To Bend Gong Wires

American Watchmaker and Jeweler (1892)

The bending of a gong wire in a repeating watch, in order to free it from any point it touches, often results in diminishing the sound considerably. In such a case, Immisch advises as follows: If the spring touches on the outside and must consequently be bent inward, it should be laid upon a convex piece of brass corresponding in shape with the inner side of the spring at the place where it is to be bent; then, if the outside be slightly hammered with the sharp edge of a hammer, the small indentations produced will cause the outside to lengthen a little and the inside to contract in proportion. The time required for the shape to become permanent differs greatly with the degree of elasticity. It is sometimes desirable to bend a spring, but the repairer, being afraid of breaking it, abandons the idea. Suppose it is desirable to bend a side click spring of a Swiss bridge watch, which, by the way, is generally made of poor steel. Take hold of the end in which the screw goes with a pair of brass-nosed sliding tongs, holding it in the left hand; then press a piece of brass against the click, bending it in the direction desired, and at the same time holding it over the flame of a spirit lamp until the center, or spring part, becomes a straw, or dark red color. The fact that spring-tempered steel is brought to a dark red-blue twenty times over, will not reduce it below its former temper; on the contrary, it will tend to equalize and improve the temper, and render it less liable to break. Suppose a cylinder pivot, or any pivot of the escapement parts are bent, and you wish to straighten it by this process; take a small brass ring, fit it to the pivot and hold over the flame of the lamp, bending it at the same time in the desired direction.