,if needles are used for    
making drills there is a great liability
 of their warping when hardening1 but   
when a larger piece of wire is used     
there is not much danger1 if care is    
exercised in introducing the drill that 
it goes into the compound straight and  
point foremost4 ,if a needle is used1 it
 is well to construct a shield for it1  
to be used when heating and hardening4  
,this shield can be made from a small   
piece of metal tubing1 broached out to  
fit loosely over the shank and point of 
the drill4 ,the drill is introduced into
 this shield as shown in ,fig4 #be1 and 
a little soap may be introduced into the
 end a before plunging4 ,various        
hardening devices are used1 but in my   
experience beeswax or sealing wax will  
be found as good as any4 ,heat the drill
 7or if a needle1 the drill and shield  
both71 to a pale red and plunge straight
 into the wax4 ,in the latter case1     
where the shield is used1 the shield1 on
 striking the wax1 will run up the shank

 of the drill1 allowing the point to    
pierce the wax4 ,some watchmakers       
introduce the extreme point of the drill
 into mercury first and then plunge into
 the wax4 ,this hardens the extreme     
point of the drill very hard1 so hard1  
in fact1 that it will penetrate the     
hardest steel1 but care must be         
exercised with such a drill because the 
mercury makes it not only very hard but 
very brittle4 ,c1 ,fig4 #bd1 shows a    
drill after it has been finished on the 
,arkansas stone4 ,this shape of drill   
will withstand the pressure necessary to
 drill into hard steel4 ,many           
watchmakers reduce the temper of every  
staff before drilling4 ,this1 ,i think1 
is quite unnecessary4 ,there are very   
few cases in which it is necessary to   
reduce the temper of the staff1 and even
 then it should only be reduced as far  
as it is to be drilled1 and then not in 
excess of a good spring temper4         
,illustration3 ,fig4 #bd4               
,illustration3 ,fig4 #be4  ,the         

centering of a staff in wax has been    
thoroughly described and in pivoting the
 proceeding is the same as in staffing4 
,after accurately centering your work1  
make a small cut in the center for the  
reception of the drill and make this    
mark deep enough to take the entire     
cutting head of the drill4 ,keep the    
drill firmly pressed into this center   
and kept wet constantly with turpentine4
 ,do not revolve the work all one way1  
but give the lathe an alternating       
motion4 ,at first give but a third or a 
half revolution each way1 until the     
drill begins to bite into the staff1    
when you can then safely give it a full 
revolution each way4 ,care must be      
exercised1 however1 not to give the work
 too rapid a motion1 for if you do the  
friction is apt to draw down the temper 
of your drill4 ,many watchmakers find   
that their drills cut well for a certain
 distance and then refuse to work       
altogether1 and one of the chief reasons
 is that they are in too great a hurry  

with their drilling4  ,if you find it   
absolutely necessary to reduce the      
hardness of your staff before drilling1 
do so by drilling a hole in the end of a
 small piece of copper wire that will   
just fit over the part to be softened1  
and apply the heat to this copper wire1 
say one-fourth of an inch from the      
staff4 ,the heat will run down the      
copper wire and heat the staff just     
where you wish to draw the temper4 ,be  
careful and do not draw the temper too  
much1 nor let it extend down the staff  
too far4  ,the plug for the new pivot   
should be carefully made1 perfectly     
round1 with a very little taper1 and    
should be draw-filed before being driven
 in4 ,some workmen dip the plug in acid 
before driving in1 as they declare that 
the pivot is less liable to be loosened 
while turning1 if so treated4 ,the acid 
simply rusts the pivot and the hole1 but
 ,i cannot see that this will hold it   
any more firmly in place while          
finishing4 ,if the taper is a gradual   

one and the pivot a good close fit1     
there will be little danger of it       
loosening while dressing to shape4 ,if  
too great a taper is given to the plug1 
there is danger of splitting the end of 
the staff1 and this involves the making 
of an entire new staff4  ,the turning up
 of a new pivot does not differ in any  
way from the instructions given for     
turning pivots on a new staff4 ,with a  
little care both in turning and         
finishing1 a new pivot can be put in so 
nicely that only the initiated can tell 
it1 and then only with the aid of a     
strong glass4  ,in pivoting cylinders   
there is some danger of breaking them4  
,to avoid this1 select a piece of joint 
wire1 the opening of which is slightly  
larger than the diameter of the cylinder
 at the lower end1 and cut off a piece  
the length of the cylinder proper1      
leaving the pivot projecting4 ,now fill 
the cylinder with lathe wax1 and while  
the wax is warm1 slip on the joint wire4
 ,you can now proceed to true up the    

pivot in the usual manner1 and when the 
wax is quite cold1 proceed to turn and  
polish the pivot before removing from   
the lathe4 ,if the joint wire is        
properly cemented on the cylinder1 it is
 almost impossible to break it4 ,after  
all the work is done1 the wax can be    
dissolved in alcohol4 ,in pivoting      
pinions to cylinder escape-wheels and   
third wheels1 it is not necessary to    
remove the wheels1 but great care should
 be used in handling4 ,in the latter    
case use plenty of wax4 ,do all your    
centering by the outside of the pinion4 
,perfect centering and sharp tools are  
requisite to good pivoting4 ,do not try 
to rush your work1 especially while     
drilling4 ,proceed deliberately with    
your work and aim to restore the watch  
to the condition it was in originally1  
and you will find staffing and pivoting 
is not half as hard as some workmen     
would have you believe4  ,footnote ,a3  
,,poising ,,the ,,balance1 by ,j4 ,l4   
,finn1 ,geo4 ,k4 ,hazlitt  ,co41        

publishers1 ,chicago4