watch pen question

[paintspill]

ok. these watch pens i've been seeing are absolutely blowing my mind. i know most of the steps required but was wondering what the preferred method is for curving the parts. is it a jig or just some well placed brute force

thanks.

 

[lorbay]

I use a hard wood dowel near the same size as the tube.

Lin.

 

[paintspill]

thats kind of the concept i figured. thanks, damn, now i have to start one.

 

[GoodTurns]

i drilled a piece of Corian to match the different tube sizes, cut it in half and use a matching transfer punch and a pair of pliers to shape the gears. may be a bit brutish, but my thumbs were getting sore!

 

[navycop]

I use a hard wood dowel near the same size as the tube.

Lin.

Always wondered about that also. Is it the same for the pens made with bottlecaps?

 

[Crickett]

i drilled a piece of Corian to match the different tube sizes, cut it in half and use a matching transfer punch and a pair of pliers to shape the gears. may be a bit brutish, but my thumbs were getting sore!

I use the same method except I drilled a piece of PVC.

Sent from my iPhone using Forum Runner

 

[sbell111]

For the last few of these that I've made, I just held the little gear in a needle nose pliers and bent it.

 

[Chasper]

I use a jewlers shaping pliers, both jaws are curved, one concave and one convex. Something like this: http://www.riogrande.com/MemberArea/ProductPage.aspx?assetname=111271

 

[Leviblue]

I don't bend any of the parts, except the watch face if I put one in. The gears are hardened and very brittle.

 

[paintspill]

thank you all for the ideas. my dad has a drawer full of broken watches and i always told him he was nuts for keeping them.
i guess everything happens for a reason.