Smaller Balance Staff

While waiting for the rest of the class to finish their balance models I have been trying to make a balance staff for one of my instructor's hairspring vibrating tools.  It is roughly half the size of the staff I made for the model and therefore more of a challenge to make. 

Turning the staff out on the lathe isn't that difficult because of the special carbide cutters I ordered and I am able to pretty reliably turn the balance pivot down to around 0.13mm without it breaking every time.   After getting to this dimension I burnish down to the final diameter with the Jacot  tool (on this staff the pivot diameter is 0.11mm)

All that remains for this project is to cut out the old bent staff then rivet this one in.  It has been a fun challenge and I am looking forward to turning out more in the future.

 The staff being turned on the lathe

 A penny for scale

 Another shot of the staff