What is the reason it's taking so long to set the hands? Are you just really shaky and can't pop them on there?
For the second hand I let the watch tick and drop the hand on the post the hand will start ticking when you find the sweet spot. I then stop the watch and press down.
I would never have the patience to last 3 hours trying to do the minute hand.
Not sure, mainly probably being little too careful since i unfortunately didnt get extra pair of hands so these are now all i got. Hands arent shakier than normal imo. I could maybe try that to run the watch and when secondhand gets into post it should start moving, thanks :)
And yeah i have decent patience, but its starting to wear quite thin😂 Maybe nees to tey again tomorrow
I can’t think of a better tool. I was ok at setting the seconds hand before. Most mods would go fine, but then I’d have one that gave me all kinds of trouble. Since getting the DIY tool the seconds hand takes me seconds to install (pun intended). And it’s always straight. So I never have to worry about it hitting the minute hand.
Get yourself away from those tools and spend £20 on one of these.....
https://preview.redd.it/m1q6hsavf5ad1.png?width=775&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=3c1057821ef3bb65fcbe176d2aadf45109f24c6e
I’d recommend a cheap visor. From there, I’d get on eye level. It looks like you’re securing the hand for maneuvering, so it’s really about seeing the post over the pinion.
I am right there with you, spent 5 mins total on hour and minute hand but seconds hand I just can’t get in the pin, when I do it spins with the minute hand. Anyone have suggestions?
Actually got it now, maybe break was the important thing😂 I tried gettin the second hand to rest in the post looking with loupe. Then i though it might be resting in the post i lookef from couple angles that it is in the post and not next to it. Then i pushes it carefully in with hand setter.
I had the same issues until I found some comment with video with a different approach than putting it in with tweezers.
You take a bit of rodico and put it on the opposite end of the hand setting tool in the picture. Then you stick the second hand onto the hand setting tool and push it onto the pin.
It's not the easiest thing to do but I found it significantly easier than using tweezers.
Honestly, I've had problems with some cheaper hand sets where i have just gave up.
Where as first time with others. I think the quality if the hands has a lot to do with it.
The first time it took me roughly an hour but after having done it a few times it takes me 3 minutes max. Practice makes perfect, you'll get better with time. (Also using the same toolkit as you)
https://preview.redd.it/qjw13gxvo6ad1.jpeg?width=2992&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0071313c9e11838d881cb277fc47902e9f43ad79
3D print for cheap. 2 min install for all 3 hands
Yup works fantastically. The diywatchclub seconds hand tool also helps.
The tools are cheap alix copies of bergeon tools.
I cant take credit for it. Here's the link to the 3d file
[https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3977411](https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3977411)
ehh thanks bro, I still have the tools, I'm watchmaker in my free time, so I have all the alix copies, but the hands press look fantastic. What about diywatchclub seconds hand tool ? I didn't understand sorry
Ahh I meant the diywatchclub seconds hand tool is very handy as well. I used to use it before I printed the tool. Now I only use it if the seconds hand is very thin and fragile
Oh yes, I didn't see it. That's good to know, I never used diywatchclub seconds hand tool but I will tried probably. I will have a 3D printer, so my first print will the hands press :)
Second hands were a nightmare until I learned this..
Take a piece of pegwood and cut it square on one end. Stick a tiny piece of rodico flat on the end. Pick up the second hand right in the middle and push it straight down. Get eye level of course.
Built my first mod a month ago. The learning curve for setting the hands i steep especially if u don’t have much experience working with such small parts. It took me pretty similar amount of times to u. But I realized along the way that being patient is the most important part. Eventually by the end of it I had to reinstall the hands so many times that I got quite good at it, so even when I had to reset the hands, I could do so within a couple munutes. Be patient with yourself. Also make sure you have adequate light and magnification. Even ur phone flash and some reading glasses can make a big difference
You're not alone. I've now built two mods and haven't gotten second hands on any of them. Despite spending 4 hours collectively trying to put them in. And bent them in process.
The first time i did this it took me a solid 30 minutes to get the second hand on. The next time a few minutes.
I used the blue sticky stuff to hold the hand, then used a flat bottom of a tooth pick to push it on. The hand setter i found to be too wide.
A small flat area i fou d to be better than the concaved hand setter tool
Seconds hand. Put a dot of rodico on the end of the hand setter tool, lightly move the hand over the pinion and you should eventually feel it catching the point on the pinion as it’s not flat it’s more of a pointed shape.
Use a Loupe as well to make this easier to see. Once you’re dead centre over it. Press down and then you can remove the setting tool with ease
What is the reason it's taking so long to set the hands? Are you just really shaky and can't pop them on there? For the second hand I let the watch tick and drop the hand on the post the hand will start ticking when you find the sweet spot. I then stop the watch and press down. I would never have the patience to last 3 hours trying to do the minute hand.
Not sure, mainly probably being little too careful since i unfortunately didnt get extra pair of hands so these are now all i got. Hands arent shakier than normal imo. I could maybe try that to run the watch and when secondhand gets into post it should start moving, thanks :) And yeah i have decent patience, but its starting to wear quite thin😂 Maybe nees to tey again tomorrow
Get the tool from DIY watch club. I've not tried it but others say it helps
I have it and it 1000% helps. It's only for seconds hand tho. Not sure why OP having so much trouble with hours and minutes.
I can’t think of a better tool. I was ok at setting the seconds hand before. Most mods would go fine, but then I’d have one that gave me all kinds of trouble. Since getting the DIY tool the seconds hand takes me seconds to install (pun intended). And it’s always straight. So I never have to worry about it hitting the minute hand.
Get yourself away from those tools and spend £20 on one of these..... https://preview.redd.it/m1q6hsavf5ad1.png?width=775&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=3c1057821ef3bb65fcbe176d2aadf45109f24c6e
How well does it work?
I guess well enough to recommend it to a stranger on the internet
I mean do you personally like it?
I prefer it way more than using the hand version. I can use both my hands to place a hand, one with the tweezers and the other to steady it.
Do you have an aliexpress link that has good QC?
Wristwatchrevival recommends the same. His is probably a Bergeon so a bit more expensive.
Ya I’ve seen the Bergeron ones which are not 20 dollars lol.
Ah I gotcha
Key question: what are you using to magnify things while setting the second hand?
Ive tried with and without loupe
I’d recommend a cheap visor. From there, I’d get on eye level. It looks like you’re securing the hand for maneuvering, so it’s really about seeing the post over the pinion.
This is the way. Get. Eye. Level.
Definitely need a loupe and without a hand set press, doing it by hand takes getting used to. The more you do it the better you get at it.
Get a good phone stand and use your phone to zoom in.
I am right there with you, spent 5 mins total on hour and minute hand but seconds hand I just can’t get in the pin, when I do it spins with the minute hand. Anyone have suggestions?
Actually got it now, maybe break was the important thing😂 I tried gettin the second hand to rest in the post looking with loupe. Then i though it might be resting in the post i lookef from couple angles that it is in the post and not next to it. Then i pushes it carefully in with hand setter.
I had the same issues until I found some comment with video with a different approach than putting it in with tweezers. You take a bit of rodico and put it on the opposite end of the hand setting tool in the picture. Then you stick the second hand onto the hand setting tool and push it onto the pin. It's not the easiest thing to do but I found it significantly easier than using tweezers.
But how do you get the rodico off the second hand without pulling it off the pinion?
Use just a tiny amount to be able to lift the hand up. When you push the second hand on the pinion it should stay there.
I can confirm that this works really well.
Okay actually got it now after taking a break and watching some tutorial videos, thanks guys :)
Don’t worry, you’ll get there. Spoken by someone that hasn’t gotten there yet 😅
I mean setting hands is finnicky especially if you dont have really steady hands.
Yes, so bad that you should get an award for being the worst of all time.
Honestly, I've had problems with some cheaper hand sets where i have just gave up. Where as first time with others. I think the quality if the hands has a lot to do with it.
The first time it took me roughly an hour but after having done it a few times it takes me 3 minutes max. Practice makes perfect, you'll get better with time. (Also using the same toolkit as you)
https://preview.redd.it/qjw13gxvo6ad1.jpeg?width=2992&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0071313c9e11838d881cb277fc47902e9f43ad79 3D print for cheap. 2 min install for all 3 hands
Oh interesting, I really would like the same object. It really works ?
Yup works fantastically. The diywatchclub seconds hand tool also helps. The tools are cheap alix copies of bergeon tools. I cant take credit for it. Here's the link to the 3d file [https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3977411](https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3977411)
ehh thanks bro, I still have the tools, I'm watchmaker in my free time, so I have all the alix copies, but the hands press look fantastic. What about diywatchclub seconds hand tool ? I didn't understand sorry
Ahh I meant the diywatchclub seconds hand tool is very handy as well. I used to use it before I printed the tool. Now I only use it if the seconds hand is very thin and fragile
Oh yes, I didn't see it. That's good to know, I never used diywatchclub seconds hand tool but I will tried probably. I will have a 3D printer, so my first print will the hands press :)
Second hands were a nightmare until I learned this.. Take a piece of pegwood and cut it square on one end. Stick a tiny piece of rodico flat on the end. Pick up the second hand right in the middle and push it straight down. Get eye level of course.
Built my first mod a month ago. The learning curve for setting the hands i steep especially if u don’t have much experience working with such small parts. It took me pretty similar amount of times to u. But I realized along the way that being patient is the most important part. Eventually by the end of it I had to reinstall the hands so many times that I got quite good at it, so even when I had to reset the hands, I could do so within a couple munutes. Be patient with yourself. Also make sure you have adequate light and magnification. Even ur phone flash and some reading glasses can make a big difference
You're not alone. I've now built two mods and haven't gotten second hands on any of them. Despite spending 4 hours collectively trying to put them in. And bent them in process.
The first time i did this it took me a solid 30 minutes to get the second hand on. The next time a few minutes. I used the blue sticky stuff to hold the hand, then used a flat bottom of a tooth pick to push it on. The hand setter i found to be too wide. A small flat area i fou d to be better than the concaved hand setter tool
Try the ink cartridge on a byro pen, the small hole that's on the opposite side to the nib worked a dream for putting them on for me.
Seconds hand. Put a dot of rodico on the end of the hand setter tool, lightly move the hand over the pinion and you should eventually feel it catching the point on the pinion as it’s not flat it’s more of a pointed shape. Use a Loupe as well to make this easier to see. Once you’re dead centre over it. Press down and then you can remove the setting tool with ease
Hand setting is sooo easy wdym