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Aqua Terra Bracelet - blitherin' tiny screws!

tikkathree
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I've just been lucky enough to pick up a lovely blue Skyfall AT to partner my opaline teak AT.

I'd quite forgotten about the pesky little grub screw which secure the bracelet links: as the watch came to me it was j....u....s...t.... to snug and because I can't loosen all four of the screws which hold a half link to the end of the clasp, I'm now too sloppy by the addition of a full link. please?

There's no knowing what the previous owner di to fix the screws in place - locking fluid, wrist cheese, glue, who knows but what's the safe and certain way of moving a tiny stuck screw? I've tried immersion in boiling water, I've tried a quick trip into the freezer but I'm no further forward: three screws out easily and one stubborn little tick!

Any good suggestions
 
Omega-Q
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馃嵖 I'm actually looking forward to the responses too!
 
BlackTalon
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Aren't they set with some Loctite or something similar when assembled by Omega?
 
Donn Chambers
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tikkathree tikkathree
I've just been lucky enough to pick up a lovely blue Skyfall AT to partner my opaline teak AT.

I'd quite forgotten about the pesky little grub screw which secure the bracelet links: as the watch came to me it was j....u....s...t.... to snug and because I can't loosen all four of the screws which hold a half link to the end of the clasp, I'm now too sloppy by the addition of a full link. please?

There's no knowing what the previous owner di to fix the screws in place - locking fluid, wrist cheese, glue, who knows but what's the safe and certain way of moving a tiny stuck screw? I've tried immersion in boiling water, I've tried a quick trip into the freezer but I'm no further forward: three screws out easily and one stubborn little tick!

Any good suggestions

If the previous owner used loctite, the hot water trick should have loosened it. You can always try a hair dryer on that one spot as well.

But if you have 3 out of the 4 screws removed, that means you must have one pin out and one of the screws that keeps the second pin in place out. I bet you could give some taps on the side with the stuck screw with a rubber mallet (with the bracelet vertical, screw up) to get the pin to slide out far enough that you can grab it with pliers. Might need to squirt some WD-40 in the hole before.

Once you have the pin out, it doesn鈥檛 matter if there is one screw left or not.

Good luck.
 
snunez
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I think Donn has a good point; you should be able to get the link removed at this point. I just went through the whole bracelet screw removal thing. If you got 3/4 out, you should be able to remove the remaining one, if you want. Just be slow and careful and if be certain to put some tape on the bracelet to avoid scratching. It can happen now matter how careful you are. The only challenge is the glue, which makes it difficult to actually get the screw retrieved. Still looking for a technique for this.
 
tikkathree
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Donn Chambers Donn Chambers
If the previous owner used loctite, the hot water trick should have loosened it. You can always try a hair dryer on that one spot as well.

But if you have 3 out of the 4 screws removed, that means you must have one pin out and one of the screws that keeps the second pin in place out. I bet you could give some taps on the side with the stuck screw with a rubber mallet (with the bracelet vertical, screw up) to get the pin to slide out far enough that you can grab it with pliers. Might need to squirt some WD-40 in the hole before.

Once you have the pin out, it doesn鈥檛 matter if there is one screw left or not.

Good luck.
Oooh canny! Might just give that a whizz now!
 
tikkathree
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Done it! Thanks guys.

I'd say that hair dryer heat did nothing to break the seal of the 4th screw but it did seem to encourage the steel pin (not magnetic please note) which wouldn't move under kinetic force before the appliance of heat but certainly did do afterwards. Now I have 8 links on one side and 7 and a half the other side: a perfect fit!

Incidentally I didn't try any lubricant "up the pin hole" reasoning that there might be more surface tension generated than help. I think I'd have used lighter fluid rather than WD40.
 
BradleyJ.
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If it helps anyone in the future I touched the screw with the tip of my soldering iron (clean tip) for a few seconds and it took care of the loctite without ruining any finish. May seem excessive but my iron is always set up and ready so it was a no brainer. Any other electronics guys out there may be in the same boat.
 
MRC
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BradleyJ. BradleyJ.
If it helps anyone in the future I touched the screw with the tip of my soldering iron (clean tip) for a few seconds and it took care of the loctite without ruining any finish. .

This was the basis of the late, great, Carroll Smith's method for removing stubborn Loctitied flywheel bolts on racing engines. Heat bolt head to red with a gas torch (no, not a gasoline-powered flashlight) and hit hard with a punch -- just the once.

Perhaps skip the punch with
blitherin' tiny screws
 
scapa
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I've also used my soldering iron to good effect on the bracelets. I generally make a quick and dirty shim of electrical tape to use as a guide and extra layer of protection and have had good luck so far. I do a fair bit of work on vintage valve electronics but even so did a few dry runs before working on my Omegas!
Edited:
 
fskywalker
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Congrsts on the Skyfall and sorting out the screw issue. Nos where's that beauty? 馃嵖
 
tikkathree
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fskywalker fskywalker
Congrsts on the Skyfall and sorting out the screw issue. Nos where's that beauty? 馃嵖
okay, okay, hold on, the photos will come from my android.
FWIW I even tried the wise old trick of trying to turn the screw clockwise (as if to tighten) and that wouldn't crack the locking compound.
Now, photos.....
 
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