DonCorson[AHCI]
3358
Polishing
Dec 05, 2010,12:03 PM
Hi Graham,
It sounds strange, but you always use something softer than what you want to polish as a substrate.
The polishing medium itself, like diamantine, which is aluminum oxide, is quite hard.
Imagine you want to polish steel.
You take the diamantine slurry, smear it on a brass or bronze substrate, and then apply that to the steel.
The diamantine gets driven into the surface of the brass and stays put there, the tips of the pieces of diamantine then do the polishing of the steel.
This is often seen in old clocks that don't have jewels, but where the pivots run in brass bushings.
If the bushings get full of dust it can happen that the steel pivots are cut through and the bushings remain in good shape.
If the dust particles are very hard they will abrade the steel while just populating the surface of the bushing and not otherwise harming it too much.
Of course one then needs to replace not only the pivot, but also the bushing, otherwise it will keep up it's good work on the new pivot too
The same holds for wood when polishing.
You learn something new every day.
Don
Comments:
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Finishing a bridge
By: monochrome : December 5th, 2010-06:15
Finishing a movement is not only done to show it’s beauty, but it also positively affects the movement's rate and lifespan. Although I’ve been interested in watches for quite some time, I’ve never seen what it takes to finish a movement part to a very hig...
Excellent report
By: grigo : December 5th, 2010-07:03
These are the reports I like the most. I can't wait to see the finished product. I alos hope that there will be more reports updating us on the advancement of the watch manufacturing process. Best regards, George
Awesome...
By: chaser579 : December 5th, 2010-07:39
Polishing
By: DonCorson : December 5th, 2010-12:03
Hi Graham, It sounds strange, but you always use something softer than what you want to polish as a substrate. The polishing medium itself, like diamantine, which is aluminum oxide, is quite hard. Imagine you want to polish steel. You take the diamantine ...
impressive
By: aldossari_faisal : December 5th, 2010-09:13
Thanks Frank
By: Geo : December 5th, 2010-10:18
Cool to read finally some more about the One Hertz and see these interesting pictures Do you have any idea when and where the watch will be officially presented and we will see some life shots of the finished product? GEO
Thanks Frank ! May I add a few pics ?
By: foversta : December 5th, 2010-12:54
Like you, I saw Tim and Bart at the Salon Belles Montres and I took these pics: A test of new hands to improve the readability of the Tourbillon & Minute Repeater (GTM-06) watch: Movement is based on a Claret ebauche: I told them that the One Hertz moveme...
Thanks Frank,
By: papillonwatchman : December 6th, 2010-00:31
What a great report with great picture's , you really showed the hole proces in a good way! Best, Michel
Many thanks for sharing this!
By: Gary G : December 7th, 2010-03:29
Great job capturing the process -- a great series of photos, all of which seem to be well-lit and in focus! Somehow when I am in situations like this I end up with a bunch of fuzzy shots... Thanks for this enlightening series. Best, Gary G
Love it.
By: big daddy : December 12th, 2010-15:37