How to make a Cannon Pin Removal and Tightening Tool

[Nightwatch 1]

Here's a tip how to make a very useful Cannon Pin Tool that works really well, its also really cheap to make ...It will remove Cannon Pins and also tighten them....

 

Firstly let me explain why a Cannon Pinion may need tightening... When you fit a new Cannon Pin it needs to grip the centre wheel staff, the Cannon Pinion works by friction, if its too slack you will find the minute hand doesn't turn or turns really slowly...or...sometimes you get a watch that runs great and then you notice that for some reason the minute hand suddenly looses say two or three minutes, then works ok... this is probably the Cannon Pinion slipping. Below I will show you a great method to help you tighten the Cannon Pinion and also remove it if you have to.

 

Heres what you need.... a Simple Nail Cutter....(super cheap and easy to buy)

 

 

1) If you look at the image below I have filed two slots into the nail cutter, the large slot is for removing the Cannon Pinion and the other, a small slot, is for tightening it.

 

2) Large Slot: This is for removing the Cannon Pin....Use a round file to file a round slot into the blade, do one half of the blade at a time and make sure they line-up perfectly (its important they line up well!) dont make it too small or you will end up cutting the Cannon Pin in half which is a big mistake! Make the slot so that it fits nicely around the Cannon Pinion but doesnt slip off and doesnt really grip it too much either. Use this slot only to remove the Cannon Pinion.

 

 

 

The image below shows the Cannon Pinion being removed, the nail cutter is gripping the pinion but its not cutting into it...

 

3) Small Slot: This is for tightening the Cannon Pin....Start by using a Small Triangle file, this makes a half of a square slot on each edge of the blade, then use a round file to finish it off... The reason I start with a triangle file is because instead of making a perfect round hole or slot it makes a kind of round curve that goes to a bit of a point at the top. This is were the nail cutter blade grips the cannon pin and nips it fairly tight...if you haven't got a triangle file then just use a small round file as this will work well... make sure you make this hole slightly smaller than the diameter of the Cannon Pin, don't make it too small or you may cut the cannon Pin in half...(this shouldn't happen unless you are very careless because the hole you filed should be pretty blunt)

 

 

Below I am tightening the Cannon Pin, its easy to do and if you make the tool correctly it will tightening it just right without damaging it....

 

Thats it..... cheap, easy, and quick to make.... do it correctly and you will find this tools works really well...

 

Heres another tip have a couple of Nail Cutters and make the holes different sizes to suit different size Cannon Pins.

[dalboy 2]

Very clever..

 

Good old fashioned ingenuity..

 

Dal............