Platform Balance Staff - Strip and Measure

I take a balance complete for a carriage clock and strip it down so I can get the appropriate measurements for making a new balance staff. All steps are shown on how this is done with running commentary.

[@ferguscosgrave7510]

Will enjoy this thanks

[@darinb6818]

Very cool, another really interesting video JD! I have a 6” Atlas/Craftsman metal lathe that I use for various small projects. I always use dial calipers and vernier micrometers because that’s what I learned on. All that darn zeroing with the digital ones….

[@JDRichard]

@@darinb6818 the Zaring is just me. I’m just anal retentive.

[@tomholloway7566]

Retirement seems to be keeping you busy JD😂

[@JDRichard]

@@tomholloway7566 I always have to be busier. I go crazy. Right now I got four pocket, watches and watches on the bench and more coming

[@sonnymoorehouse1941]

Yes you only need measurement of space between cap jewels because that is your endshake
removal of hole jewel is part of process, pivot wire is my go to for this

[@JDRichard]

@@sonnymoorehouse1941 Shouldn’t you be at work:)

[@sonnymoorehouse1941]

@@JDRichard Its a Holiday. 4th of july

[@raymond15101984]

You can by rough balance and then adjust them! Easier and faster!

[@JDRichard]

@@raymond15101984 From where?

[@raymond15101984]

@@JDRichard i got them on ebay from uk!

[@Mars-zgblbl]

First try with the wrong stake in the staking set was a mis-stake :-D

[@JDRichard]

@@Mars-zgblbl that my friend is a really bad dad joke

[@mercuriall2810]

If that platform escapement is original to the clock, you don’t need the Antiques Roadshow to know that it’s nowhere near that old.
The parts and design are too modern - Lever escapements didn’t look like this 150-200 years ago, the balance wheel looks modern (relatively speaking) and that non-magnetic hairspring is 20th century.
Narrowing it down further, the logo on the plate with ABEC stamped in the escape wheel shape is for the All British Escapements Co, a branch of Smiths.
Smiths founded the ABECo in 1928, and production started in 1932, so this platform escapement is less than 100 years old, and I believe it to be closer to circa 1940.
If the clock is clearly older than that, it’s because it wasn’t (and still isn’t) uncommon to replace failed platform escapements rather than repairing them.
Once spare parts for cylinder escapements became scarce, they became uneconomical to repair, so cylinder platforms were often replaced with lever platform escapements.
The skill required to repair the rarer detent escapement platforms meant they were often replaced when faulty, too.
In more recent times, with skilled watchmakers becoming less common, having even a lever escapement platform serviced can be difficult, and a fair number of clock repairers don’t know how to fix them themselves.
I know it isn’t your preferred choice of job, but hypothetically, if you chose to spread the word you’re repairing platform escapements, I’m sure you’d have plenty more clockmakers seeking out your help.

[@JDRichard]

@@mercuriall2810 I seem to be the go to guy in Ottawa area and in the Ottawa watchmakers club to repair platform escapements such as the one that’s in this video. I think I’ve re-pivoted four of them to date. Actually don’t like doing this kind of work because I can’t see the working of the end product once I’ve done my job. I also don’t know whether what I’ve done will make it work better. I would have to have some kind of a test platform in order to put power on that, vertical pinion. This could be a project I do, to create a platform escapement test rig

[@mercuriall2810]

@@JDRichard A test rig is an interesting idea. A universal rig would be difficult because the diameter and leaf count of the escape wheel pinion varies, as does the requisite force to power the escapement without it overbanking (knocking) due to excessive amplitude.
Neither problem is insurmountable, if you really want to design such a thing.
If you want to assure yourself that you’ve done a great job of staff or balance pivot replacement first do a free oscillation test.
Remove the pallet fork, turn the balance wheel 180 degrees from its rest position and let it go. Count the oscillations (or every second oscillation and double the result - it’s easier) until the balance comes to rest. You should get 100 oscillations or close to it, minimum.
If you’ve also worked on other parts of the escapement, then do the standard escapement setup tests to confirm that the pallet stones and banking are set correctly and the safety action is good.