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I loved watching this! It was so nice. I actually have a 1881 Seth Thomas clock too so yeah good work

Love this. Amazing work!

Worn pivot hole in that close up.

You can't tell if a pivot hole is worn, just by looking at it. Unless it's really bad. You need to reassemble the gear trains, and look for excessive pivot movement in the holes, while moving the gear train back, and forth.

Hey! That weight you bought off eBay looks like someone used it for target practice😂

Also second comment, you’re not wrong. So back in I think the 90s and early 2000s. These are what I would call a flee market clock. People used to buy them for dirt cheap not running anymore. Run the movement fully assembled under like a parts washer (at best) spray it down with some kinda general lubricant like WD. And sell them at flee-markets for $50-100 bucks. You’d then buy one. Set it forget it for a few years not knowing any better. And the movement would begin wrecking itself.

I started with a passion for clocks and watches when I was like 7, got into cars as a teen and then back into clocks and watches. My favorite cleaning solvents are, brake clean, and unleaded petro 😂 I wouldn’t use either of these on brass.. however for mainsprings it works wonders to soak it for a few in petro and then wipe it down.

Very first restore I did. I had no clue how big main springs unwind to 😂 I moved the click out of the way and had a ratchet on the arbor letting it down and it kept getting bigger and bigger 😂

Awesome video. I've never sen 4 expressed as IIII in roman numerals. I thought it was IV. I wonder why they did that?

I have one of those that my father brought to my mother in their trip to Germany 1970. Many years ago I inherited the Cuckoo . The same problem with the bellows, and doesn’t work at all. I certainly can disassemble and clean it. But not sure about the reassembly!

Very nice job here once again. One thing that I do, and this is just me, is I wait to put any tension on the springs until I oil the movement first, this way I find it's easier for the oil to get into the pivot holes all the way around the pivots without the pivots being pressed up against one side of the pivot hole with the tension of the spring on the train, plus then when you test the movement, everything is already lubed and it's not metal on metal esp. since some of the gears on the strike train spin so fast. Of course, one test isn't going to cause major wear, but still in my view it's good to have everything oiled before testing using the power of the mainsprings. What I also usually do to ensure the strike train gears and levers are in the correct relation to one another is I will maybe wind the spring two or three clicks, then manually rotate the gears slowly to make sure the function is correct and levers dip when they are supposed to (I always to make sure the lever is in the middle of the notch of the lever/hammer gear when the pin of the governor drive gear is stopped by it) so this way if it's wrong, I can then easily fix it by removing the corner nut and loosening the others to that I can lift the plate just enough to pop the pivot of the governor drive gear out. leaning just far enough away to clear the teeth from the pinions of the lever gear (as I call it), then rotate it as necessary to correct it and easily put it back in without having to worry about all of the other gears then having to be put back into their pivots. Once correct, loosely tighten the nut, give it one more manual test and if good, tighten down, then oil, then tension springs and give one final function test. Again, this is just what I do.

Interesting that around 11:35 you call it the "maintenance lever" and "maintenance cam". I have never heard that terminology before. Is that from a book? I have a few clock repair books but not nearly all of them. I think I have just seen it called the 'drop lever' and 'drop cam', but now you've inspired me to check out my books again to see what they call it. In older clocks of a different design (especially older English clocks for example), it's called a 'locking plate' and the lever is called a 'locking piece' or something like that, because in those clocks (for example some lantern clocks), the cam not only raises and lowers the entire count lever assembly, but is actually responsible for stopping the striking train! (There is no separate stop pin as here, and if there is a warning pin, it is not used for locking the train). I presume clockmakers went from using the cam as a locking device, to using a separate stop pin, because it is more positive and reliable (one can easily imagine the profile of the cam and/or the shape of the lever getting deformed with use and no longer locking positively). In the really old clocks like the lantern clocks mentioned, (and early tall clocks) and even some early tower/turret clocks, the cam isn't a separate cam mounted on the wheel or arbor, but is actually a hoop created by attaching a protruding rim of metal to the side of the wheel, with a gap or opening in the rim being the 'notch' for counting and locking. As you can imagine, that's fairly crude, but it works.

Прекрасно, что у Вас такое замечательное хобби. Респект и успехов.

Thank you for this video! I have a clock from my parent's attic that has the Adamantine case with the exact same movement. I found it there 25 years ago, but it has never run right. It appears to be in perfect original condition but it only runs for a minute before it stops. I bought a couple of books on watch and clock repair, but it seemed to be beyond my understanding. I also have a few old pocket watches that some were working, some need repair, but I like to carry one. After all jeans have a built in pocket watch pocket. With your help I am going to clean and oil my clock and put it on the mantle where it belongs. Somebody wrote Dec. 15, 04 on the wood back in pencil, barely readable now. By the way, you cut the new leather striker to the same length as mine. I am in my mid seventies and appreciate the old craftsmanship. Thanks again, you did an excellent job on the clock and this presentation. I was reading through the comments and found your information on the date code on the bottom. Mine is stenciled 6981 G (July 1896), I never looked at the bottom before. On the back panel is stenciled No 717 1/2, I have no idea what that means. The stencil looks like pale white paint applied with some kind of dauber(?). Mine also has the 3 5/8 stamped into the lower left plate. I am lucky that mine is in almost pristine condition, hopefully it will work properly again.

Isn't this the time to replace the gaskets as well ? Nice video , tnx for sharing ❤

I am a recent subscriber to your channel , Also new to the hobby ...... I think my next investment will be a micro camera of some sort ..... making use of my laptop to view as well as recording ..... Any suggestions are greatly appreciated ; )

Your videos are amazing! The amount of detail you add to the video and description helps so much! Quick question, while finding cleaning solutions I was only able to find the original simple green industrial cleaner and degreaser instead of the crystal version. Would it still be okay to use with distilled water?

Really enjoyed this one!! I got a similar Cuckoo from the Black Forest, Germany in 1960's!!

Nice job!! Enjoyed subscribing, looking forward to more restorations!!

Excellent video

Very nice to see the old clock repaired and saved. It looked and ran great. Thanks for this entertaining and educational video .

The strike gathering pallet can be removed by grasping it firmly either between your thumb and pointer finger, or with needle nose pliers with some kind of fabric so it's not medal to medal contact, then with your other hand, grab the gear and firmly rotate little by little left and right while pulling and it will work the pallet off the tapered shaft. Just do so carefully. I've not had a single issue removing them this way. As for the center one, that unf. cannot be removed without damaging the shaft or the gears on it as they are pressed in place on the shaft. So, I just slide the shaft up and down as far as I can and clean the shaft on both side of the plate while doing so until I no longer see any sign of gunk. You just need to ensure it is completely dry of any water/cleaning solution before oiling. I'm glad to see that you actually disassembled the movement to service it as that is really the only truly correct way to do it. Plus, you can then more thoroughly inspect all the components to ensure they are all in good condition.

Try frog tape for less bleed under the tape 36:01

I wonder if people would like to make a functioning video clock mechanism that works and video that follows. And with dimensions so they can make it physical at a later date. I surely would have as a kid.

Belo professor , parabéns (Brésil )

I had an identical clock. The string broke and smashed off the case bottom. That chime brings back some memories. The dial on mine was badly pained by my dad when he restored it

I am so glad I found this channel. I have several clocks to repair but need guidance. I will be watching more.

I had the same problem with the purple discoloration. I believe this is due to the simple green which has aluminum in it. When the temperature is above 40C the aluminum combines with the gold plating on the movement and turns it purple. Keeping the temperature lower will help avoid that.

As a 1964 Christmas gift my grandmother gave my granddad a Seth Thomas mantle clock like yours, although the case is quite a bit different. I don’t think it’s ran for more than 50 years. Recently my brother Mark, who is a hobbyist clock repairman, completely refurbished the movement and it’s running like a top. He shared your video with me, using it to illustrate how he repaired it, and I found it fascinating. Thanks for your video!

Thanks!

For goodness sake….work your way down to the local hardware store, cough up $15-$20 and buy yourself a set of nut drivers. You’re going to do more damage to that movement than all those years of neglect did. Also, don’t be afraid to remove the verge and crutch AND the escape wheel from the plate. Don’t worry about replacing it….you’ll get it. I’ve found that if you have questions, don’t hesitate to go to the local watch/clock repair shop and ask them. Most of the time they’ll go out of their way to answer your queries. They’ll give you valuable tips also. (P.S. Great to see someone working on these old gems….thanks for the video).

My parents had a clock just like yours. I remember them applying some "ham handed repairs" to get it working again. I don't know what happened to that clock. I lost track if it over time...

Your narration style and voice tone fit really well with your subject

I like this clock Please arrange one for me. India

Great video thank you.

The chime sounds like a door bell.

Thank you for learning about clocks and helping them to tick-tock again!♥️

Simply awesome

I love clocks, the older the better! There’s something about the tick-tock that is very enjoyable to me! Today’s clocks just don’t thrill me! I have Asperger’s Syndrome and the tick-tock south’s me greatly!

that was really great. super informative and entertaining as well :) I'm also new at this, and its an incredible help to see how others tackle problems. I have (7) clocks that I've played with. But now? I think i'd like to hunt down a cuckoo. Thank you again. I look forward to watching more of your videos.

❤ fantastic job! I’m like you, I’d rather do the wood restoration. I’ve been a mechanic most of my nearly 70 years of life. I get great satisfaction from working with wood.👍!

I love cuckoo clocks! Use finger nail polish remover will unglue your fingers.

Just an idea regarding woodworking and refinishing... This gentleman is rather good at just the things like veneer, finish matching, and all about pretty much everything to do with it. m.youtube.com/@johnsonrestoration

Brilliant you are doing this. I have a clock shop ln solvang California, you should get a catalog both for Black Forest and time savers. Black Forest sells an ultrasonic cleaning solution called Zenith, the ammoniated solution is the good one, don’t bother with the non ammonia. It cleans very well, and also brightens up the brass well. As a hobbiest, you can get away with just a clean movement. however if you get to the point of restorations for customers, it’s important the the movement looks nice too. Although you can’t see the movements in a lot of American clocks, it’s a good finish. Once you get more advanced, crystal regulators, or any other clocks with exposed movements need to be cleaner. Simple green is kind of clever, but you don’t need to do this since it’s cheap enough to get a good solvent meant for cleaning clock parts. Also with you mainsprings, those can go in the ultrasonic tank. And you don’t need to put grease on them until the movement is assembled. Once the clock is halfway wound, you hold the movement flat and drip the grease so it flows through the crevices of the slightly wound spring. This prevents oily hands from touching the pre greased mainspring and leaving marks on the clean movement, and saves time. Defect on the winding wheel is a factory defect, you see them from time to time. Sunny to see once in a while, when you work on older movements 1820s and earlier, you’ll see more casting imperfections. Cleaning them with mineral spirits after the tank is unnecessary, just rinse with warm water in the sink. No need to waste time and solvents when you don’t need to. Not to mention mineral spirits will still leave a bit of a film. For drying parts, use an air compressor to get the majority of water off the parts, then put in a drier for a few minutes. If you don’t have a dryer, oven on low for a few minutes works fine. I’m also curious why you don’t throw all the parts together? Don’t worry about over packing the tank the components will be fine. This just adds more extra time to your project when it’s unnecessary. For heavy grease removal: sometimes clocks that are super dirty I pre clean them, kinda. I use the clock rinsing solution that Black Forest sells with a tooth brush to remove heavy grease and dirt. This does two things: removes very old caked on grease that won’t come off in the tank, like your white lithium grease. Lastly, it will save your tanks solution. Heavily dirty movements will severely affect the solution, so if you can save it, do it. More beneficial to do this before ultrasonicing than after. You’re correct about the hammer, kinda. With a real clock cleaning solution the leather will get mushy and eventually dry very hard and disintegrate. Your solution probably won’t do this. I noticed something in your last video. The time train is easy on these movements because it doesn’t matter the placement. The strike train does matter very much. In your last video, the gearing was not calibrated for the hammer to be in full rest position when not chiming. It’s lmportant to adjust the gearing on the strike to do this. This clock has the hammer lifting pins and stop pins on the same gear so you got lucky. But in full rest position, and clock going into caution at five minutes before striking, the hammer should have NO contact with the gearing. Only exceptions are earlier clocks that have just a little bit of hammer contact on the gearing which can be normal, but we’re talking old old clocks. Another thing I noticed, but could have been done off camera, make sure to oil the center shaft before you put the hour wheel on! You can not do this after you assemble the places, along with the canyon pinion (spring on the center shaft that creates tension) Your oil looks great, but you are using an application style more for watches. Invest in a syringe, doesn’t look like you’re adding enough oil. Oil sinks should not be over flowers, but not empty either. Bushings are not the only components that need oil. Lifting lever for hammer should have sinthetic grease, I use “the system” Click definitely need oil as well. Oil or grease on the stop lever of the strike as well to prevent wear, along with the lifting lever on the center shaft that lifts the levers to make the chime clock every half hour. This needs oil and or grease as well. Keep it up, feel free to message me if you have ent questions. I specialize in restorations of rare antique European clocks including music boxes and automatons.

Absolutely beautifully and tenderly refurbished 👏👏👏🤩🙋‍♀️🇬🇧

I restored the case on my great great grandmother's Seth Thomas. The only thing I'd do differently now is use hide glue rather than carpenter's glue. I'm going to have to work on the worn movement before long. I didn't know you could buy bushings or broaches. As you can see, I need to do a lot more research before taking it on. Great video.

Very nice! I have a Seth Thomas 30-hour, a few years newer than yours but showing the same symptoms of wear. It's been in my family since new. Very good to see re-bushing in action; I was very nervous about screwing up the process and I feel more confident about it now. I was looking forward to seeing how you corrected the warped back panel that was pulling the nails out -- and that was the one thing you didn't show! The back on mine is very warped and I need to figure out how to flatten it. (I guess it comes from being a mantle clock for 150 years.)

Looks beautiful! And I think Thomas Johnson would approve of your veneer repair. : )

If you want to be a little more fussy you could use on a qtip a bit of lemon oil soaked in water to clean the carvings after you have cleaned the wood up around the clocks case.

If you do a clock like this you always want to make sure you a cuckoo clock oiler to oil, use twist ties to keep the chains on the sprockets and make sure before you put the motor back inside the case you give it a test run to see if the cuckoo clock is going gong strike strike, gong strike strike. If you have that pattern you definitely have the cuckoo in the right order. You also want to test your bird on the perch to make sure it's jumping when it goes cuckoo.