Clock Question

[BrianShaw]

Re: Clock Question

... A replacement mechanism that he showed me was around 1/3 the original size an so I am going with a rebuild...

Size isn't everything, as is oft said.

At least he didn't suggest that you "modernize" to a battery-operated quartz movement. That happens too often and really upsets me.

[gjbingham]

Re: Clock Question

Dmun - you nailed it. 5 hammers. German made - my ex's in-laws gave it to us as a present while he was workin near Frankfort with the US Gov.

Beautiful sound when it worked. Seems silly that it didn't have any name on the face.

I'll tinker with it perhaps. Probably won't pay to have it fixed.

My brother got the antique family clock after mom and dad passed. It's a really cool one with a dome over the top. I think you'd appreciate it. I'll see if I can get him to take a pic of it. I've never seen one like it.

[nissanneill]

Re: Clock Question

Dmun

as per usual, I had a close look inside the clock movement and checked out the hammers and mechanism used to control them. I didn't detect any attempt to allow them to strike, ie no movement at all and no bar stopping them from striking. The other hammers would strike the Westminster in the quarter hour, so if the 'silent' lever was in place, Which incidentally we never use, then these would not work also.
Anyway, it is in the hands of a person who has been maintaining it for the past 20 years and I guess I am at his mercy. I only ever give anyone one chance to screw me and it will be his last if he tries. He has put up a realistic explanation and nothing lasts forever. 30 years is fair to expect.
A replacement mechanism that he showed me was around 1/3 the original size an so I am going with a rebuild. As you said previously, good quality tools and equipment will give you better longer and more reliable service than the cheap equivalent.

[BrianShaw]

Re: Clock Question

Yep this thread is definately hijacked but hey it is in chit-cahat so it is all good

Sorry. But enquiring minds want to know!

[dmun]

Re: Clock Question

As long as you aren't starting your WFO fire with nail varnish remover...

[jengineer]

Re: Clock Question

Not sure about using nail varnish remover. You need to be quite careful because I bet that it would take off any sealer(urethane) that you had laid on it. In one house we just stained the wood and then 2x a year used carnuba wax on it.

Yep this thread is definately hijacked but hey it is in chit-cahat so it is all good

[Frances]

Re: Clock Question

... talking of which, did you know that the only way to clean large amounts of corrector fluid off a wood floor is with nail varnish remover? True.

[Ken524]

Re: Clock Question

This has got to be a record for a thread creeping off-topic. We went from clock lubrication to dental floss.

[Frances]

Re: Clock Question

Yay Ken, I know you had your head screwed on!

I think we need a poll on this...

[Ken524]

Re: Clock Question

Hey, isn't George a retired dentist? He'll know for sure.

In the meantime, I say brush THEN floss.

[Frances]

Re: Clock Question

Why? I'd say brush then floss... and then rince.

[jengineer]

Re: Clock Question

floss then brush

[BrianShaw]

Re: Clock Question

I know, I know.

If you don't mine... a dental question that I can't seem to get anyone to take seriously: does it really matter wheter one brushes and flosses, or flosses then brushes?

Also, if you don't mind a fellow clockmeister butting in... the answer to your question is "maybe." If you want to find out if it can resume normal operation as a chiming clock, an experienced clockmeister can do that for you. As Dmun states, there are limitations based on the quality and parts availability for some of the movements in those clocks. Sometimes they can; sometimes they can't. In some situations it is cheaper, easier, and a better long-term solution to replace the movement altogether with a new movement.

[dmun]

Re: Clock Question

Lets see. Modern German chiming clocks have five (or nine) hammers. The strike is controlled by a lever that lifts three of them to play a chord at the hour. It could be that this lever isn't dropping down all the way. It could also be a lever that controls strike/silent is out of whack: Strike silent mechanisms are notoriously wonky, and have been since the 18th century. Sometimes you see a clock where there's something wrong with the strike, and it's stopped in the hammer up position, but the clock carries on chiming on the remaining hammers.

When these modern German clocks as sold, you get a bunch of guff about "heirlooms of the future", but in truth, no matter how fine a piece of furniture they are housed in, they are made like toaster ovens, and after about fifteen years of service, they are, well, toast. They are not amenable to the kind of restorations you can do on a clock made before the first world war, mostly because of metallurgical shortcuts.

[nissanneill]

Re: Clock Question

Surprise surprise,
I've got one of those grandfather clocks as well. I inherited it from my father. (Actually, it is a lovelly piece of quality furniture but my sister literally could not fit it in her house and it was not brother style). It would chime on the 1/4 hr but not strike the actual hour for around 2 years until it decided to stop completely.
It should be ready to be picked up from the specialist repairer after a complete rebuild. It is around 30 years of age, has a rather large German movement and cannot be replaced except by a cheap small throw away when faulty mechanism. I am expecting around Au$4-500 all up but I guess that it is worth it..

Neil