Transcriber's notes:
Some minor typographical errors have been corrected.
The author's spelling has been retained.
| CHAPTER I. | |
| The raw material. The gravers. The roughing out. The hardening | |
| and tempering | 5 |
| CHAPTER II. | |
| Kinds of pivots. Their shape. Capillarity. The requirements of | |
| a good pivot | 13 |
| CHAPTER III. | |
| The proper measurements and how obtained | 19 |
| CHAPTER IV. | |
| The gauging of holes. The side shake. The position of the graver | 23 |
| CHAPTER V. | |
| The grinding and polishing. The reversal of the work. The wax | |
| chuck | 29 |
| CHAPTER VI. | |
| Another wax chuck. The centering of the work | 35 |
| CHAPTER VII. | |
| The finishing of the staff. Pivoting. Making pivot drills. Hardening | |
| drills. The drilling and fitting of new pivots | 39 |
To produce a good balance staff requires more skillthan to produce any other turned portion of a watch,and your success will depend not alone on your knowledgeof its proper shape and measurements, nor thetools at your command, but rather upon your skill withthe graver and your success in hardening and tempering.There are many points worthy of consideration in themaking of a balance staff that are too often neglected.I have seen staffs that were models as regards executionand finish, that were nearly worthless from a practicalstandpoint, simply because the maker had devoted allhis time and energy to the execution of a beautiful pieceof lathe work, and had given no thought or study to theform and size of the pivots. On the other hand, oneoften sees staffs whose pivots are faultless in shape, butthe execution and finish so bungling as to offset all thegood qualities as regards shape. To have good tools andthe right ideas is one thing, and to use these tools properlyand make a prac