Making Heel Clamps for Watchmakers Lathe Faceplate - Watchmaking Vlog 46

[@mrboembastique5982]

Always awesome to see your video Dean, such an exciting adventure.

[@DeanDK]

Thanks so much Maikel! Your support is amazing!

[@karlmansson8319]

Cheers! Glad I could help :) The new clamps look great.

[@DeanDK]

Thanks Karl, appreciate all your advice 😀

[@KillItandGrillIt]

All of your videos are good I'm glad I found someone pursuing the same watch making path I chose.

[@DeanDK]

Thanks man, I'm glad there are more people out there with the same goals, and connecting sure is great. 😀

[@Bartyron]

As always in awe with your focus on your goals. I like to point out that the screws to tilt the clamps are quite long. Be careful not to hit your tool or, even worse, your fingers or forehead (if you do close-up work).

[@DeanDK]

Bartyron, thanks so much for your support by watching and commenting. I appreciate that a lot! ahah oh yes for sure, I'm going to cut them down by around half and see how they go, it was getting late, and I just wanted to get the video out 😀 Thanks for looking out for my noggin! haha

[@newbernwatchmaker3604]

Looks like toe clamps provide a sideways pressure allowing a small point of contact (the toe) so those are definitely heel clamps!

[@DeanDK]

Cheers man, appreciate the confirmation! I wish you all the watchmaking success for 2020! you can do it!

[@newbernwatchmaker3604]

Dean DK Thanks, you too! I am hoping I can find something video worthy to share soon (once I get this lathe set up).

[@Marie579]

Dean check out rocol fluids website you will find you get a better finish on your cuts and the tools should last longer, Ok i don't want you to take this the wrong way, but do you want to create your own watch? or make every tool to make a watch? you can buy a suitable set of heel clamps for your face plate and concentrate on creating a watch. Your hearts in the right place but you're wasting time on distracting projects, the buttons were a waste of time and weren't even mechanically efficient ! and time is scarce and presides beleive me i know! All power to your cause and happy new year, Helen x

[@DeanDK]

Thanks appreciate the tip, I will definitely grab some Rocol, someone else has mentioned that fluid before, and I plan on picking some up, just trying to get finances together haha. All good Helen, I appreciate that, it's something I am in constant battle with, or trying to make certain tools for my watch, and making the watch. I think timing played a huge roll, I couldn't find clamps locally, and it was a few days before Christmas before I started making the button clamps, which I had finished pretty quick, but I discovered they weren't suitable. I'm not sure ordering would have got me anywhere closer faster, as I need the clamps to finish the drill jig. I plan on only making tools which are custom, that will increase speed and accuracy of parts. Also, I don't have much spare cash to be putting in to every single tool, and I must pick and choose accordingly. In saying that, I felt that I spent a lot of time toolmaking than I would have preferred, and that your comment has re-sparked my commitment to stay on the path or making my watches, and not get bogged down with simple things I can purchase. Thank you so much, I really appreciate you watching my videos, and reaching out. ☺

[@nowar9220]

Bro that happens to me too! I hate the carbide part off tools! I just grind a piece of HSS with a thin length protruding as the part off tip (prob about 5-8ml or so protruding out from the body and on the right hand side of the HSS bit) and round off the tip, then turn off a nice chunk at the back of the part (on the chuck side) so the thin length of the HSS bit can go in far enough to part the tool off, you know what i mean? (Sorry a bit hard to explain properly lol) takes a bit of extra time but once you have a few different sizes ground up the only extra part is turning the back side so the tool can go in deep enough to part it off, i just cant get the carbide tool to work no matter what i do, not sure if its the hp or sturdiness of the machine even though i doubt both, i tried pretty much everything with positioning the tool, speeds and feeds but i just cant get a clean part off with the carbide tool! And ive seen quite a few other people having the same issue and abandoning the carbide part off tool quite a few times because they just cant get it to work properly.

[@CreaseysWorkshop]

Nice job!

[@DeanDK]

Thanks John, appreciate it a lot!

[@Chankyi]

Hi Dean happy new year to you! I hope you get to your goal soon! I'm curious what material did you make the clamps out of? Also what sort of materials do you keep stock in the workshop?

[@DeanDK]

Hi Chankyi, thanks for your support! I made these out of Mild Steel. I usually have brass sheet and round bar, some mild steel round bar (from learning on lathe a long time ago). I have several small diameters of silver steel, and some gauge plate steel. (carbon tool steel)

[@Chankyi]

Thanks Dean for your quick reply! Does it matter to you what sort of brass? I know some books mention using only clock brass. But I wonder if they make alot of difference.

[@DeanDK]

Most definitely. You want free machining brass, usually around C356 or C360. Or for sheet brass, you want engravers brass. Edit (engravers brass CZ120)

[@Chankyi]

Dean DK thank you for that information I will read up. How about steels? Can i make springs with mild steel or tool steel or does it have to be spring steels?

[@DeanDK]

You would need to use a carbon steel, so once you make the spring you can harden and temper it so it holds it form

[@TheVIndings]

i like the new clamps :)

[@DeanDK]

Thanks Per 😀👍

[@dimambroguitar]

Nice work! Where did you get that nifty vise!?

[@DeanDK]

Cheers man! Thanks for watching. I bought this from cousins uk. But you can usually find from other watch tool suppliers, even ebay.

[@stevelavalette6898]

You need a more ridgid vice !

[@DeanDK]

Haha Thanks Steve. The Vice sits on a support, unfortunately my bench has cracked where the support screws into the wood. Which is why the vice rocks. This is only a recent thing, and I will try to fix very soon. Cheers.

[@grubsrust299]

"I hope 2020 is a good year" .3. That aged like milk

[@petelarsen721]

great clamps that,s much better pete Petewerks

[@DeanDK]

Thanks so much Pete! Really appreciate it!

[@keithburton99]

You might want to consider this alternative form - www.homews.co.uk/page39.html

[@DeanDK]

Thanks so much, definitely checking it out tonight 😁👍🏼

[@EitriBrokkr]

as of 2024, this intro is quite depressing