Clock repairs

[GB]

I have quite a modern clockwork clock that runs for a bit, and then it stops. It probably needs a clean and lubrication. I am being quoted £150+ to take it apart and do this properly.

The clock cost £200 30 years ago, and it's a nice clock, so I'd consider spending £150+, but I'm reluctant to do so if there's a DIY repair possible.

I was wondering whether I should take the works out of the case, without dismantling the works, and just give a dab of lubricant on each of the bearings? Or, is that just silly? The works are polished brass, in excellent condition, and I would not want to destroy that.

I rate my chances of taking it apart and reassembling it as roughly nil.

[Max Demian]

The existing oil may have become sticky or dirty. Too much oil leads to the oil coming out of the bearing as it is only held in by surface tension - you could end up with dry bearings. Cleaning a clock includes cleaning the plates as dirt can lead to oil creeping out.

There used to be a dodge to fix a watch by smearing paraffin on the inside of the case: this evaporates and liquefies the oil.

For a clock, it might be worth trying squirting a little switch cleaning fluid on the works to ease up the oil. I don't think it would do any harm.

[Cursitor Doom]

150 quid sounds like an absolute snip if it's done properly. I've paid 4 times that much just for a wristwatch and they need doing every couple of years. If you've had the thing 30yrs and not spent a bean on it in all that time, I'd not begrudge it one bit.

[GB]

Thanks. I saw this video, which seems to be a de minimis repair.

I'm reluctant to spray anything that might damage the finish, as it's a carriage clock with glass sides, and all the inside parts are polished brass. Would there be lacquer on them to stop them tarnishing?

[gareth evans]

The price you are being quoted will be a minimum, a starting point, £350 being a more common cost due to labour charges. It won't be apparent as to the real problem until it has been stripped down.

As an enthusiastic, but rank, amateur myself (Associate member of the BHI, but no, I won't offer to take it on) I would strongly caution against doing that.

Good competent engineers are notorious for having a go at clocks which then seem to work for a few months before stopping again, because an excess of oil just gums things up.

There can be many causes for clocks not running, try this ...

One of the strange things is that although the brass wheels are softer than the engaging steel pinions it is the pinions which wear down. Brass being soft easily picks up dust getting embedded in, and the brass then behaves like sandpaper to wear down the steel pinion!

I suggest that you'd get better advice by joining

and putting your question there.

[Joe]

It would probably be OK for a year or two, but oil always collects dust, and it will be a bit thicker and sticker than when first applied. You would probably get better results by removing at least some of the dirty oil first.

If you could get it down to just metal i.e. remove the face and anything that might be damaged, you should be able to get some of the dirt and old oil out by dripping/spraying a solvent e.g. IPA onto the pivots, and mopping up what comes out. Any dirt removed is a bonus. Then allow to dry and add new oil.

[gareth evans]

Now that you've added that it is a carriage clock, under no circumstances have a go yourself!

[N_Cook]

Perhaps an ultrasonic bath purchase, and methylated spirits (try just a frame corner first to see if the lacquer lifts/softens) then dunk one half and then the other half, then relubricate lightly.

[Fredxx]

I was going to suggest similar like IPA in ultrasonic bath and then use graphite lube to lubricate post clean. Or just use a graphite based lubricant.

However after learning the possible value of this clock, and the consequence of a pinion fail due to wear; a full dismantle and clean would best be on the cards.

My only concern would be mission creep on any repairs deemed necessary. If as GB says, he's inspected the pinions and bushes for wear then perhaps there's less chance of that.

[Brian Gaff]

I'd not think adding lubricant would only be a short term fix. I had one that only ran when it was at 45 degrees. It was in the end sold, but it had been cleaned and lubricated once and that made it more accurate and worked on the level for nearly 50 years. I can only assume that its the cleaning first that is important, and using the correct lubricant. I wonder if dunking the mechanism in a bath with an ultrasonic cleaning transducer might work. Then of course you might have a bit of a job lubricating it. I know some clockwork watches can be cleaned this way, but they tend to have jewelled bearings. Brian

[Brian Gaff]

No, indeed. I've seen newer clocks than that need to be dismantled. I have a Gerard carriage clock given to my late father when he retired from a company early, and it needed to be cleaned after only 20 years, I think often its our dry houses that causes the oil to go sticky. I have had a similar issue with the pick up arm of a Technics record deck. Had to carefully remove the sticky grease from the mechanics as it was a parallel tracking arm, being careful of the electronics and use some new sewing machine oil on it and its now working OK again. Brian

[N_Cook]

I wonder if silicone oil and silicone grease as lubricants is more stable and less liable to thickening or going sticky over time, but it will still agregate dirt over decades.

[Chris Hogg]

I have never really understood jewel bearings in watches. OK, so the jewel itself is wear-resistant (usually synthetic ruby?), but surely that just makes the tip of the spindle that's running in the bearing wear all the more rapidly, so no overall benefit. Can someone explain please?

[fred]

I had trouble finding a clock repairer. Only one appered to be available. He told me re setting the hands without letting it chime out caused the problem. Claimed to fix it. When i got it back it kept very bad time and I was unable to adjust it. A few years later I got fed up with it and found another repairer. He did an excellent job and its all fine now, He also said the question of not letting it ring out when resetting thhe hands was nonsense

[gareth evans]

The jewel is dead hard and smooth.

The pivot (correct name for the end of the spindle) will also be hard and polished (or burnished as in the case of clock pivots) so two dead hard smooth surfaces will have negligible wear as there will also be some end-to-end play in the arbour (correct name for the body of the spindle)

[GB]

Could you explain, please? Because I will damage the finish?

[GB]

I assume that there's no need to lubricate jewelled bearings? If so, that means that there's no oil to dry out. Also, oil holds grit, which wears the metal parts.

[N_Cook]

I once repaired a remontoire type escapement movement for a woman who had given up trying to find a proper horologist to repair it, cost of repair was seemingly no problem as sentimental attachement. Nothing about remontoire mechanisms in Donald de Carle books etc , but fascinating unravelling how it worked, problem was a broken gear, that I bodged up, but it worked and a bit of a repair write up for a future repairer.

[Max Demian]

|I've only glanced at the video, but it doesn't look very minimal to me. Seems to involve total dismantling and re-bushing of bearings.

I wouldn't have thought so. If the brass is still polished maybe it means it has never been touched. You could remove the movement and give the bearings a bit of a spray.

[gareth evans]

Because you don't know what you are doing.