| Clocks Magazine tips | August 2002
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Holding taper pins
Taper pins, for whatever purpose, are often coarsely cut by cutters without refinishing. This, to me, is a sign of bad workmanship. For high-class work my standard is to finish the ends with (readily available) concave burrs, sized in gradual increments up to lOmm ID. Such burrs can also be used for fine finishing of other items. For example, the rounding-off of mutilated screws.
Additionally, we occasionally drop the finest tweezer-held pin, particularly when fitting up exactly to the minute arbor. The loss and re-making of such a pin is undoubtedly most aggravating. My remedy, extremely practical, is to use a slightly modified watch balance screw holder. The sliding tong method of securement enables the subject pin, no matter how fine, to be held firmly at right angles and enables easy insertion. Sliding tong release is easily achieved with the pin then gently pressed in to give perfect fit/securement. These particular tools are often not listed in many material dealers' catalogues but are listed in the tool catalogue of Henri Picard & Frere Ltd.
Clerkenwell material catalogues during the middle of the previous century often listed such watch balance screw holders in six sizes ranging from O.2mm to O.7mm, usually in the region of 7s 9d each, equivalent in current currency to 38p!
Tweezers, unless lockable - as available from the dental trade or alternatively medical forceps - are an alternative but none compare with the perfect grip achievable using the watch screw holder. The one I possess I have used for many many years. It is extremely well made, 4in long, and has become an essential tool.
J N Bartlam, UK
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