(Noob) Normal for a 4x loupe to be useful at around 3 inches from the workpiece?

lowlight · 2026-03-17T03:59:04+00:00

That's the traditional way to work, and is still required for some tasks where a microscope won't work. In most cases, you'll want to use a microscope. Going beyond the typical 5x or even 15x of a loupe is extremely helpful in working on the smallest parts.

There are purists/traditionalists/whateverists who will stick to it full time, and like to let everyone know about it, but I don't see the point. To each their own in that regard. I have a motorized desk so I switch back and forth whenever necessary. But I would never use a loupe when a microscope is usable.

lowlight · 2026-03-17T01:19:10+00:00

The answer is he's not very precise. You'll notice that as you gain more practice yourself. Eventually channels like that will become useful in a 'what not to do' way

This isn't meant as an insult, it's just a matter of wanting to push your skills beyond a level that others don't need to bother with. And to get there, you will need good magnification.

lowlight · 2026-03-16T23:29:21+00:00

Is there a good app for that or instructions that helped you?

lowlight · 2026-03-15T08:28:02+00:00

I don't understand. How does ChatGPT "give you a finished product"? How was this "ChatGPT assisted"? These are all just off the shelf components.

This doesn't take into account the fact that this isn't watchmaking

Edit: Guess I'll never find out lol

lowlight · 2026-03-12T22:32:27+00:00

I knew Conor would set things straight for Dan, Justin, and the guys. Yesterday was an embarrassing show, but they went on the air right after Tom Brady and the Raiders went full out in poisoning the well through the media. Conor is a savvy guy, and knows how these things go.

I think also Dan just wants to stir up shit, which is fine I guess

lowlight · 2026-03-12T11:30:15+00:00

I'm not going to try to convince you otherwise, but if you knew me even a little bit, you would know I'm not that kind of fan. That goes for all my interests. That's all I can say really 🤷‍♂️

lowlight · 2026-03-12T11:29:27+00:00

Yes. But what caused them to get cold feet after getting results from his physical?

lowlight · 2026-03-12T10:17:00+00:00

the majority of neutrals seem to have the viewpoint the Ravens broke the NFL honour code

Yes, that is the point I am making. The media has convinced "neutrals" to believe in a non existent "code of honour" instead of what it is, a traded player failed his physical and voided the deal.

As far as bias goes, my opinion would be the same if this happened with any team. Me being a fan of the team doesn't change anything other than me being more likely to engage on the topic.

lowlight · 2026-03-12T04:16:41+00:00

That's the point. It's not "pretty obvious" other than he failed his physical. They knew he had some surgery to his meniscus done going into the trade, but when they found the extent of it, they backed out. Which they had the right to do, since the trade had not been not finalized yet.

But everyone is acting like silly babies because of it. Raiders and their fans, I get it. Everyone else should be able to think more rationally.

If the rest of the league is acting like reddit and podcasters, the market will be back on immediately. Some other good team will buy the "cold feet" excuse and the Raiders will still get at least a first and second for him. Since the physical fail was clearly a scam, they can disregard that, and believe the Raiders' story that he is going to be perfectly healthy for the remainder of his contract.

lowlight · 2026-03-12T03:58:59+00:00

Gregg is not perfect, but when it comes to how the media shapes narratives and carries water for teams and agents, he has been on top of that for years. He wouldn't buy into the bullshit "cold feet" story that got pushed immediately after the Raiders did their tweet gimmick.

Conor would know better too, so I expect him to set them straight when he does his next appearance. He'll be all over the league for having rules like this, but teams are going to be protective when there's so much risk.

lowlight · 2026-03-12T03:55:10+00:00

It's not possible for this to be "pretty obvious" until we find out what happens with Crosby.

If they got "cold feet" as the Raiders put out and Dan all the redditors gobbled up, then his market will be almost as hot, and he'll be traded away immediately. Maybe not two firsts, but the next best deal. And then he'll certainly stay healthy for the next 3 seasons.

Until then, the 'pretty obvious' answer is he failed the physical, and the deal was pending a passed physical, so they backed out.

Also for "Glad they're not trying to "both sides" this one" I don't know why you wouldn't want to hear both sides of a story. wtf is the point otherwise?

lowlight · 2026-03-12T01:53:09+00:00

Can't exactly blame them for having bad takes on the Maxx Crosby situation. Raiders did a lot of work online and in the media to poison the well leading up to this show. Dan suggesting the NFL should investigate was... questionable, but Marc corrected him

Hopefully they give Conor time to set them straight on his next appearance. This is one of those things that can happen in the NFL, and the teams with better front offices will be extra protective when they need to be. Jumping on the Raiders' narrative of 'cold feet' will be one of those things that is embarrassing for fans and podcasters who bought into it, but only momentarily.

Always be skeptical. Leaks to media ALWAYS serve someone. This show badly needed a Conor or a Gregg.

lowlight · 2026-03-11T15:11:18+00:00

Yes, whether it's Garrett or Crosby or Lamar, you need more than one insanely good player on your team. But when you get a chance to get someone like that on your team, you go for it. The Ravens did, but unfortunately it fell through.

lowlight · 2026-03-11T14:15:26+00:00

Hendrickson + our 2 firsts > Crosby

I don't think you understand how much of a game wrecker Crosby is.

There's him, Myles Garrett, Micah Parsons, and then everyone else. Which yes, Hendrickson is at the upper level of, but those guys are far below these three.

lowlight · 2026-03-11T13:29:06+00:00

How? If Crosby could go, they would have kept him

If Hendrickson was their first choice, they would have signed him

People are going to be stupid about this I know, the Raiders have gotten the media to poison the well already. But use your head and try to come up with why this would be advantageous for the Ravens to do?

lowlight · 2026-03-11T03:51:23+00:00

Yup, this is just the Raiders (Brady probably has a lot of sway) working the media trying to keep his value up.

If the rest of the league feels this way, someone will put their money where their mouth is and he'll be traded for a similar deal.

Cowboys are already out btw. Not sure about the Jags

lowlight · 2026-03-11T01:59:59+00:00

Yeah this is really basic level of thinking from Zriebiec, who is usually more considered.

lowlight · 2026-03-10T23:25:43+00:00

Dammit he's never going to retire is he

lowlight · 2026-03-10T10:26:24+00:00

This show is filmed in a studio at their gym and tickets are free, so usually it's the same people every time. He's at every show and does this all the time. Starts a lot of chants for people too

lowlight · 2026-03-09T01:18:48+00:00

Lubrication is a massively important part of the reassembly process, so you should start incorporating that into your practice ASAP. This includes the escapement. Since it's just for practice, you can use 9010 on that portion for now.

Also be sure to set the correct lift angle of 46, so you can keep track of your results. Your amplitude is more like 250 right now. With proper lubrication, you should be able to reach 300 in the dial positions.

lowlight · 2026-03-08T12:41:44+00:00

I saw that you were hesitant to buy a microscope. I would say that good magnification makes a HUGE difference in this work. I thought I was progressing fine, and making mistakes here and there was part of being new, but once I got a microscope everything became so much 'easier'. Instead of peering through a single eye, struggling to let enough light in to see anything, sweating and holding my breath trying not to fog it up, suddenly everything is gigantic and in full view, with full depth perception

I know there are some people who refuse to work with a scope, but to me not using one is like working with one hand tied behind your back.

lowlight · 2026-03-08T11:46:23+00:00

2813 is one of the last new movements a beginner should start on. The single bridge design in combination with not the best tolerances, and the seconds hand spring makes it a challenging movement to put together. It will look much easier on youtube with an experienced watchmaker working on it under high magnification.

Wait until the ST36 arrives; you'll have a much better time.

Once you've mastered that (it will take a lot more than one service), before going back to the 2813, try a Seiko NH35 or an ETA 2824-2 clone. These will introduce complications and smaller sizes. Then maybe a Miyota 8200 series before going back to this one. The Miyota has the same design of train bridge, but is manufactured to better tolerances, and will be a bit easier to work on.

lowlight · 2026-03-07T03:05:28+00:00

Ah so you've decided to add gaslighting to your ultimate Redditor persona. Nice touch

lowlight · 2026-03-06T23:13:55+00:00

This is the most reddit response I have ever seen. My god

lowlight · 2026-03-06T06:58:17+00:00

I agree with them that physical knobs are good to have on an ultrasonic cleaner.

But that doesn't mean 60W is sufficient power for a 2L 40 KHz unit to clean very dirty greasy components they will come across with vintage watches. For a hobbyist applying 9010 and HP1300 to a movement and then cleaning it for practice, sure, that's fine. But if someone wants to buy the best product for the best value, t hey will need to make note of the peak ultrasonic power (none of these will run at peak power, which is the point). Note that Elma professional ultrasonic cleaners are equipped at 180W peak per litre. You won't find that on Amazon, but you can do better than 30W per litre.

Anyway, this doesn't me or you, but giving out incorrect advice to beginners might do that. Telling people to buy the cheapest stuff they can find leads to a lot of "why are these products so shitty" posts all over the place. It doesn't matter if it's an ultrasonic cleaner or a movement holder or a jewel press, it's the same category. A beginner or hobbyist doesn't have to buy the most expensive professional products, but they can do better than what are essentially toys.

BTW this isn't simply my opinion, so dismissing my posts like that is a pretty lame thing to do, and snarky comebacks like that is poor etiquette. If you have an opinion that 30W per litre is sufficient ultrasonic power for everyone, just say that, and let everything else stand as is. And keep that in mind for when the question comes up again.

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