- 21/5/10
- 1,355
- 23
- 38
Or at least significant improvement....only time will tell for sure.
I noticed that the main cause of the clasp randomly popping open was due to the amount of play in the two long support arms that hold the latch that keeps it closed. This play was due to a small gap at the folding end of the clasp arm which caused the arms to move inward at an angle away from the outer prongs. Once this happened it would allow one side of the clasp latch to slip out and almost always caused the other side to release as well.
I theorized that by removing the play in the two arms by forcing them to remain parallel to the outer prongs would solve the problem. So I first needed to get the original pin out of the clasp at the fold. I unsuccessfully tried to force it with a small screwdriver only resulting in a small dent which can be seen in the first pic below. :facepalm: So next I decided to cut it out with my trusty jewelers saw which worked perfectly.[ame="http://www.amazon.com/Jewelers-Frame-Intricate-Cutting-Blades/dp/B00313Q46M/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1310077914&sr=8-1"]Amazon.com: SE 3" Professional Quality Adj. Jewelers Saw Frame & Blades: Home Improvement@@AMEPARAM@@http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/31Ptz4tnDqL.@@AMEPARAM@@31Ptz4tnDqL[/ame]
To make the spacer which would create the constant outward pressure on the arms I used a 1.4mm Band Tube from which I cut off a small piece of one end and sanded it down to a 0.6mm thick piece. Yes, you read that correctly - 0.6mm! I then replaced the pin I sawed in half with a 13mm wide 1.0 mm thick Rivet Pin from this set, slid one side on, next my new spacer and finally the other side before clamping it all together. Now with the spacer added the two outer prongs are 13.50 mm wide.
I've since worn watch while raking leaves for 30 minutes, jogging, playing with the kids and never had it pop open on me which never would have happened prior to the fix.
I noticed that the main cause of the clasp randomly popping open was due to the amount of play in the two long support arms that hold the latch that keeps it closed. This play was due to a small gap at the folding end of the clasp arm which caused the arms to move inward at an angle away from the outer prongs. Once this happened it would allow one side of the clasp latch to slip out and almost always caused the other side to release as well.
I theorized that by removing the play in the two arms by forcing them to remain parallel to the outer prongs would solve the problem. So I first needed to get the original pin out of the clasp at the fold. I unsuccessfully tried to force it with a small screwdriver only resulting in a small dent which can be seen in the first pic below. :facepalm: So next I decided to cut it out with my trusty jewelers saw which worked perfectly.[ame="http://www.amazon.com/Jewelers-Frame-Intricate-Cutting-Blades/dp/B00313Q46M/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1310077914&sr=8-1"]Amazon.com: SE 3" Professional Quality Adj. Jewelers Saw Frame & Blades: Home Improvement@@AMEPARAM@@http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/31Ptz4tnDqL.@@AMEPARAM@@31Ptz4tnDqL[/ame]
To make the spacer which would create the constant outward pressure on the arms I used a 1.4mm Band Tube from which I cut off a small piece of one end and sanded it down to a 0.6mm thick piece. Yes, you read that correctly - 0.6mm! I then replaced the pin I sawed in half with a 13mm wide 1.0 mm thick Rivet Pin from this set, slid one side on, next my new spacer and finally the other side before clamping it all together. Now with the spacer added the two outer prongs are 13.50 mm wide.
I've since worn watch while raking leaves for 30 minutes, jogging, playing with the kids and never had it pop open on me which never would have happened prior to the fix.
