Mainspring oiling tweezers are an essential tool for any watchmaker who wants to ensure the proper functioning of the mainspring in a watch. The mainspring is a critical component that powers the watch, and proper oiling is essential for maintaining the watch’s accuracy and longevity.
Oiling a mainspring requires a special type of watchmakers tweezers. Whilst you are able to purchase this tool, they are certainly not cheap and can come with quite a hefty price tag. Mainspring oiling tweezers can set you back $25-80 which is a significant dent in the budget. Whilst this tool is critical to your watchmaking experience, it is certainly one that you may second guess when looking at the cost. Thankfully, there is an alternative option as it is also possible to make your own custom mainspring oiling tweezers.
There is no denying that watchmaking is an expensive hobby so why not cut costs where you can? You can make your very own mainspring oiling tweezers from things that you may already have at home. This will save your budget allowing you to spend the money on other tools for your watchmaking toolkit.
Not only does making your own custom mainspring oiling tweezers save money, it also adds an extra challenge to your watchmaking journey. This can be great fun and also offer greater insight into the intricacies of this artform.
There are multiple ways that you can make your own mainspring oiling tweezers. However, after trying and testing several methods, I found this to be the best way to make your own. This method is quick and easy utilising things that you can find around the home or can be purchased cheaply.
What You Will Need to Make Your Own Mainspring Oiling Tweezers
A set of tweezers you do not use for watchmaking, any old pair of cheap tweezers will do. If you don’t have an old spare pair of tweezers then something like this will do:
One small piece of chamois leather measuring around 2cm x 5cm. This can be from an old chamois leather you use on your car as long as it’s not too dirty to begin with. If you do not already have an old chamois leather at home to use then a cheap synthetic chamois leather option will suffice, like this:
A pot of super glue or equivalent, something from Scotch or Loctite like this:
Step 1
Firstly wipe clean the tips of the tweezers with some rubbing alcohol and allow to dry.
Lay the strip of the chamois leather on a hard surface.
Add a good amount of super glue onto the outside edge of the tip of the tweezers.
Press the tweezers down along the short edge of the chamois leather as depicted in the photo above.
You should apply downward pressure on the tweezers for around 20-25 seconds to allow the glue to bind.
Step 2
Apply a decent amount of super glue onto the inside edge of the same tip of the tweezers.
Apply downward pressure onto the tweezers ensuring that the chamois leather attached to the outside edge does not move and tightly wrap the chamois leather around the tweezers again so it covers that tip of the tweezers.
This time pinch the tweezers for around 20-25 seconds to allow the glue to bind.
Step 3
Apply more super glue on top of the chamois leather on the outside edge of the same tip of the tweezers.
Whilst pinching the tweezers, tightly wrap the chamois leather back on itself so it overlaps with the existing chamois leather.
Apply downward pressure to the tweezers for around 20-25 seconds to allow the glue to bind.
Step 4
Cut off the excess chamois leather.
Your first tweezer tip is complete.
Step 5
Repeat steps 1-4 with the remaining strip of chamois leather in order to complete the other tip of the tweezers.
Step 6
Place the tweezers under a suitable weight in order to press the two tips together and provide suitable downward pressure.
Leave for at least an hour.
This final step ensures the chamois leather sticks to the tweezers sufficiently
Result
After following these step, you should have produced something that looks like this:
As mentioned, there are alternative methods to making your own mainspring oiling tweezers. This method is quick, easy and convenient. However, if you want to be more precise, you could save on the amount of chamois leather required and just cut two very small pieces that are enough to go on the insides of both tips of the tweezers. The outside edges of the tweezers are not required so the chamois leather in this case is wasted.
If you’ve made your own mainspring oiling tool following these steps, or perhaps have found a better and/or easier way of making a similar tool then I would love to hear from you and see photos.
Love hacks like this.