highveldt
Elite Cafe Member
In addition to engraving my interests include but are not limited to, vintage double barrel English shotguns and the repair, rebuilding and restoration of fine vintage mechanical watches. Therefore a couple of weeks back I decided that I would tackle watch case engraving, and that first I would design and build a fixture to hold watch cases in all the angles that are needed for engraving them, including the watch case back.
The watch case fixture/mandrel is designed on the basis of an expanding collet, versus the standard machinist collet which collapses when used. The expanding mandrel/collet is designed to use machined rings for the various size watch cases. For example the larger watch case in the photos has 28mm, 28.50mm and 29mm internal diameters and I made a ring to fit over the mandrel/collet to those measurements.
As you will determine the the mandrel collet is tightened via set screws holding the watch case securely from the inside--not outside.
I have posted enough photos of this fixture that should allow you to build one for yourself, or to have someone with a metal lathe to build one for you.
Steve
The watch case fixture/mandrel is designed on the basis of an expanding collet, versus the standard machinist collet which collapses when used. The expanding mandrel/collet is designed to use machined rings for the various size watch cases. For example the larger watch case in the photos has 28mm, 28.50mm and 29mm internal diameters and I made a ring to fit over the mandrel/collet to those measurements.
As you will determine the the mandrel collet is tightened via set screws holding the watch case securely from the inside--not outside.
I have posted enough photos of this fixture that should allow you to build one for yourself, or to have someone with a metal lathe to build one for you.
Steve
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