New pins for watch bracelet.

I took this to a local watch mender and he replaced the tube and pin on one side. They fell out and so did the next one he replaced. He didn't seem bothered about it so I thought I'd try to DYI it .The pinns around 1mm diameter and the hole for the tube is about 1.35 and the overall width of the two arms is 7.5mm. (To give an idea of the sizes involved)

I don't want to buy a whole box of 100 assorted bits and only use two of each so I want to try to make up something that's stronger and better. Does it need S/S or could I use mild steel? (I also have some Stirling silver wire which I could harden (?).

From the image, you can see that the faces are not parallel and that's an added nasty.

Would it be worth while using araldite to keep the pin in place?

Any ideas chaps?

I think I'd try another watch repairer/jeweller.

A darning needle as a source of material?

try a 1.5mm stainless roll pin, you may have to open holes out a little and cut the pin to the right length.

Lots available on EBay, search "watch spring pin". Oddly, you can get 360 of them for only double the price of two!

Rob

Personally at a price of under £5 (current price of the box of 360 assorted stainless link pins I bought last year from Amazon), I would accept the waste and buy them, if only to salvage some parts for your own version.

Brian G

If you are anywhere near a Timpson Store/Stall it would be worth asking there.

Our local guy seems to be really good with tricky stuff.

I can´t tell from the photo, but I don´t think it´s a spring pin, rather a pin with a small screw at each end.

See |Link|. It is a reasonable make anyway.

Those are very short pins!

I've repaired one of my watch bracelets by turning new pins from stainless welding rod, and loctiting them in place.

On a much bigger scale I repaired the boss's handbag strap with a bit of brass wire right through, ends bent over to keep it in place

On a much bigger scale I repaired the boss's handbag strap with a bit of brass wire right through, ends bent over to keep it in place

It's not one of those. Such a short pin has to be one piece and the ends need to be flush.

Also, spring pins are no good, for the same reason; the 'cantilevers' would be far too short

Timpson's are pretty good for 'standard jobs' but this is a special (a very short pin). Those guys are not specialists (shoes / keys as well) but they definitely are very helpful.

"I've repaired one of my watch bracelets by turning new pins from stainless welding rod, and loctiting them in place." I need a sleeve for the middle hole - brass would do, there, tho'. I was concerned about the suitability of loctite or araldite but it sounds like a plan.

I'll repeat my comment about this being terrible forum software. It doesn't even seem to be able to handle multiple quotes.

A bit more careful examination and I realised that one of the 'repairs' seems to have been done with a cotter pin. I found a tin of old cotter pins which I must have bought in about 1965 and there were some tiny ones in it. I modified the head end by squashing it a bit and turning it down till it looked like the other one. Opening out the start of the end hole and cutting to size and it looks the same as the other guy's effort - pretty good aamof.

Thanks for the ideas guys. SWMBO was grateful, too.