"The Clock Fixer"

 In for repair is a Sessions mantel clock. The clock came to me because the mainspring on the strike side gave way and the mainspring's power released damaging one wheel and a finger of the customer.  Here is it's story to recovery. The click spring was totally missing.  there was nothing pressing against the click on the click wheel to function properly.  Hence, the exploding main spring.  Collateral damage was one pivot on the 2nd wheel was bent.  That was not all that needed attention. 1)  The movement was very dirty. 2)  There were 11 pivot holes that were worn that needed rebuilding. 3)  The damaged pivot needed straightening. 4)  The mainsprings were coated with hardened oil that made accumulated on the springs.   5)  The case had some minor damage. 6)  One of the grommets on one of the keyholes were missing. Getting the clock movement out of the case was a little interesting.  The expanded spring was pushi...

In for repair is an 8-day cuckoo clock with a born date about 1970.  The clock was basically in good condition but needed a ton of TLC.  Nothing super major and very repairable.  All the pieces and parts were present. Everything that is wrong with the clock can be repaired to almost it's original condition.   Let's go over some of the issues: From an initial assessment, the case was dry, the chains were a little rusty and many links were stretched, the clock hands and nuts were brown and tarnished.  Looking a little deeper under the hood, the movement very dirty and the oil that was still present has hardened around the pivots and throughout the movement.  The bellow tops were damaged and were glued shut. Here is an image of the clock from the back door.  There is a lot going on under the hood.  It is hard to see how dirty the movement is from this image.  In these smaller cases there is a lot going on inside.    Let's take a c...

 In for repair is a Gustof Becker wall clock with and hour and 1/2-hour strike. Circa between 1902 and 1926.  The customer stated that the clock will not keep running and that it has not been serviced in quite some time. Before we talk about the clock and what needs to be done for the repair it is a good idea to talk about the history of the Gustof Becker clock company.  This information came from a general search via AI.  Gustav Becker's clockmaking journey began in 1847 when he opened a small clock shop in Freiburg, Silesia. His dedication to precision and his ability to create intricate clock repairs earned him recognition and accolades, including a gold medal at the Silesian Clock Fair in 1852. Becker's clocks were known for their exceptional quality and design, and he became a sought-after clockmaker in Europe. His company, Gustav Becker, produced a wide range of clocks, from simple wall clocks to elaborate regulators, and was known for its elegant casework and ...

  How to wind your clock:   Pull the chains to raise the pine comb weights.   The weight on the left runs the hands and the weight on the right powers the ½ hour cuckoo announcement.   The image on the right, the time train is being wound by pulling down on the chain.   On a full   wind, this clock will run for 1 day. How to put the bonnet on the clock case: Start by locating the two clips on the roof of the clock case.   The one on the right is angled.   The one on the left is pointing straight up.   Start on the right side and set the bonnet in the clip.   Then the left clip will fall right into the left clip. Locate Clips Right Clip Left Clip How to set the time:   Move only the minute hand (longer hand) clockwise until the proper time is displayed.   It is important to stop at each ½ to let the clock run through it’s cuckoos.   Do not turn the hands counterclockwise. How to speed up the clock or slow it down: ...

 

 In for repair is an E.N. Welch "Aida" parlor clock .    Before we get started, here is a little history: The E. N. Welch Manufacturing Company was established on July 6, 1864, to succeed an older private firm making clocks under the name of E. N. Welch. Elisha N. Welch had been making clocks at a factory site on East Main Street at Forestville, Conn. since taking over the bankrupt business of J. C. Brown about 1856. The company was known for its elegant rosewood cases, but in 1885, with changing furniture design trends, it began to manufacture new models with solid walnut cases and discontinued some of the earlier rosewood veneered cases.  After the death of Elisha Welch in 1887, the firm began to decline, selling off some of its assets and issuing new stock to raise capital. A new line of clocks was introduced for the year 1893, which appeared to be of much cheaper quality than their discounted line. In May of that year, the factory was closed down, and a receiver ...

The history of Zandam clocks is rooted in the Zaan region of the Netherlands, near Amsterdam.  Zandam clocks were produced between 1680 and 1730.   Reproduction of these clocks were produced by the Warmink Company in the 2nd half of the 20th century.  The most famous display of Zandam/Dutch clocks is located at The Musum of Zaanse Tijd in Zaanse Schans, Netherlands.  This museum has the largest collection of original Dutch clocks and tools.  This region is famous for clock making.  

 Adjusting the mechanism on a time and strike movement To set the alarm, rotate the set disk clockwise only . The disk will turn counter clockwise but the release lever will get bent and be out of adjustment if it is forced past the notch in the cam. There is a misconception that the numbers on the alarm disk corresponds to the numbers on the dial.   The reality is that those numbers on the dial are to tell how long to wait before the alarm is sounded. Unlike the modern alarm clocks once the alarm goes off, you cannot turn it off until the alarm spring is completely unwound.   Another anti-feature is that there is no snooze alarm. The adjustment is very simple: 1)    The disk numbers indicate how many hours will the clock run before the alarm is activated. 2)   The adjustment position is set at the 12:00 O'clock position.   3)  If the alarm is set to go off in 2 hours, set the disk position at the 12 o’clock position to 2 as seen i...

 In for repair is a FMS (Fredrich Mauthe Schwenningen) German wall clock.  This is a time & strike "Free Swinger" which means the pendulum is outside the case and not contained in wood and glass. The stamp on the backside of the movement and with a little research found the maker.  For more information about the "Guy" click this link for a brief history.  For more information about the company, this link  .   The movement was removed from the case.   The next two pictures show the condition of the back & front. Back Front It is easy to see the old dirty oil.  Movement wear cannot be observed until the mainsprings are relaxed.  Once the springs are relaxed, it is easy to see which pivot holes are worn and need rebuilding.  A video of the pivot wear can be seen by clicking the image below. (apologize for the blurry image). The video shows 5 worn pivot holes that were worn out.  There were 4 holes on the front side that a...