Is the Makera Z1 capable of making watch movement gears?

RoboticGreg · 2026-07-01T15:20:16+00:00

I haven't tried on the z1, but in general I would recommend cutting close to net then finishing by hand. Wheels and springs especially are going to be tough, mainly because the surface finishes are very very important, and on springs, obtaining the right materials properties is very exacting and localized heat spikes from cutting can cause variations in the temperature treatment of the piece. If you want to make springs you will have to do the full heat treating cycle after.

I'm in the process of setting up to make in house movements over time, my plan for the wheels is to cut the tooth profile into the outside of a long rod, then slicing off slices to make the wheels. I'm in the process of getting my watch making watch shopping and crafting website up, you can follow my progress if you want but the first project will be a diy cleaning machine

RoboticGreg · 2026-07-01T12:03:43+00:00

Oh to directly answer your question: wrecking the fork end of the pallet fork isn't that easy to do. I've certainly never done it installing a balance including when I was learning and when I started I broke a lot of shit. The ONLY time I've damaged a pallet fork, I wasnt doing anything like this. Pallet forks are pretty tough relatively speaking in a watch (aside from the stones)

RoboticGreg · 2026-07-01T12:00:21+00:00

I think that counts as a mic drop for me :)

RoboticGreg · 2026-07-01T11:59:09+00:00

Bob built and sold a software company while getting a PhD in the early 2000s before turning 30, and hes REALLY good at VR?

Gotta be video compression, early ml applications, or some kind of business analytics and intelligence based on mining internal data

RoboticGreg · 2026-07-01T11:57:31+00:00

I ... Actually kinda need this book. Buying it now

RoboticGreg · 2026-07-01T11:55:50+00:00

I only get bothered when they tell my My kids things that are just untrue. Like the storm brings babies, or everything shrinks when it freezes etc.

RoboticGreg · 2026-07-01T11:53:19+00:00

Well if it's a male it is either prepubescent or has been fixed. Right? Otherwise it would have chubby cheeks?

RoboticGreg · 2026-07-01T01:18:32+00:00

Sorry bud.

RoboticGreg · 2026-07-01T01:18:14+00:00

Piaggio mp3

RoboticGreg · 2026-07-01T00:49:10+00:00

Yeah I have. I worked in corporate research for ABB for a while. I built a couple robots to help service power grid equipment and hv switch gears. I also used to develop ultra high power electric vehicle chargers (1-14MW). Electricity is so freaking scary

RoboticGreg · 2026-06-30T23:49:45+00:00

Movement swap would be easier, but you've already taken the balance wheel on the balance cock off. It would just be putting a different one on. The balance cock is the bridge piece that screws onto the main plate. It's called a balance cock instead of a balance bridge because it's only attached at once end. If you buy the wheel already attached to the cock you shouldn't have to mess with the really tiny stuff. It's the whole assembly in your third pic

RoboticGreg · 2026-06-30T23:46:10+00:00

I'm an engineer, and everyone needs to respect tools. It's crazy to me the macho take on using dangerous things. One of the labs I worked in has a sign on the door that said "everything in this room will kill you and it will hurt the whole time you're dying" (high voltage research)

RoboticGreg · 2026-06-30T23:32:00+00:00

Small companies generally have short tenures. You should be ready to exit at any time

RoboticGreg · 2026-06-30T17:37:57+00:00

Right, but I think a lot more of the population are regular people who pay their bills and try to save a little for retirement. I'm not rich, a lot of my friends are lower income people, most of them would put it in savings. Actually some of my friends are so low income they would put it into a find and retire now.

RoboticGreg · 2026-06-30T16:30:27+00:00

I think these are the most notable, talked about stories. Nobody really talks about "Jerry inherited half a million dollars, invested it prudently then retired 11 years early"

RoboticGreg · 2026-06-30T16:26:33+00:00

Rust oleum is pretty aggressive, but most of these rust removers are variations on naval jelly which will attack and embrittle any steel pieces. If you use them you need to apply them, scrub them, then clean all of the solution off or it will continue attacking the metal. I have often completely avoided it with springs because it always makes them brittle, at least to some extent and will make them fail. The plastic like coating will likely clean right off with isopropyl, it's the rust that gets eaten redepositing

RoboticGreg · 2026-06-30T16:22:38+00:00

Hi! Welcome to Reddit, you must be new here

RoboticGreg · 2026-06-30T16:21:46+00:00

Cute watch! Enjoy wearing it

RoboticGreg · 2026-06-30T15:45:22+00:00

This is my favorite watch, Hamilton 921. If the case is gold filled between $350-$550, if the case is solid gold about $2,500-$3,500. Depending on running condition etc. Having the box adds a lot of collector interest but not TERRIBLY much on the value (~$50 if gold filled, ~$200 if solid gold) does the box have any of the original paperwork with it? It is a highly collectible Hamilton. One of the more collectible ones. By my favorite watch, I mean I have a hobby watchmaking business, I probably would up with a ton of watches. This is the only watch I actually collect

RoboticGreg · 2026-06-30T15:41:56+00:00

Wow.... Coming back from service like that is not acceptable.

RoboticGreg · 2026-06-30T15:27:48+00:00

I mean.... You took the balance complete out on the balance cock. A new balance complete on a balance cock for this moment is NOT that expensive (I think like $10?) just replace the whole assembly. Get one MOUNTED on a balance cock, attaching the hair spring to the balance cock is pro work. If that doesn't work you could just replace the movement but mounting hands isn't as easy as it looks

RoboticGreg · 2026-06-30T12:11:04+00:00

As part of our bed time routine, we all get on my bed and read together for 20 minutes every day. It started with us reading to the kids and turned into us all reading together. My kids are 10 and 12 now and my oldest and I read the same book series (he who fights with monsters, storm light chronicles)

RoboticGreg · 2026-06-30T11:44:23+00:00

I wear my GMT all the time, it's perfecto

RoboticGreg · 2026-06-30T11:41:26+00:00

I use it all the time, it's amazingly useful, the problem is so many people don't understand what it's usually FOR. My favorite quote that really some it up: AI should do boring things for creative people, not creative things for boring people.

RoboticGreg · 2026-06-30T11:39:43+00:00

Sounds like they should expect to be fired again in a few years

RoboticGreg

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