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Can anyone give me some guidance (or point me toward a resource) for reshaping or filing-down hollow end links?
I bought a 19mm aftermarket bracelet in hopes that it would fit a somewhat rare vintage Seiko I recently picked up. The bracelet looks great but the end links are too long and don't match up with the spring bar holes, so I can't attach it to the watch head. I'm thinking of using a Dremel to file off some of the excess stainless steel, but would rather get some guidance on this before jumping on in.
All help is appreciated!
For context, here is a pic: The one on the left is the right size (original to the watch). The one on the right came with my new bracelet.
I'd think you'd be less likely to botch it by finding a grinding wheel of the same radius as the original endlink. The other fun part will be keeping a firm grip on the endlink so it doesn't wobble or shoot across the room while grinding, without smooshing it in the process.
MAAHHH THE FRENCH! wrote:I'd think you'd be less likely to botch it by finding a grinding wheel of the same radius as the original endlink. The other fun part will be keeping a firm grip on the endlink so it doesn't wobble or shoot across the room while grinding, without smooshing it in the process.
Thanks for the reply. Here’s what I decided to try... I wrapped a strip of sandpaper around a hard plastic shampoo cap that matched the watch case diameter. I’m holding the end links with gloved hands and being pretty methodical. It’s slow going but I think it just might work. I was only able to spend about 15 minutes on this last night so will have to keep plugging along this week. As you predicted, finding a better way to hold the end links would go a long way, so I might try and rig something up.
I was originally gonna say griplocks or bench vise padded with leather or plastic to avoid scratching, I was just concerned a tight enough grip would crush it.
MAAHHH THE FRENCH! wrote:I'd think you'd be less likely to botch it by finding a grinding wheel of the same radius as the original endlink. The other fun part will be keeping a firm grip on the endlink so it doesn't wobble or shoot across the room while grinding, without smooshing it in the process.
Thanks for the reply. Here’s what I decided to try... I wrapped a strip of sandpaper around a hard plastic shampoo cap that matched the watch case diameter. I’m holding the end links with gloved hands and being pretty methodical. It’s slow going but I think it just might work. I was only able to spend about 15 minutes on this last night so will have to keep plugging along this week. As you predicted, finding a better way to hold the end links would go a long way, so I might try and rig something up.
I love the ingenuity using the shampoo cap!! This is probably your best bet. Just take it slow and steady and keep test fitting as you go. A dremel can remove a lot of material quickly, so probably not the best bet for something like this.
Very interested to see how this goes, since I have about 5 sets of endlinks that could benefit from this.
Update! I wound up taking a different approach that worked pretty well. I went to Home Depot and bought an 18” length of a 1.5” round wooden rod (dow?) and the just wrapped a half sheet of 60 grit around it. I held that in place with my left hand and then used my (gloved) right hand to work the end link up and down until I shaved off enough to fit the watch head. Here’s a pic of my rig and the end result!
