Re-attaching dial feet w/o a machine
Sept 28, 2016 11:12:39 GMT -8
HiBeat, siralan, and 3 more like this
Post by solex on Sept 28, 2016 11:12:39 GMT -8
This topic is not that exciting but I'm so happy about this repair.
I have had a few situations where I had broken dial feet and needed to reattached them. Due to my Anal-OCD reasons I refuse to use dial dots.
I'm working on a new custom dial and broke one foot when polishing the dial face. I tried my usual trick of using JB Weld but it was not holding, so I needed a new solution after two attempts to solder the foot back on -- no luck
I had in the past contemplated buying or building a dial foot soldering machine, but last night I stumbled upon a cheaper solution; I read a post on how to do it without a machine:
(1) drill a small divot where the foot is supposed to be placed (do not drill through the dial), I used a 0.7 mm tungsten carbide drill bit
(2) use telephone wire to create a new longer foot
(3) file the end of the bare wire to a point to fit into the divot
(4) buy or make a third pair of hands (I had a magnetic fixture I use for my dial indicator and added an alligator clip)
(5) add solder past to the divot or dial foot
(6) install the foot into the third pair of hands and position it perfectly so it is sitting in the divot perpendicular to the dial
(7) shave solder with a razor (wafer thin Smile) and place it around the base of the dial feet (you do not need a lot, I used 5 very thin shavings)
(8) I used a MAPP gas burner, set to as low as possible without going out, any higher and the flame will push the solder out of the way
(9) GENTLY heat the base of the foot until the solder begins to flow
(10) stop
(11) if the solder is not at the base of the foot but moved up the foot re-heat again GENTLY until if flows downward
And the dial I'm working on, pre-sanded and polished
I have had a few situations where I had broken dial feet and needed to reattached them. Due to my Anal-OCD reasons I refuse to use dial dots.
I'm working on a new custom dial and broke one foot when polishing the dial face. I tried my usual trick of using JB Weld but it was not holding, so I needed a new solution after two attempts to solder the foot back on -- no luck
I had in the past contemplated buying or building a dial foot soldering machine, but last night I stumbled upon a cheaper solution; I read a post on how to do it without a machine:
(1) drill a small divot where the foot is supposed to be placed (do not drill through the dial), I used a 0.7 mm tungsten carbide drill bit
(2) use telephone wire to create a new longer foot
(3) file the end of the bare wire to a point to fit into the divot
(4) buy or make a third pair of hands (I had a magnetic fixture I use for my dial indicator and added an alligator clip)
(5) add solder past to the divot or dial foot
(6) install the foot into the third pair of hands and position it perfectly so it is sitting in the divot perpendicular to the dial
(7) shave solder with a razor (wafer thin Smile) and place it around the base of the dial feet (you do not need a lot, I used 5 very thin shavings)
(8) I used a MAPP gas burner, set to as low as possible without going out, any higher and the flame will push the solder out of the way
(9) GENTLY heat the base of the foot until the solder begins to flow
(10) stop
(11) if the solder is not at the base of the foot but moved up the foot re-heat again GENTLY until if flows downward
And the dial I'm working on, pre-sanded and polished
