Servicing a clock

Menas

I needed a new hobby and thought that figuring out how to service a clock would be a good one.
So the trusty 1870's French Marti and Cie 28 day striking mantel clock was plucked from the living room and moved in to the spare room.
Now, I have not done this before and really was not sure what to do. So I bought a book from amazon, an ultra sonic cleaner from aldi and some clock oil and a clock oil pen from ebay. Total outlay of about €47.
Net result is that I now have a serviced clock that is working and sounding better than before and should carry on doing so. Plus I have to say that it feels really good having done this and not needed to go to a professional.
Some pics of the process below. I suppose the reason for posting this is to encourage some of you to try it, you love timepieces so why not try to understand how they work!

1) The movement just out of its holding case with shield plate removed. The mechanism here is the striking movement, rack and snail type, which caused me the most difficulty in reassembly. It is important that if you are doing this to take lots of pictures from different angles. And write down the order you do things in. This makes reassmbly a lot easier.


2) This pic is near the end of disassembly. The two big drums are the main springs, one for the time drive and one for the striking mechanism. I did not take these apart and clean inside as I dont have this equipment.


3) Cleaning for me was a dip in meths and scrub with tooth brush and cotton buds. Then some time in the ultrasonic cleaner followed by a good dry off in the hotpress. The most visible brass bits then got a rub down with brasso.


4) The ceramics before and after cleaning with fairy liquid. I could not get the crack lines out.



5)The case is black slate that was pretty grubby. So cleaned it with detergent and then rubbed down several times over a few days with baby oil. The slate soaks up the oil and then gives a brilliant finish. This is an 'after' pic.


6) In the middle of reassembly here. Use your notes and pictures to put it all back together. Oil sparingly and only in the pivots. You need to figure out how to align the cogs to get the timing of the strikes right.



7) The unit is fully reassembled now. In this state it is best to test it to make sure you have not fecked anything up. I had got to this stage a few times and discovered it was not working and then had to step back and fix etc.


8) The final assembly is done. Time for a beer. The last step is to rate the clock, that is to set it running and then keep adjusting it over a few days until it keeps the right time.

Mitch Buchannon

Wow, great job. Fair play to you. I don't think I'd have the nerve to even try that.

peasant

Great job !

Just one minor criticism .....






...you didn't seriously call that dishwater Budweiser "beer", did you?

Wibbs

:eek: great job TH!

little tip for the cracks/hairlines in the dial. This is only for porcelain/enamel dials and make sure any writing on the dial is fired into the enamel and not painted on, cos this will remove same. Soak the dials in false teeth cleaner. Yep Polident or whatever. Works like a charm. The hairlines are still there but the tiny amount of dirt that makes em stand out will be gone and you'd want a magnifying glass to pick em out(and even then). This has given me great results with enamel watch dials.

Menas

Wibbs wrote: »

:eek: great job TH!

little tip for the cracks/hairlines in the dial. This is only for porcelain/enamel dials and make sure any writing on the dial is fired into the enamel and not painted on, cos this will remove same. Soak the dials in false teeth cleaner. Yep Polident or whatever. Works like a charm. The hairlines are still there but the tiny amount of dirt that makes em stand out will be gone and you'd want a magnifying glass to pick em out(and even then). This has given me great results with enamel watch dials.

Cheers for the tip. Will need to wait until I visit my mum so I can get some of that false teeth cleaner.

In the mean time the search begins for another clock to get to work on.

Menas

Word has got out and the family seem to be lining up clocks to 'help' me with my new hobby. Just finished this one, an American made Ansonia from 1880. It was cheaply made and a real bitch to re-assemble.

1) Before picture. Clock was not loved and had not worked in about 7 years.



2) All the bits after dis-assembly.


3) The final product. The face had been very bad and still has some cracks. The denture tablet method really helped, but still some marking.


There was no backdoor on this clock so have bought one from ebay. That should keep a lot of the dirt etc out of if over the coming years.