I did clean my grandfather movement 2 + years ago after watching your video just using brake cleaner, oiled and set on the case. Yestesday I did service it just by oiling it a lot to flush dirt. After I just wiped and oiled it normally. It runs like a cham. Thank you Todd your videos are very educational and thorough.
Using break cleaner is absolutely horrible for clocks, it will get trapped just hidden places you wouldn’t be able to manage, it’s almost impossible if not impossible to get everything out of the pivot holes without taking it apart and pegging the holes with wood afterwards so the new oil and old oil will mix and accelerate wear.
Thank you! Bought a “frozen” grandmother clock at goodwill . TH-cam videos like yours gave me the motivation to rechain and clean/oil it. And now it works!!
I know this is an old post but the information presented here was, for me, "timely". Just want to say that I concur with the use of brake cleaner. Other people online have dunked their mechanisms in gasoline of all things, with no ill effects, but brake cleaner is less toxic for your hands, lungs and the environment. Also, your MacGivered ultrasonic cleaner is an interesting idea, I salute your ingenuity, but I don't think it reaches the optimum frequency of 40 kHz. Online sources say that frequencies much above or below that level don't clean as well because the tiny bubbles generated are not as effective at knocking out the dirt from the corners and recesses of the parts you are cleaning. As always, YMMV.
I have read about using a 50/50 rinse of xylene and mineral spirits sometime after the soak/wash. Is that necessary? Is it before the water, or instead of the water? I wondering about the fumes and heat source.
Todd, what are your thoughts on soaking the entire mechanism in a tub of petrol as part of the cleaning process? And using 0W-30 synthetic engine oil, or even shaver oil?
Thank you for making these video's. I know it takes a lot of time to make one, yours are very good. I just inherited a large "Sligh" movement grandfather clock. Made in USA around 1987. The gongs would start but not finish (had to push on a gear to get them going again). They were also out of sync. with the hour hand but I figured out how to fix that. The clock's weights were high but the "time" mechanism wouldn't run long. So, I lightly sprayed the whole movement with a little WD-40 and that got the chimes to work perfectly. I noticed a wobble in the pendulum and after studying it (I'm a plumbing contractor) I realized the suspension spring was broken on one of the 2 sides. Went to order a new one by calling the clock store that sold it. When I mentioned WD-40 he literally said (in a nutshell) "Well, you may as well throw the whole thing away and buy a new clock". I've since watched a couple vids that showed someone using WD-40 and said it worked great....he admitted he shouldn't have, prolly should have used something else, but it worked for him. I'm headed to buy some brake cleaning fluid...it's just what i was hoping to use...a spray. The clock has prolly never been serviced (my folks were busy people and half the time it wasn't running) so there's very little visual build up.
I have an old 1930's ( I think ) waterbury ( I think ) mantle clock that I took the clock out of and did the clock solution cleaning. I put my palm sander ( with no sandpaprer ) on the side of the tub to make it vibrate and it work really well but after about 5 minutes of this both springs broke. Do you happen to know where I can get replacement springs?
timesavers.com/ But if you have a spring drive you'll need to be safe as taking one apart is dangerous and difficult without the correct tools. However such tools are also sold on this website I think.
If I spray an intact mechanism with brake cleaner, do I need to follow that with any other solution or will evaporation be enough? How do you lubricate the main springs in barrels after cleaning them in brake cleaner without opening them up (which involves disassembly that I'd like to avoid)?
You would have to disassemble the spring in order to clean it really well and re-grease it. And that’s not something I would try and do without the correct tools and experience.
Great Job. Thank you very much for sharing! ..I have several chess clocks I want to clean and oil, can you please suggest 1/ Tools I would need to take them apart and where to find them and 2/ if this technique would work just as good since they are much smaller in size. Thank you !!!
Most cleaning and oiling will be very close to the same work. However, you might have a main spring or two that you wind up in such a clock and you have to be super careful with such springs. They sell main spring clamps that fit open springs. I'm not an expert on all these types of locks but if you look in the show notes or go to my page you will fine more links and my email is in my "about me" page. I'll help if I can. www.toddfun.com/2016/06/01/how-to-clean-a-grandfather-clock-part-2b-of-4/
Thanks. I try my best to be helpful but I only do these things for fun which is why I call my DIY channel ToddFun.com Thanks for all your comments and input on my clock videos, I'm sure your knowledge will help many people that visit.
Firstly, your series of videos, capturing the wonderful work you did as a newbie clock owner, should be the "gold standard" for making instructional videos. No shaky cam, no wind pops, no nervous off topic remarks, no screaming kids or barking dogs in the background. You obviously thought about the "lesson plan" and narrative and prepared for each session. Thank you. Question: if opting for the non-breakdown cleaning option, why not use the brake cleaner in lieu of the ammonia mix? It may start to attack any lacquer coating (do these german grandfather movements all have the coating?), but you wouldn't have to worry about the drying phase needed with water-based chemicals.... Just a thought. I have a 70's Colonial Mfg grandfather that we bought at auction, so I don't know the service history, but it has been keeping good time and sounds great since we "commissioned" it in our home, i.e. everything is working. I am worried, though, that it may suffer from the de-plating issue which was characteristic of this era movement, whereby the chrome plating applied to bushings or gear shafts (or both?) starts to peel off and deposit in the bushing. It appears, from reading clock forums, that this condition renders the movement essentially unrepairable. Fingers crossed it is not one of the afflicted.
Richard Marshall if I had a do over I would have only used brake cleaning if breaking down or not. If the lacked was on then just more break cleaner. I never heard about the chrome issue but I would run the clock until it didn't work but I would clean and oil it. If it ever gets damaged then a bushing job should fix I'm thinking. The new bushings are hardened and as long as the pivots are burnished a little it should run for another 40 years with oiling. Or just order a new main mechanism. Thanks for the kink comments.
I have an urgos movement and the main shaft is slightly stripped where the minute hand slides onto the shaft. AKA where the shaft is supposed to be square for the minute hand it is more of a rounded square. Where can i go to find a replacement?
If it is just the hole in the minute hand you can get a new minute hand here: timesavers.com/ If it is the shaft you'll have to have a local horologist service the clock and most likely make a new shaft. You could order a whole new movement if the unit is already 20 or 30 years old it's a good investment as these movements ware out anyway. www.blackforestimports.com/
@@ToddFun Is the wheel here the center one that I'm looking to replace? timesavers.com/i-24050591-urgos-center-wheel.html I imagine purchasing the replacement movement is the way to go, but I like to tinker and would still like to give fixing it a chance....Side note your videos are awesome! Thanks a lot for making those!
@@ToddFun you mention using brake cleaner in one of your videos. Would you recommend that? I don't think I would want to use an ammonia based cleaner and I also wouldn't want to remove the clear coat if there is one.
@@dominicscardino2304 Either will clean a dirty clock. Break clear the best in my experiences. However break cleaner will remove the clear coat if there is one and most newer clocks do have clear coats. I can't see my movement so it doesn't have to be a shinny, it just needs to be clean and oiled. Ammonia will remove clear coat to after too long of a soak and it doesn't really clean the clock unless you use it hot and with an ultrasonic cleaner tub. Pros will fully remove the clear coat, fix with bushings, buff and re-clear coat. The clear coat is just for looks and if you can't see your movement it really makes no sense to have the clear coat imho.
Hi Todd, my new Tubular-Bell Grandfather Clock Kit GFKIT4 chimes between quarters (2; 5; 8; 11), and not on quarters (12; 3; 6; 9). How can I adjust it Thanks
Very good video young man. I bought an old grandfather clock on Craigs List and was wondering how to clean and repair this old clock . The makers mark is Willcock 1896, is this a clock that will run again? Can this be resleved if need be? Even the weights are rather crude brass sleeves with cement like stuff in them. One of the most beautiful cabinets at 7' tall I have ever seen and I haven't seen alot of these type clocks. I'll be watching your vids for referance. Thank you for making the videos on clock cleaning and repair.
Most movements can be repaired. Older clocks don't really need re-bushing as frequently as newer clocks as the brass before WWII was so darn thick it just wouldn't wear out even if they ran dry. But it should get a good cleaning and if any of the pivots are ovalled out too much (more than 1/2 the arbor pin diameter) then those pivots holes will need to be bushed. With such an old clock I would never try to do the cleaning or repair myself as such an old clock is not replaceable. With my modern ~70's clock I know if I goofed it up I could always buy a new-old stock movement by just paying the same cost of a commercial repair shop cleaning/repair fee. So for me there was no downside to trying it myself because if I couldn't do it then my fate was the same, buy new. Your clock on the other hand is just not replaceable and should be cleaned and serviced by a professional horologist. I would use these people if you are in my area but there are others throughout the world. Good Luck! www.arizonaclockco.com/contact.html
Good evening. I have an old mantle clock made by Schnekenburger. The two springs are each in its own brass case with the outer gear as an integral part of the casing. I don't eant to dip clean this as I am worried it might rust! How should I go about cleaning the springs? Or not! Thank you for your informative videos!
Hi Thanks for the video! Not sure if you would know this, but I have a Howard Miller Worthington mantel clock, movement #340-020 Letter D is the Date code. This clock chimes the westminster chime only and does not have a chime shut off option. Can you please tell me if I can use the bracket that secures the chime rods as a chime shut off at night? I do not want to cause any stress on the chime mechanism. Or is it best just to let the chime springs run down if i do not wish to hear the chimes? Thanks
Todd, I've enjoyed watching this and I am reviewing these segments over and over because I am in the midst of a similar grandfather clock project myself. About the ultrasonic ammonia based cleaner that you mentioned attacked the lacquer on the brass plates. Did you dilute the solution? I have yet to use it on my mantel clocks because I cleaned them much like you did with some spray, wood pegs, Q-tips, etc. But I had thought about trying the clock supply cleaners, but after seeing your experience, I am on the fence.
i did dilute per the instructions and it does strip the lacquer. So does brake cleaner and other harsh cleaners. Maybe just hot soapy water. Dawn dish soap maybe the best option.
This is a chain drive so there is no main clock spring. If you have a wind up clock then I would take it to a clock repair service because you need special tools to safely unwind, clean and re-wind a clock spring if it's dirty.
Saw a video and have read about "oil siphoning". Once cleaned, as you oil a pivot point you have to use the minimal possible so it does not drip out and down the brass plate. If so, it 'siphones' away remaining oil and leaves the bearing dry. I believe it!
i dont mean to be so offtopic but does anybody know a tool to get back into an Instagram account? I was dumb forgot my login password. I would love any help you can give me
@Denver Elisha I really appreciate your reply. I found the site thru google and I'm waiting for the hacking stuff now. I see it takes a while so I will reply here later with my results.
This UTube Todd Harrison video was very helpful .He detail all key principles of wall clocks maintenance . I successfully have completed cleaning and oiling my son’s wall clock.Thank you so much !!
Never wd-40 on a clock ever! That stuff will be the end of the clock. You can take mechanism out of the clock then try to really spray it down clean with automotive break cleaner. Use 2 cans with with the attached nozzle straw. Do this spraying outside and not near any sparks or flames! Then blow the mechanism dry with an air compressor or computer air duster can. Then oil the wells and grease the metal contact parts where needed or where you can. See my video: How to Assemble, Oil and Grease a Grandfather Clock part 3 of 4 link: th-cam.com/video/_ObRnjNzHK0/w-d-xo.html I haven't posted part 4 yet but that will only be on Clock setup.
+Todd Harrison (ToddFun) thank you. I'm buying professional cleaner an Liberty oil an doing it correctly. Clock has been in my family for decades an I want it right for my daughter when my ticker stops.
If this item is really an important heirloom and money isn't the issue I can put you in touch with a professional Horologist. However, as long as you don't lose or damage any parts and don't try to repair any bushings yourself you really can't do too much other harm trying to cleanup and repair yourself. You need to evaluate if you do have any bad bushings because if you do your clock will not run for long even if it is cleaned and oiled. See my older video on how to examine the bushing: th-cam.com/video/4U-ROHWuTaM/w-d-xo.html
Any is fine but it will also take off any clear lacquer you might have on the brass so don't use break cleaner unless you can really take it apart and buff it out if it has clear lacquer, otherwise the melted lacquer will make a gross mess.
@@ToddFun Thanks very much for the reply. I loved the video. Our Grandfather clock has not run for about 10 years. It stops shortly after winding and reset. The clock is about 45 years old. After watching your video I'm ready to get it working again.
Pretty nice job in my opinion Todd. I agree that ammonia based clock cleaners should only be used on un-coated brass, or you should be prepared to strip and refinish the brass as you did. Re-lacquering plates can get tricky. A couple of coats of good quality auto wax can serve as a shorter term substitute for lacquer. Just so long as the mechanism is clean though, the appearance of the brass is not that important. "Industrial strength" degreasers (like some of the "Zepp" products found in the Box Stores) does a good job and are generally less hazardous to work with. They are also less likely to strip the lacquer although if you leave the movement in the bath long enough they may begin to attack the lacquer too. One should also be careful of inducing rust by leaving movements in any aqueous solutions too long especially if you're not going to disassemble it. An old, worn out aquarium air pump motor can be used as an agitator as well. Regards
How about engine cleaning spray or starting fluid spray? Then blow it dry with your air compressor and use miracle air tool oil, or the watch oil I use on my 23 jewel Waltham gold pocket watches?
That should work fine too. It will remove any clear lacquer that keeps the brass plates shinny so you will have that problem. That is way professionals use an warm ammonia with water cleaning solution and an ultrasonic cleaner bath. It will clean all the parts and plates without removing the clear lacquer. Only important if you can see the mechanism or if you like to see a super shinny mechanism, it doesn't affect the functionality of the clock either way.
Soaking the entire movement in Mineral Spirits for a couple hours is very effective for dissolving the dried oil in the pivots/bushings. Then rinse the movement with hot tap water.
Hi Todd I saw some videos on TH-cam of you repairing clocks. Just wondering do you repair clocks for hire? I have one of the old clocks that run on barometric pressure. Can you help? I think it is LE coultre clock
I had a friend who was a Clock Maker and he recommended soaking the mechanism in regular Paint Thinner. Mineral Spirits won't remover the Lacquer clear coat and is a great de-greaser that penetrates into every pivot point because it is such a thin liquid. I am not sure how others feel about this but I have used it on two Howard Miller clocks and a Sligh Wall Clock for years and never had a problem. Besides Ammonia does react with brass and will cause the metal to tarnish. Only thing about Paint Thinner is it is flammable so know what you are doing before you use it.
I just bought an ultrasonic cleaner and I wonder if I could just dip the assembled mechanism in thinners and give it a go with the US cleaner. Here it's next to impossible to get cleaning solution.
I'm not sure, maybe somebody well read your comment that knows if this is ok. I know brake cleaner works great! I think the cleaner is just a diluted ammonia solution with a little dish soap from what I can tell. If you get it hot such a mix might work. You could try it on some dirty brass pipe to see how things work.
I'm sure if you are blasting the brake cleaner into all the pivots with the straw it will get the joins so clean that an oiling would be all you need. Just a drop of clock oil on each pivot well. Some day you might build up to wanting to take on apart. If it has wind up springs they need some spring grease and if you take such a spring clock apart you have to use spring clamps so the springs don't hurt. Remember to be safe with such clocks that have spring drives.
Thank you Todd for confirming that brake cleaner blasting does the job I know that eventually I'll have to take it apart to clean the springs. I'll see where I can buy clamps and a wider.
Thanks for your great videos. I have two early 18th century clocks that could use a good cleaning. Is the makeup of the early brass different from modern brass, and if so might it react differently to different chemical cleaners? Thanks
I find the newer (>1970) many time have a clear lacquer and if it is still in place then just wipe down the brass with a mild cleaner. If the lacquer is itself damaged or degraded you need to soak in ammonia solution like I did until all the lacquer comes off but then you have a lot of rinsing and brass cleanup do do like I did. Older clocks have thicker brass plates and need the full treatment if you want them to look bright and shinny again. Really clean, bright and shinny is not imports. Meaning, you can just clean with brake cleaner real well and then scrape out all the pivot holes with some orange wood sticks. It will not be a shining but if you can't see the clockworks then that isn't important anyway.
I know it's 11 months since you asked this question but it's an important one. As you probably have been made aware, yes there is a change in the way that brass plates were manufactured that make early brass much more reactive to ammonia than modern brass. I read that it's mid 1800's but there's no definitive cut-off. One author said that he would not risk a mid 1800's London clock to an ammonia cleaning. It's not just the color either. The ammonia reacts with the brass and breaks out the grain structure. This means that teeth of train wheels can get weakened and break off, etc.
No. They need to be unrolled, wipped and inspected. You will have to get this down by a horologist that has the correct tools because it is very dangerous. There are some youtube videos out there that show how to do this job with the right unwinding tools and you can get the tools from eBay or www.timesavers.com Some videos show how to make the tools but I don't think that is too pratical. There are many different types of main spring winding schemes so to know how to do each one would take a lot of youtube video hunting. Here is a book on "end-loop" type which just one type.: timesavers.com/i-12520970-a-useful-tool-for-winding-unwinding-loop-end-mainsprings-by-robert-porter.html Here is the page of all the tools timesavers sells for main spring work: timesavers.com/c-325976-tools-equipment-related-supplies-clockmakers-watchmakers-specialty-tools-equipment-mainspring-winders.html
Have you considered using an aquarium pump to agitate the water in your clock bath you can attach a small hose to it and actually directed just like you would a parts cleaner in a mechanics shop but since it's not flammable you can use an aquarium pump which can be had for about $10
Great video, you used a good camera, no jerky movements, good lighting, and the camera captured the sound of your voice just right. I have an Emperor 85 kit clock that never worked right when it was new and should have been sent back to the factory.
I use an ultrasonic cleaner to clean completely disassembled movements. Even after using the ultrasonic cleaner, I still scrub parts and peg the bushings to ensure all dirt, grit, and grim has been removed. There are cleaning solutions available that aren't harsh on the brass like ammonia. I prefer a non-ammonia cleaning solution--ammonia smells awful!
True, automotive break cleaner worked the best for me. I don't think I would ever use ammonia based anymore and I did totally tear down the clock and cleaned everything to break cleaner was the best at that point anyway.
Not something you should try. They need to be carefully "C" clamped, removed from clock, fully unwound into a long metal strip using special unwinding tools so you don't get hurt by an exploding spring, you need to clean the unwound spring steel and then apply clock "mainspring" grease, then using the same tools to wind and insert spring in clock before removing safety "C" clamp around clock spring. There are videos on how to do this but the tools are expensive and home made tools ideas are sketchy. Best to take it to a horologist if it needs cleaning and greasing. If the clock isn't worth much as most windup clocks after 1970's are not then just do your best to push in some "mainspring" grease into the spring before a weekly winding using Mainspring Grease Bellows amzn.to/2VDBjwS, repeat as needed and hope for the best.
Todd, Thabk you for the video. If I have used WD-40 on my Hermle movement can I save it by using brake cleaner thoroughly to remove the WD-40 and then oil or should I buy a new movement? Thanks!
You can clean it with break cleaner. If it is a wind up I don't recommend cleaning the springs or attempting any service yourself. Do the cleaning outside, gloves and eye protection of course. Try well with compressed air, then oil. Take it apart for best cleaning and oiling. If you find bad pivots you should replace or have it serviced by a horologist.
Thanks for the advice! I bought a new barrel spring for this clock a few years ago and installed it myself. It wasn’t that difficult but I certainly appreciate your warning as they can be literally deadly. Thank you for the reply and, again, thank you for posting the videos. I am very appreciative and have learned exactly what I was hoping.
If you have the lid for your cleaning pan, sitting a palm sander (sandpaper removed) on it does a fairly decent job when you don't have an ultrasonic cleaner. I've used this method with small engine carbs and such. For a mantle clock I picked up, which has a smaller movement than yours, I'm gonna borrow my wife's ultrasonic jewelry cleaner. Thanks for the videos.
Incredible video - well organized - cogent - articulate - good videography - all told EFFECTIVE. THANK YOU ! Totally agree about NOT using the ammonia stuff -- I've ruined an expensive firearm using a "recommended" ammonia-based copper fouling remover. BIG mistake.
you should take it apart use the clock cleaner with a toothbrush pyth wood to clean the pivots and a tooth pick to clean the holes there is no use for the brass cleaner you don't need shinny plates to have a clean clock
I neeeeed it! HA. I like things to look real nice. It is a hobby activity for me so it's all about enjoying myself and doing the best job possible. Thanks for stopping by.
I feel the same way about doing the best job; such gratification. It got my mom in trouble when she removed the patina from a very old family heirloom trunk. See my comment about the danger of using Brasso.
Good information. I suggest avoiding (do not use) the use of Brasso for the following reasons. 1) Polishing the plates by removing oxides (Brassi) is only cosmetic and serves only to impress a customer that paid big bucks for a cleaning. 2) Most important is the likely possibility a residual remaining in the pivot hole which will accelerate the ware.
I was quite worried about (2) myself because I foreseen that issue. I used copious amounts of break cleaner to spray out the pivots as well as cleaned them again with cotton sticks and isopropyl alcohol. If I had to do this again I wouldn't use the ammonium cleaner and then wouldn't care about the trying to recover the surface. Lesson learned. :)
Yes, can be done like this but its like trying to wash your feet with your socks on! Its not really possible to thoroughly clean the pivots/pivot holes without taking it apart. In fact its much quicker to separate the plates and clean the components/pivot holes. It takes me about 90 minutes to separate the plates, clean components, reassemble and re time the mechanisms. Obviously longer if it needs re bushing. Each to their own though :) Some folks use petroleum to immerse the movements in lol Sooner them than me!!!! Good videos!
Wish I know that before I did this as the lacquer would have been better to leave in place and just clean the pivot holes. Turned into a lot more work for me because I did have to brass bravo it to get the shine back the the lacquer was protecting.
Thank you Todd for sharing your knowledge and experience. You have been a great "school" for me. If it helps for your stats, I have used the brake cleaner and it works great, under the principle of KIS. By the way I am one of the ones who waited and waited and I am still celebrating the victory: Go Cubs!
I think you went overboard with the cleaning sequences. Just use one cleaning product of choice and this will do the job fine. If the brass is laquered just wipe with a mild cleaning product and leave alone. If not laquered or stripped by cleaning, the brass is soon going to oxidize and darken again so polishing will do no good uless you plan to take the mechanism apart and repolish every 2 months or so.
You are an extremely impressive guy. The video was great and the advice was good. I read one comment you made about cleaning springs. Your response was to let an expert Horologist do that because of the possible exposure to dangerously wound springs. I respect a man that knows his limits and knows when its best not to proceed beyond that point. True honesty is the foundation of respect.
Ha, so... currently my clock is sitting in the sink soaking. I was looking at the grease earlier and thought about brake cleaner but decided I'd better just stick with hot soapy water. I suppose my idea wasn't that bad!
No, not too bad. just make sure you dry it real good. In my video I show using an air compressor to get most of the water off then a hair driver for 10 minutes to make sure no water was left behind.
Well, I put the clock back together after cleaning it and now the top gear that is driven by the pendulum arbitrarily sticks. I think all that gunk must have kept the clock in somewhat alignment. Not sure what my next step is...
If any of the pivots have wear the clock will stop. I know when I reassembled my clock I had over tightened the transverse gear that would drive the quarter hour drive which did stop my clock too, but if you don't have gongs (chime tubes) you will not have such a transverse gear to get wrong, however you might have something tightened up wrong someplace. I found my problem by using my finger to load the gears and feel for which gear seemed closed to the hangup. Maybe you have a little play in the escapement or verge that can be tweeked to free up the movement. Lookup my email at ToddFun and send good photos might help me see what possible problems. Real close focused photos would be needed.
@@whatmemories3728 agree. This is no way to teach people to do so. There are so much wrong with this “tutorial” I don’t wanna start. I just feel bad for people who would follow.
Thanks for the great effort you put into your videos. I've watched a lot of bad videos until I finally found yours and I must say I don't care what those so-called-experts say about your videos, I appreciate them. I like the fact that you are not afraid to admit that the ammonia based cleaner was a little harsh on the clear coat and that if you had to do it again you would just stick with the brake cleaner. I recently bought a grandfather clock at a rummage sale that didn't run and took it to a well known clock shop where he wanted to charge me $550 just to clean and oil my clock. (I think my wallet was also getting a thorough cleaning.)That being said, the only reason I can think of that the professional would take umbrage with your video is that the guy that has been over charging and robbing the general public for many years, may have to re-think how he does business. I would like to hear more about burnishing new sleeves.
Thanks for the kind comments. I'm going to be doing the re-bushing job on my clock sometime this year. Most likely in the fall. Mind you I will be doing it without the professional quality tools but I have a plan that should work for only doing one clock for under $100 but w'll see how it turns out. As for the fees horologist charge for cleaning and oiling it is a real number and is worth the fees if you can't do it yourself and the clock is worth the work. Most times you can get a new movement for the same price so it really doesn't make sense to have an old clock cleaned and oiled but for clocks that can't be replaced this is a great option. A horologist will do an amazing job normally and they normally don't leave any work undone so yes it would be fair to pay $550 for a full cleaning, repairs, re-bushing, oiling and setup. It can be many many hours of work. Good luck with your clock!
Thanks for putting this together and safely experimenting on your own precious heirloom so we can see the result. While not "traditional," the only liberty you've taken is in applying a applying scientific method to a subject otherwise steeped in tradition and folklore. Precision parts are precision parts, brass is brass, steel is steel - and there are plenty of new engineering tools standing between the invention of the clock and this day. This is the "American Ingenuity" everyone so misses about America. As I watched you rig up your ultrasonic bath and start squirting the turkey baster I was applying my own hack brain and thought... "A WATERPIK!!! TODD HOOK UP A WATERPIK!" Having grown up in a household where the whole family used a Waterpik daily I can tell you if you want to to get plaque out from in between your "teeth" there are few devices more effective on the caked on stuff yet more gentle on the hard stuff that should stay behind. I'm sure you'll NEVER want to go through this exercise again, but I thought it something you might want to put in your shop arsenal. Cheers and keep trying new things!
That is a very good idea. Interesting you mention it here as it might help somebody. I see these picks at Goodwill and other Donation Location Stores so I could have got one I'm sure. If I ever do another one for myself I will fully disassemble and us break cleaner. It is fast, cheap and leaves nothing to clean up. I would still use wood picks and cleaner in the pivots however. Thanks for stopping by.
The brake cleaner looks very effective, in fact that might constitute my entire plan if I need one. What brought me to your site was a little prepping ahead. Next week I am going to pick up a handed down, 35 year old Emporer grandfather clock with an Urgos UW66027 movement. A little quick research tells me this movement was discontinued, deemed prone to excessive wear if not oiled regularly. The only replacement requires a chain-to-cable conversion and requires drilling the face... ugh. So that's out. My inlaws surely never oiled it, but then they never ran it regularly either because they said they didn't like having a chime in the house. (I don't think they knew it had a Silent setting). In fact I've never seen it running for as long as I've known them. That along with the fact they are non smokers and fastidious due to dust allergies may be a saving grace for this beautiful clock. I ran it for about 2 hours after they told me I could have it and it ran fine during that time, but then I shut it down til I could get some oil ordered. I'm not sure what I'm going to get, but the works look clean from the photos I was able to quickly take inside.
Sounds like it should be clean. I used the following oil and grease in my videos: astore.amazon.com/tod0f5-20/detail/B00CVZS7NY astore.amazon.com/tod0f5-20/detail/B0047BFLVG
Hi, Your clock is relatively modern and fairly clean. Older mechanisms would generally be a lot dirtier and possibly well worn as well. Stripping completely is the only way to go as it allows you to address the worn bushings at the same time as giving it a good clean. Keep up the good work of producing videos. It is great way to share your experiences and allows others learn. Jt. See you at theclockworks.biz
I agree with your assessment 100%. I did the tear down, cleaning and oiling but didn't do the pivot repair as I wanted to finish the video series and make the DIY pivot repair later just in case I fail and have to order up anew movement. I'm currently editing the last of the video series and will upload shortly. Thanks for stopping by all the way from Northern Ireland!
Todd: whats with all the " PROFESSIONALS" po-poing your videos. I looked at other TH-cam videos and yours were by far better then the rest. For the "PROFESSIONALS" out there, it takes a VERY VERY low class person to make such rude comments to someone like y'all have. If you feel so insecure about your business or the profession that you have chosen in life (which you obviously do or you wouldn't be on here looking and commuting like you are about Engineer or something) If you have the talent to do this job , and you "THINK" you can do a better job then he, (That includes posting your mistakes for everyone to see, and oh yes comment on) then buy yourself a camera, make yourself a video, and lets see it!!! Im sure Todd would be happy to give you some pointers on how to shoot, edit and post them so they will be at least watchable. I'll be waiting . Sorry to all for having to listen to my rant.
I happen too have a large ultrasonic cleaner, however you can also use an automatic dishwasher with the clock movement on the top shelf. When the wash and rinse cycles are complete, stop the machine and remove the movement and blow dry. Also for really caked movements, spray carburetor cleaner will cut old built up oil and grease. If this were a few years back, Varsol would have been my solvent of choice. Odor-less mineral spirits comes close to Varsol. Now Krud Kutter is finding a a place in my shop since the environmental police are everywhere.
First of all, you need to use real ultrasonic cleaner to dissolve old oil not try to brush it off. If you use the proper cleaner you will not need to use any toothpicks or brushes of any kind. If you get left over residue, then you haven't done a good job of it. Pivots need to be polished as well if there was visible ware. What you have done, I do not expect to work for more than 6 months to a year if the grandfather is no older than 10 years.
A sonic cleaner would be more then a new mechanize for me. I will polish the pivots if needed next time, I have research how I can do that task for cheap. I have 2 really bad pivot holes in the simple brass plate. I have plans to put in new hard bushings from Time Savers. I don't think you'll be too pleased with my bushing methods ;). I have been able to get these tasks done without all expensive tools which is the point of my approach. That is, to be able to get crap clocks fixed and working with minimal tools. Many people have old clocks that need work but they can't justify the service fees for a professional with all the tools and skills for a clock they would otherwise put in the trash. I do advise people not to try this themselves if the clock is valuable or a family heirloom. Thanks for your information and comments. Please provide details advice anytime even if I can't afford to follow all advice.
good old fun.. there is a reason why people that service watches and clocks study 3-5 years for it :p we have our secrets for a reason :D but anyhow, good attempt! i've seen clocks that got oiled by olive oil in the past so you're not that bad :p
Thanks. yes I'm still learning. I have another crap clock and will try my hand at a manual pivot repair before tying on my nice clock. I have two books on the subject but need to do the pivot job with minimal tools. Y'll love that video when I get it done. :P HA. Its all trash nowadays if one can't fix it by themselves so might as well try even as an amateur. So many of these clocks are just not worth a professionals time to fix, might as well just buy a new NOS mechanism after old one wears out because the cost for a full cleaning and re-bushing job is almost the same as NOS and with NOS you get another 30 years. I'll try my own on video and if I fail I will purchase a NOS from one of the parts dealer websites.
Todd Harrison, replacing a pivot without a lathe? Damn, would love to see that! Pivot replacements are really a shit job, most clock makers that I know( including myself) rather search a whole new axle. But most of us have a stock of these old clocks from over generations of clock makers 😅 keeps the price and labour time low!
@@ToddFun I hear you. I have a Hermle 340-020 k (made in 1998). several clock shop guys tell me it was a crap, poorly designed movement that might last 20 years. I have pulled it out of the case and will try your brake cleaner solution; since I have nothing to lose as it's just a shiny boat anchor right now. I have seen someplace I can get a new movement for $199. Would you guess they are just a plug and play type thing, or do they require specialized adjustments once installed? The other option I'm looking at is to put in a quartz movement for $100. Some actually sound quite decent. Anyway, thanks for the great video! John - Spring TX.
You left it in the ammonia solution too long which why the lacquer came off. Clocks MUST be stripped to do a proper service. I notice you have no regard for health and safety - iso prop and brake cleaner can cause reactions to skin and eyes.
Thanks for the info. I did do a strip job, I wanted to show people other options if they can't bring themselves to take apart the clock correctly. Some people just will not go as far as we will. I wear gloves when I work with cleaners and have used both for 30 years without issue. I'm not saying it isn't bad, just that I feel safe enough and haven't been affected. I use break cleaner often while working on cars and I have got a splatter of break cleaner in my eyes many times. A quick rinse under the utility sink and all is good.
Yeah, I know. I'm still learning. Input is always welcome. ;) I didn't know it was lacquered or that the cleaning would remove the lacquer at the time. I was just following the books I had read. Strange none of the books mentioned anything about a lacquered pieces not needed such cleaning. You horologists keep too many secrets to yourselves. ;) I also was scanning TH-cam but never found any good home cleaning videos a DIY person could follow so I used what I had learned from some books and made my own video. I do cover how I should have cleaned the mechanism differently in the video and that I was trying different methods in my video just to show how those different methods could be done depending on how dirty a mechanism was, not that my clock needed such extensive cleaning, so I hope the general public follows and understands just the same. I end the video saying such so please watch the whole video and give me feedback. I'm making one last video on how to do a pivot job by drilling and replacing with a new pivot insert. You'll really crack up when you see how I'm going to try to do this in my DIY method without the correct clamping / drilling jig. I'm going to make my own jig and practice on some stoke brass plate. Maybe you want to watch video 5 on DIY pivot repair before I release it live? If so let me know and I'll send you a private viewing link. If you have ideas I can always edit or re-shoot parts if possible. But once a video 5 goes live I can't change it. Thanks for your time. PS. you have a nice looking little shop in Rockford, MI. Thanks for stopping by.
Hi Todd. Your video is really encouraging. I was given a basic clock repair book as an xmas present -- then my first project was a Westminster chime clock that had stopped. I took it apart and cleaned it with tooth picks, pretty much like you did, and like you, made all my jigs myself. The only proper 'clock' item I bought was oil. LOVE the idea of using polystyrene tiles to hold the cogs! Am definitely going to pinch that off you!! I discovered the problem was a worn Bush in the time train - but my book explained what to do, so I took the plunge. Again, no special tools required, as i already had a set if small needle files. Brass is quite workable, and with a set of bushes I managed OK . Clock is running as happy as Larry. I cant believe I did it myself! I can see that a 'professional' who attends to lots of clocks will want the full armoury of costly gadgets, but for the one (or two....? !) clock enthusiastic amateur there's no need. I didn't laugh at your video, Todd, I though it was wonderful to see how others tackle the same problems with some latteral thinking. So THANK YOU for sharing your experiences! Cheers David
Sir, I hope you're just pulling Todd's leg. If not, it's no wonder why the clock shops are going out of business. I inherited a Howard Miller Grandfather Presidential clock that sat unused for many years. I called three clock shops in my area, asking for a ballpark price for a clean and lube, understanding that if parts were required, the price would go up. The least expensive quote was $525 and the highest was $900 plus parts. I can purchase a new Kieninger triple chime movement for less than the repair cost. The only reason for only calling three shops was that the other two shops listed being in the area as well as the service tag inside the clock, they were all out of business.
I did clean my grandfather movement 2 + years ago after watching your video just using brake cleaner, oiled and set on the case. Yestesday I did service it just by oiling it a lot to flush dirt. After I just wiped and oiled it normally. It runs like a cham. Thank you Todd your videos are very educational and thorough.
Your welcome. Glad to have helped.
Using break cleaner is absolutely horrible for clocks, it will get trapped just hidden places you wouldn’t be able to manage, it’s almost impossible if not impossible to get everything out of the pivot holes without taking it apart and pegging the holes with wood afterwards so the new oil and old oil will mix and accelerate wear.
Thank you! Bought a “frozen” grandmother clock at goodwill . TH-cam videos like yours gave me the motivation to rechain and clean/oil it. And now it works!!
I know this is an old post but the information presented here was, for me, "timely". Just want to say that I concur with the use of brake cleaner. Other people online have dunked their mechanisms in gasoline of all things, with no ill effects, but brake cleaner is less toxic for your hands, lungs and the environment. Also, your MacGivered ultrasonic cleaner is an interesting idea, I salute your ingenuity, but I don't think it reaches the optimum frequency of 40 kHz. Online sources say that frequencies much above or below that level don't clean as well because the tiny bubbles generated are not as effective at knocking out the dirt from the corners and recesses of the parts you are cleaning. As always, YMMV.
I have read about using a 50/50 rinse of xylene and mineral spirits sometime after the soak/wash. Is that necessary? Is it before the water, or instead of the water? I wondering about the fumes and heat source.
Todd, what are your thoughts on soaking the entire mechanism in a tub of petrol as part of the cleaning process? And using 0W-30 synthetic engine oil, or even shaver oil?
Thank you for making these video's. I know it takes a lot of time to make one, yours are very good.
I just inherited a large "Sligh" movement grandfather clock. Made in USA around 1987. The gongs would start but not finish (had to push on a gear to get them going again). They were also out of sync. with the hour hand but I figured out how to fix that. The clock's weights were high but the "time" mechanism wouldn't run long. So, I lightly sprayed the whole movement with a little WD-40 and that got the chimes to work perfectly. I noticed a wobble in the pendulum and after studying it (I'm a plumbing contractor) I realized the suspension spring was broken on one of the 2 sides. Went to order a new one by calling the clock store that sold it. When I mentioned WD-40 he literally said (in a nutshell) "Well, you may as well throw the whole thing away and buy a new clock". I've since watched a couple vids that showed someone using WD-40 and said it worked great....he admitted he shouldn't have, prolly should have used something else, but it worked for him. I'm headed to buy some brake cleaning fluid...it's just what i was hoping to use...a spray. The clock has prolly never been serviced (my folks were busy people and half the time it wasn't running) so there's very little visual build up.
I have an old 1930's ( I think ) waterbury ( I think ) mantle clock that I took the clock out of and did the clock solution cleaning. I put my palm sander ( with no sandpaprer ) on the side of the tub to make it vibrate and it work really well but after about 5 minutes of this both springs broke. Do you happen to know where I can get replacement springs?
timesavers.com/
But if you have a spring drive you'll need to be safe as taking one apart is dangerous and difficult without the correct tools. However such tools are also sold on this website I think.
Can we make our own cleaner to use in ultrasound? What is a good receipt?
If I spray an intact mechanism with brake cleaner, do I need to follow that with any other solution or will evaporation be enough? How do you lubricate the main springs in barrels after cleaning them in brake cleaner without opening them up (which involves disassembly that I'd like to avoid)?
You would have to disassemble the spring in order to clean it really well and re-grease it. And that’s not something I would try and do without the correct tools and experience.
Great Job. Thank you very much for sharing! ..I have several chess clocks I want to clean and oil, can you please suggest 1/ Tools I would need to take them apart and where to find them and 2/ if this technique would work just as good since they are much smaller in size. Thank you !!!
Most cleaning and oiling will be very close to the same work. However, you might have a main spring or two that you wind up in such a clock and you have to be super careful with such springs. They sell main spring clamps that fit open springs. I'm not an expert on all these types of locks but if you look in the show notes or go to my page you will fine more links and my email is in my "about me" page. I'll help if I can.
www.toddfun.com/2016/06/01/how-to-clean-a-grandfather-clock-part-2b-of-4/
Thanks. I try my best to be helpful but I only do these things for fun which is why I call my DIY channel ToddFun.com
Thanks for all your comments and input on my clock videos, I'm sure your knowledge will help many people that visit.
Firstly, your series of videos, capturing the wonderful work you did as a newbie clock owner, should be the "gold standard" for making instructional videos. No shaky cam, no wind pops, no nervous off topic remarks, no screaming kids or barking dogs in the background. You obviously thought about the "lesson plan" and narrative and prepared for each session. Thank you.
Question: if opting for the non-breakdown cleaning option, why not use the brake cleaner in lieu of the ammonia mix? It may start to attack any lacquer coating (do these german grandfather movements all have the coating?), but you wouldn't have to worry about the drying phase needed with water-based chemicals.... Just a thought.
I have a 70's Colonial Mfg grandfather that we bought at auction, so I don't know the service history, but it has been keeping good time and sounds great since we "commissioned" it in our home, i.e. everything is working. I am worried, though, that it may suffer from the de-plating issue which was characteristic of this era movement, whereby the chrome plating applied to bushings or gear shafts (or both?) starts to peel off and deposit in the bushing. It appears, from reading clock forums, that this condition renders the movement essentially unrepairable. Fingers crossed it is not one of the afflicted.
Richard Marshall if I had a do over I would have only used brake cleaning if breaking down or not. If the lacked was on then just more break cleaner. I never heard about the chrome issue but I would run the clock until it didn't work but I would clean and oil it. If it ever gets damaged then a bushing job should fix I'm thinking. The new bushings are hardened and as long as the pivots are burnished a little it should run for another 40 years with oiling. Or just order a new main mechanism. Thanks for the kink comments.
What brand is that clock cleaning concentrate? L and R? If it is, I can't find it in quarts.
The links in my blog posts should have a source. www.toddfun.com
I have an urgos movement and the main shaft is slightly stripped where the minute hand slides onto the shaft. AKA where the shaft is supposed to be square for the minute hand it is more of a rounded square. Where can i go to find a replacement?
If it is just the hole in the minute hand you can get a new minute hand here:
timesavers.com/
If it is the shaft you'll have to have a local horologist service the clock and most likely make a new shaft. You could order a whole new movement if the unit is already 20 or 30 years old it's a good investment as these movements ware out anyway.
www.blackforestimports.com/
@@ToddFun Is the wheel here the center one that I'm looking to replace? timesavers.com/i-24050591-urgos-center-wheel.html
I imagine purchasing the replacement movement is the way to go, but I like to tinker and would still like to give fixing it a chance....Side note your videos are awesome! Thanks a lot for making those!
@@ToddFun you mention using brake cleaner in one of your videos. Would you recommend that? I don't think I would want to use an ammonia based cleaner and I also wouldn't want to remove the clear coat if there is one.
@@dominicscardino2304 Either will clean a dirty clock. Break clear the best in my experiences. However break cleaner will remove the clear coat if there is one and most newer clocks do have clear coats. I can't see my movement so it doesn't have to be a shinny, it just needs to be clean and oiled. Ammonia will remove clear coat to after too long of a soak and it doesn't really clean the clock unless you use it hot and with an ultrasonic cleaner tub. Pros will fully remove the clear coat, fix with bushings, buff and re-clear coat. The clear coat is just for looks and if you can't see your movement it really makes no sense to have the clear coat imho.
Hi Todd, my new Tubular-Bell Grandfather Clock Kit GFKIT4 chimes between quarters (2; 5; 8; 11), and not on quarters (12; 3; 6; 9).
How can I adjust it Thanks
Very good video young man. I bought an old grandfather clock on Craigs List and was wondering how to clean and repair this old clock . The makers mark is Willcock 1896, is this a clock that will run again? Can this be resleved if need be? Even the weights are rather crude brass sleeves with cement like stuff in them. One of the most beautiful cabinets at 7' tall I have ever seen and I haven't seen alot of these type clocks. I'll be watching your vids for referance. Thank you for making the videos on clock cleaning and repair.
Most movements can be repaired. Older clocks don't really need re-bushing as frequently as newer clocks as the brass before WWII was so darn thick it just wouldn't wear out even if they ran dry. But it should get a good cleaning and if any of the pivots are ovalled out too much (more than 1/2 the arbor pin diameter) then those pivots holes will need to be bushed. With such an old clock I would never try to do the cleaning or repair myself as such an old clock is not replaceable. With my modern ~70's clock I know if I goofed it up I could always buy a new-old stock movement by just paying the same cost of a commercial repair shop cleaning/repair fee. So for me there was no downside to trying it myself because if I couldn't do it then my fate was the same, buy new. Your clock on the other hand is just not replaceable and should be cleaned and serviced by a professional horologist. I would use these people if you are in my area but there are others throughout the world. Good Luck! www.arizonaclockco.com/contact.html
Good evening. I have an old mantle clock made by Schnekenburger. The two springs are each in its own brass case with the outer gear as an integral part of the casing. I don't eant to dip clean this as I am worried it might rust! How should I go about cleaning the springs? Or not! Thank you for your informative videos!
That is outside of my skills Sorry. Please contact a horologist in your area for best advice.
Hi Thanks for the video! Not sure if you would know this, but I have a Howard Miller Worthington mantel clock, movement #340-020
Letter D is the Date code. This clock chimes the westminster chime only
and does not have a chime shut off option. Can you please tell me if I
can use the bracket that secures the chime rods as a chime shut off at
night? I do not want to cause any stress on the chime mechanism. Or is
it best just to let the chime springs run down if i do not wish to hear
the chimes? Thanks
Unless you want to somehow modify it to add a lift bar to lift the hammers you will have to let it just wind down.
Got it...Thank you!
Todd, I've enjoyed watching this and I am reviewing these segments over and over because I am in the midst of a similar grandfather clock project myself. About the ultrasonic ammonia based cleaner that you mentioned attacked the lacquer on the brass plates. Did you dilute the solution? I have yet to use it on my mantel clocks because I cleaned them much like you did with some spray, wood pegs, Q-tips, etc. But I had thought about trying the clock supply cleaners, but after seeing your experience, I am on the fence.
i did dilute per the instructions and it does strip the lacquer. So does brake cleaner and other harsh cleaners. Maybe just hot soapy water. Dawn dish soap maybe the best option.
I did not see the main clock spring. How did you clean that?
This is a chain drive so there is no main clock spring. If you have a wind up clock then I would take it to a clock repair service because you need special tools to safely unwind, clean and re-wind a clock spring if it's dirty.
Thanks. I have several mantle clocks and am watching your videos to learn how to bring them back to life!
I love Todd's videos. I learn so much watching these!
Saw a video and have read about "oil siphoning". Once cleaned, as you oil a pivot point you have to use the minimal possible so it does not drip out and down the brass plate. If so, it 'siphones' away remaining oil and leaves the bearing dry. I believe it!
True.
Todd, your videos are so well done! And they are also very informative and thorough. Thanks again for making these available!
i dont mean to be so offtopic but does anybody know a tool to get back into an Instagram account?
I was dumb forgot my login password. I would love any help you can give me
@Donald Kendall instablaster :)
@Denver Elisha I really appreciate your reply. I found the site thru google and I'm waiting for the hacking stuff now.
I see it takes a while so I will reply here later with my results.
@Denver Elisha It worked and I now got access to my account again. I am so happy:D
Thanks so much you really help me out !
@Donald Kendall glad I could help :)
If I have a cable driven clock, would I have to take the cables out of the movement to clean it?
Not sure. I have never owned a cable drive. I would think it was best but just don't know.
Todd Harrison Thanks.
This UTube Todd Harrison video was very helpful .He detail all key principles of wall clocks maintenance .
I successfully have completed cleaning and oiling my son’s wall clock.Thank you so much !!
You're welcome Gregory. Glad to have helped.
Would wd-40 hurt to clean my Jumghans 1900 wall clock then blow dry it an oil it with Liberty oil. Thank you
Never wd-40 on a clock ever! That stuff will be the end of the clock. You can take mechanism out of the clock then try to really spray it down clean with automotive break cleaner. Use 2 cans with with the attached nozzle straw. Do this spraying outside and not near any sparks or flames! Then blow the mechanism dry with an air compressor or computer air duster can. Then oil the wells and grease the metal contact parts where needed or where you can.
See my video: How to Assemble, Oil and Grease a Grandfather Clock part 3 of 4
link: th-cam.com/video/_ObRnjNzHK0/w-d-xo.html
I haven't posted part 4 yet but that will only be on Clock setup.
+Todd Harrison (ToddFun) thank you. I'm buying professional cleaner an Liberty oil an doing it correctly. Clock has been in my family for decades an I want it right for my daughter when my ticker stops.
If this item is really an important heirloom and money isn't the issue I can put you in touch with a professional Horologist. However, as long as you don't lose or damage any parts and don't try to repair any bushings yourself you really can't do too much other harm trying to cleanup and repair yourself. You need to evaluate if you do have any bad bushings because if you do your clock will not run for long even if it is cleaned and oiled. See my older video on how to examine the bushing: th-cam.com/video/4U-ROHWuTaM/w-d-xo.html
WD-40 is one of the worst "lubricants" you can apply to a clock's movement. Don't use it on clocks.
Will any brake cleaner do the job or must it be Autozone brake cleaner?
Any is fine but it will also take off any clear lacquer you might have on the brass so don't use break cleaner unless you can really take it apart and buff it out if it has clear lacquer, otherwise the melted lacquer will make a gross mess.
@@ToddFun Thanks very much for the reply. I loved the video. Our Grandfather clock has not run for about 10 years. It stops shortly after winding and reset. The clock is about 45 years old. After watching your video I'm ready to get it working again.
I can used contac cleaner
Granfather clock ?
Pretty nice job in my opinion Todd.
I agree that ammonia based clock cleaners should only be used on un-coated brass, or you should be prepared to strip and refinish the brass as you did.
Re-lacquering plates can get tricky. A couple of coats of good quality auto wax can serve as a shorter term substitute for lacquer.
Just so long as the mechanism is clean though, the appearance of the brass is not that important. "Industrial strength" degreasers (like some of the "Zepp" products found in the Box Stores) does a good job and are generally less hazardous to work with. They are also less likely to strip the lacquer although if you leave the movement in the bath long enough they may begin to attack the lacquer too. One should also be careful of inducing rust by leaving movements in any aqueous solutions too long especially if you're not going to disassemble it.
An old, worn out aquarium air pump motor can be used as an agitator as well.
Regards
Good idea thanks for the tip!
You left the plates in far longer then it should be that’s why the lacquer came off. Read the instructions on the container.
How about engine cleaning spray or starting fluid spray? Then blow it dry with your air compressor and use miracle air tool oil, or the watch oil I use on my 23 jewel Waltham gold pocket watches?
That should work fine too. It will remove any clear lacquer that keeps the brass plates shinny so you will have that problem. That is way professionals use an warm ammonia with water cleaning solution and an ultrasonic cleaner bath. It will clean all the parts and plates without removing the clear lacquer. Only important if you can see the mechanism or if you like to see a super shinny mechanism, it doesn't affect the functionality of the clock either way.
Soaking the entire movement in Mineral Spirits for a couple hours is very effective for dissolving the dried oil in the pivots/bushings. Then rinse the movement with hot tap water.
Hi Todd
I saw some videos on TH-cam of you repairing clocks.
Just wondering do you repair clocks for hire?
I have one of the old clocks that run on barometric pressure.
Can you help?
I think it is LE coultre clock
Sorry I don't. I just do this for fun and to share what I know or learn.
Thanks for the reply. Do you know anyone that does repairs?
Expert Clock Repair
Arizona Clock Co.
1660 S. Alma School Rd.
Mesa, Az. 85210
480-755-0616
arizonaclock@aol.com
I had a friend who was a Clock Maker and he recommended soaking the mechanism in regular Paint Thinner.
Mineral Spirits won't remover the Lacquer clear coat and is a great de-greaser that penetrates into every pivot point because it is such a thin liquid.
I am not sure how others feel about this but I have used it on two Howard Miller clocks and a Sligh Wall Clock for years and never had a problem.
Besides Ammonia does react with brass and will cause the metal to tarnish.
Only thing about Paint Thinner is it is flammable so know what you are doing before you use it.
Good idea. Thanks.
But if you do a clock home solution using acetic oil, ammonia, acetone, water and detergent with LESS ammonia and let it LESS time in the ultrasonic ?
I just bought an ultrasonic cleaner and I wonder if I could just dip the assembled mechanism in thinners and give it a go with the US cleaner. Here it's next to impossible to get cleaning solution.
I'm not sure, maybe somebody well read your comment that knows if this is ok. I know brake cleaner works great! I think the cleaner is just a diluted ammonia solution with a little dish soap from what I can tell. If you get it hot such a mix might work. You could try it on some dirty brass pipe to see how things work.
Brake cleaner is what I use right now.I spray it on and it seems to get all the grime out. I don't feel confident to take a clock apart so far.
I'm sure if you are blasting the brake cleaner into all the pivots with the straw it will get the joins so clean that an oiling would be all you need. Just a drop of clock oil on each pivot well. Some day you might build up to wanting to take on apart. If it has wind up springs they need some spring grease and if you take such a spring clock apart you have to use spring clamps so the springs don't hurt. Remember to be safe with such clocks that have spring drives.
Thank you Todd for confirming that brake cleaner blasting does the job
I know that eventually I'll have to take it apart to clean the springs. I'll see where I can buy clamps and a wider.
I used this "secret" ingredient in my clock and it stained the brass too......I think using less ammonia and less time could be better, I am not sure
Thanks for your great videos. I have two early 18th century clocks that could use a good cleaning. Is the makeup of the early brass different from modern brass, and if so might it react differently to different chemical cleaners? Thanks
I find the newer (>1970) many time have a clear lacquer and if it is still in place then just wipe down the brass with a mild cleaner. If the lacquer is itself damaged or degraded you need to soak in ammonia solution like I did until all the lacquer comes off but then you have a lot of rinsing and brass cleanup do do like I did. Older clocks have thicker brass plates and need the full treatment if you want them to look bright and shinny again. Really clean, bright and shinny is not imports. Meaning, you can just clean with brake cleaner real well and then scrape out all the pivot holes with some orange wood sticks. It will not be a shining but if you can't see the clockworks then that isn't important anyway.
I know it's 11 months since you asked this question but it's an important one. As you probably have been made aware, yes there is a change in the way that brass plates were manufactured that make early brass much more reactive to ammonia than modern brass. I read that it's mid 1800's but there's no definitive cut-off. One author said that he would not risk a mid 1800's London clock to an ammonia cleaning. It's not just the color either. The ammonia reacts with the brass and breaks out the grain structure. This means that teeth of train wheels can get weakened and break off, etc.
can the clock springs be soaked in the cleaning solution also ?
No. They need to be unrolled, wipped and inspected. You will have to get this down by a horologist that has the correct tools because it is very dangerous. There are some youtube videos out there that show how to do this job with the right unwinding tools and you can get the tools from eBay or www.timesavers.com Some videos show how to make the tools but I don't think that is too pratical. There are many different types of main spring winding schemes so to know how to do each one would take a lot of youtube video hunting. Here is a book on "end-loop" type which just one type.: timesavers.com/i-12520970-a-useful-tool-for-winding-unwinding-loop-end-mainsprings-by-robert-porter.html
Here is the page of all the tools timesavers sells for main spring work:
timesavers.com/c-325976-tools-equipment-related-supplies-clockmakers-watchmakers-specialty-tools-equipment-mainspring-winders.html
Have you considered using an aquarium pump to agitate the water in your clock bath you can attach a small hose to it and actually directed just like you would a parts cleaner in a mechanics shop but since it's not flammable you can use an aquarium pump which can be had for about $10
Good idea. Thanks.
Great video, you used a good camera, no jerky movements, good lighting, and the camera captured the sound of your voice just right. I have an Emperor 85 kit clock that never worked right when it was new and should have been sent back to the factory.
Thanks. And good luck with your repairs.
a good way to make the container vibrate would be to strap some hair clippers to it and just switch on
I use an ultrasonic cleaner to clean completely disassembled movements. Even after using the ultrasonic cleaner, I still scrub parts and peg the bushings to ensure all dirt, grit, and grim has been removed. There are cleaning solutions available that aren't harsh on the brass like ammonia. I prefer a non-ammonia cleaning solution--ammonia smells awful!
True, automotive break cleaner worked the best for me. I don't think I would ever use ammonia based anymore and I did totally tear down the clock and cleaned everything to break cleaner was the best at that point anyway.
Would like to know where. The "non-amonia " name brand I found actually is ammonia based just no smell. So not sure where unless you make your own.
How do you oil the main spring ?
Not something you should try. They need to be carefully "C" clamped, removed from clock, fully unwound into a long metal strip using special unwinding tools so you don't get hurt by an exploding spring, you need to clean the unwound spring steel and then apply clock "mainspring" grease, then using the same tools to wind and insert spring in clock before removing safety "C" clamp around clock spring. There are videos on how to do this but the tools are expensive and home made tools ideas are sketchy. Best to take it to a horologist if it needs cleaning and greasing. If the clock isn't worth much as most windup clocks after 1970's are not then just do your best to push in some "mainspring" grease into the spring before a weekly winding using Mainspring Grease Bellows amzn.to/2VDBjwS, repeat as needed and hope for the best.
Todd, Thabk you for the video. If I have used WD-40 on my Hermle movement can I save it by using brake cleaner thoroughly to remove the WD-40 and then oil or should I buy a new movement? Thanks!
You can clean it with break cleaner. If it is a wind up I don't recommend cleaning the springs or attempting any service yourself. Do the cleaning outside, gloves and eye protection of course. Try well with compressed air, then oil. Take it apart for best cleaning and oiling. If you find bad pivots you should replace or have it serviced by a horologist.
Thanks for the advice! I bought a new barrel spring for this clock a few years ago and installed it myself. It wasn’t that difficult but I certainly appreciate your warning as they can be literally deadly. Thank you for the reply and, again, thank you for posting the videos. I am very appreciative and have learned exactly what I was hoping.
If you have the lid for your cleaning pan, sitting a palm sander (sandpaper removed) on it does a fairly decent job when you don't have an ultrasonic cleaner. I've used this method with small engine carbs and such. For a mantle clock I picked up, which has a smaller movement than yours, I'm gonna borrow my wife's ultrasonic jewelry cleaner. Thanks for the videos.
Great tip!
iv done this when cleaning a carburetor it does work. lucky for me i was able to turn it on and leave it going in the garage and left till later
Looking forward topart 3. I took Grandma's clock apart and now the gears don't trip levers an gears to make it run right. Opps!
Incredible video - well organized - cogent - articulate - good videography - all told EFFECTIVE. THANK YOU ! Totally agree about NOT using the ammonia stuff -- I've ruined an expensive firearm using a "recommended" ammonia-based copper fouling remover. BIG mistake.
Thanks for the kind comment.
you should take it apart use the clock cleaner with a toothbrush pyth wood to clean the pivots and a tooth pick to clean the holes there is no use for the brass cleaner you don't need shinny plates to have a clean clock
I neeeeed it! HA. I like things to look real nice. It is a hobby activity for me so it's all about enjoying myself and doing the best job possible. Thanks for stopping by.
I feel the same way about doing the best job; such gratification. It got my mom in trouble when she removed the patina from a very old family heirloom trunk. See my comment about the danger of using Brasso.
Disсovеееr How tо Cure Cаndida Infесtiоn Аt Аny Аgе, Еvеn If Yоu’vе Тriеd Evеrуthing Аnd Nоthing Hаs Еvеr Workеd Fоr Yоu BеforеCliсk Hеreее -->twitter.com/abc134a97ebbaec4f/status/784262969735516160 Hоооw tо Clеaаn а Grаndfаthеr Cloсk раrt 2b оf 4
Good information. I suggest avoiding (do not use) the use of Brasso for the following reasons. 1) Polishing the plates by removing oxides (Brassi) is only cosmetic and serves only to impress a customer that paid big bucks for a cleaning. 2) Most important is the likely possibility a residual remaining in the pivot hole which will accelerate the ware.
I was quite worried about (2) myself because I foreseen that issue. I used copious amounts of break cleaner to spray out the pivots as well as cleaned them again with cotton sticks and isopropyl alcohol. If I had to do this again I wouldn't use the ammonium cleaner and then wouldn't care about the trying to recover the surface. Lesson learned. :)
Yes, can be done like this but its like trying to wash your feet with your socks on! Its not really possible to thoroughly clean the pivots/pivot holes without taking it apart. In fact its much quicker to separate the plates and clean the components/pivot holes. It takes me about 90 minutes to separate the plates, clean components, reassemble and re time the mechanisms. Obviously longer if it needs re bushing. Each to their own though :) Some folks use petroleum to immerse the movements in lol Sooner them than me!!!! Good videos!
Also petroleum affects the laquier, even if you submerse it for a few secons.
The best method of cleaning is disassembled and using an ultrasonic cleaner. No need to use toothpicks.
In military school, we would soak our brass in ammonia to remove the lacquer. This allowed us to shine the brass using bravo.
Wish I know that before I did this as the lacquer would have been better to leave in place and just clean the pivot holes. Turned into a lot more work for me because I did have to brass bravo it to get the shine back the the lacquer was protecting.
Thank you Todd for sharing your knowledge and experience. You have been a great "school" for me. If it helps for your stats, I have used the brake cleaner and it works great, under the principle of KIS. By the way I am one of the ones who waited and waited and I am still celebrating the victory: Go Cubs!
Thank's very much for your kind words. Yes, so happy for the Cubs. I have been to Wrigley field a few times, great times and memories.
I think you went overboard with the cleaning sequences. Just use one cleaning product of choice and this will do the job fine. If the brass is laquered just wipe with a mild cleaning product and leave alone. If not laquered or stripped by cleaning, the brass is soon going to oxidize and darken again so polishing will do no good uless you plan to take the mechanism apart and repolish every 2 months or so.
I agree. Good points. Thanks.
78a67h m
You are an extremely impressive guy. The video was great and the advice was good. I read one comment you made about cleaning springs. Your response was to let an expert Horologist do that because of the possible exposure to dangerously wound springs. I respect a man that knows his limits and knows when its best not to proceed beyond that point. True honesty is the foundation of respect.
Thanks John, Very kind comment. Appreciated!
Ha, so... currently my clock is sitting in the sink soaking. I was looking at the grease earlier and thought about brake cleaner but decided I'd better just stick with hot soapy water. I suppose my idea wasn't that bad!
No, not too bad. just make sure you dry it real good. In my video I show using an air compressor to get most of the water off then a hair driver for 10 minutes to make sure no water was left behind.
Well, I put the clock back together after cleaning it and now the top gear that is driven by the pendulum arbitrarily sticks. I think all that gunk must have kept the clock in somewhat alignment. Not sure what my next step is...
If any of the pivots have wear the clock will stop. I know when I reassembled my clock I had over tightened the transverse gear that would drive the quarter hour drive which did stop my clock too, but if you don't have gongs (chime tubes) you will not have such a transverse gear to get wrong, however you might have something tightened up wrong someplace. I found my problem by using my finger to load the gears and feel for which gear seemed closed to the hangup. Maybe you have a little play in the escapement or verge that can be tweeked to free up the movement. Lookup my email at ToddFun and send good photos might help me see what possible problems. Real close focused photos would be needed.
Thanks Todd. Just send you an email.
brake cleaner also works on hornets and spiders fyi
i used simple green instead of that liquid
Best video yet, I love the sonic cleaner improvison. I am really scared to take my clock apart. This video solved that problem for me, thank you 👍👌
Take it apart this is not a proper way to clean a mechanism
@@whatmemories3728 agree. This is no way to teach people to do so. There are so much wrong with this “tutorial” I don’t wanna start. I just feel bad for people who would follow.
Instead of the toothpick, i have been using the very thin bristled teeth cleaners you can buy at any place that sells toothbrushes. Very effective!
Great Dedication and a Great video..Thank You!
:)
Well done on the engraver hack!
I like your makeshift ultrasonic cleaner!
Cool! Thank you Todd!
Dave in the Adirondacks
Don't worry. These things do happen to the best of us. It happens to me all the time.
Цікаво, треба подивитися всі частини 😊❤
Спасибо за классный обзор.
my dad used to boil them in water then oil them
Old clocks?
Thanks for the great effort you put into your videos. I've watched a lot of bad videos until I finally found yours and I must say I don't care what those so-called-experts say about your videos, I appreciate them. I like the fact that you are not afraid to admit that the ammonia based cleaner was a little harsh on the clear coat and that if you had to do it again you would just stick with the brake cleaner. I recently bought a grandfather clock at a rummage sale that didn't run and took it to a well known clock shop where he wanted to charge me $550 just to clean and oil my clock. (I think my wallet was also getting a thorough cleaning.)That being said, the only reason I can think of that the professional would take umbrage with your video is that the guy that has been over charging and robbing the general public for many years, may have to re-think how he does business.
I would like to hear more about burnishing new sleeves.
Thanks for the kind comments. I'm going to be doing the re-bushing job on my clock sometime this year. Most likely in the fall. Mind you I will be doing it without the professional quality tools but I have a plan that should work for only doing one clock for under $100 but w'll see how it turns out. As for the fees horologist charge for cleaning and oiling it is a real number and is worth the fees if you can't do it yourself and the clock is worth the work. Most times you can get a new movement for the same price so it really doesn't make sense to have an old clock cleaned and oiled but for clocks that can't be replaced this is a great option. A horologist will do an amazing job normally and they normally don't leave any work undone so yes it would be fair to pay $550 for a full cleaning, repairs, re-bushing, oiling and setup. It can be many many hours of work. Good luck with your clock!
I'd get a cheap fishtank pump, either air or water pump, let that agitate the bath silently! haha..
Nice idea. thanks
Ya know..... I could never figure out what my dad meant when he'd tell me "...I'm gonna clean your clock!!!" I Still don't get it.
Thanks for putting this together and safely experimenting on your own precious heirloom so we can see the result. While not "traditional," the only liberty you've taken is in applying a applying scientific method to a subject otherwise steeped in tradition and folklore. Precision parts are precision parts, brass is brass, steel is steel - and there are plenty of new engineering tools standing between the invention of the clock and this day.
This is the "American Ingenuity" everyone so misses about America.
As I watched you rig up your ultrasonic bath and start squirting the turkey baster I was applying my own hack brain and thought...
"A WATERPIK!!! TODD HOOK UP A WATERPIK!"
Having grown up in a household where the whole family used a Waterpik daily I can tell you if you want to to get plaque out from in between your "teeth" there are few devices more effective on the caked on stuff yet more gentle on the hard stuff that should stay behind.
I'm sure you'll NEVER want to go through this exercise again, but I thought it something you might want to put in your shop arsenal. Cheers and keep trying new things!
That is a very good idea. Interesting you mention it here as it might help somebody. I see these picks at Goodwill and other Donation Location Stores so I could have got one I'm sure. If I ever do another one for myself I will fully disassemble and us break cleaner. It is fast, cheap and leaves nothing to clean up. I would still use wood picks and cleaner in the pivots however. Thanks for stopping by.
The brake cleaner looks very effective, in fact that might constitute my entire plan if I need one. What brought me to your site was a little prepping ahead. Next week I am going to pick up a handed down, 35 year old Emporer grandfather clock with an Urgos UW66027 movement.
A little quick research tells me this movement was discontinued, deemed prone to excessive wear if not oiled regularly. The only replacement requires a chain-to-cable conversion and requires drilling the face... ugh. So that's out.
My inlaws surely never oiled it, but then they never ran it regularly either because they said they didn't like having a chime in the house. (I don't think they knew it had a Silent setting). In fact I've never seen it running for as long as I've known them. That along with the fact they are non smokers and fastidious due to dust allergies may be a saving grace for this beautiful clock.
I ran it for about 2 hours after they told me I could have it and it ran fine during that time, but then I shut it down til I could get some oil ordered. I'm not sure what I'm going to get, but the works look clean from the photos I was able to quickly take inside.
Sounds like it should be clean. I used the following oil and grease in my videos:
astore.amazon.com/tod0f5-20/detail/B00CVZS7NY
astore.amazon.com/tod0f5-20/detail/B0047BFLVG
Guys you can pick up a decent ultrasonic cleaner on Ebay for less than $100?
If your gonna take the back plates off you might as well just send the plates off to an actual clock smith to have them rebushed
I could never even dream of getting that back together. Your average Joe could never do this.
Someone I think your right. :)
Hi,
Your clock is relatively modern and fairly clean. Older mechanisms would generally be a lot dirtier and possibly well worn as well. Stripping completely is the only way to go as it allows you to address the worn bushings at the same time as giving it a good clean.
Keep up the good work of producing videos. It is great way to share your experiences and allows others learn.
Jt.
See you at theclockworks.biz
I agree with your assessment 100%. I did the tear down, cleaning and oiling but didn't do the pivot repair as I wanted to finish the video series and make the DIY pivot repair later just in case I fail and have to order up anew movement. I'm currently editing the last of the video series and will upload shortly. Thanks for stopping by all the way from Northern Ireland!
I was wanting to watch you clean the weights and pendulum
Great video. Thank you.
Glad you liked it!
Todd: whats with all the " PROFESSIONALS" po-poing your videos. I looked at other TH-cam videos and yours were by far
better then the rest. For the "PROFESSIONALS" out there, it takes a VERY VERY low class person to make such rude comments to someone like y'all have. If you feel so insecure about your business or the profession that you have chosen in life
(which you obviously do or you wouldn't be on here looking and commuting like you are about Engineer or something)
If you have the talent to do this job , and you "THINK" you can do a better job then he, (That includes posting your mistakes for everyone to see, and oh yes comment on) then buy yourself a camera, make yourself a video, and lets see it!!! Im sure Todd would be happy to give you some pointers on how to shoot, edit and post them so they will be at least watchable. I'll be waiting .
Sorry to all for having to listen to my rant.
During the second world war I knew a watchmaker who said they would soak wristwatch movements in gaSOLINE, it was the only thing they had.
Fantastic, thank you.
hi
Thank You Todd Great video!
Nice job!
I happen too have a large ultrasonic cleaner, however you can also use an automatic dishwasher with the clock movement on the top shelf. When the wash and rinse cycles are complete, stop the machine and remove the movement and blow dry.
Also for really caked movements, spray carburetor cleaner will cut old built up oil and grease. If this were a few years back, Varsol would have been my solvent of choice. Odor-less mineral spirits comes close to Varsol. Now Krud Kutter is finding a a place in my shop since the environmental police are everywhere.
Method!!!
HAM operator?
Yes.
Thank you
I feel sad for him. He doesn't know all the power tools available.
thanks ...
harbor freight ultrasonic = $70
Really? I'll have to look that up. Thanks.
First of all, you need to use real ultrasonic cleaner to dissolve old oil not try to brush it off. If you use the proper cleaner you will not need to use any toothpicks or brushes of any kind. If you get left over residue, then you haven't done a good job of it. Pivots need to be polished as well if there was visible ware. What you have done, I do not expect to work for more than 6 months to a year if the grandfather is no older than 10 years.
A sonic cleaner would be more then a new mechanize for me. I will polish the pivots if needed next time, I have research how I can do that task for cheap. I have 2 really bad pivot holes in the simple brass plate. I have plans to put in new hard bushings from Time Savers. I don't think you'll be too pleased with my bushing methods ;). I have been able to get these tasks done without all expensive tools which is the point of my approach. That is, to be able to get crap clocks fixed and working with minimal tools. Many people have old clocks that need work but they can't justify the service fees for a professional with all the tools and skills for a clock they would otherwise put in the trash. I do advise people not to try this themselves if the clock is valuable or a family heirloom. Thanks for your information and comments. Please provide details advice anytime even if I can't afford to follow all advice.
good old fun.. there is a reason why people that service watches and clocks study 3-5 years for it :p we have our secrets for a reason :D but anyhow, good attempt! i've seen clocks that got oiled by olive oil in the past so you're not that bad :p
Thanks. yes I'm still learning. I have another crap clock and will try my hand at a manual pivot repair before tying on my nice clock. I have two books on the subject but need to do the pivot job with minimal tools. Y'll love that video when I get it done. :P HA. Its all trash nowadays if one can't fix it by themselves so might as well try even as an amateur. So many of these clocks are just not worth a professionals time to fix, might as well just buy a new NOS mechanism after old one wears out because the cost for a full cleaning and re-bushing job is almost the same as NOS and with NOS you get another 30 years. I'll try my own on video and if I fail I will purchase a NOS from one of the parts dealer websites.
Todd Harrison, replacing a pivot without a lathe? Damn, would love to see that! Pivot replacements are really a shit job, most clock makers that I know( including myself) rather search a whole new axle. But most of us have a stock of these old clocks from over generations of clock makers 😅 keeps the price and labour time low!
Sorry, NOOB misspoke. When I say pivot rework I mean bushing job. HA.
@@ToddFun I hear you. I have a Hermle 340-020 k (made in 1998). several clock shop guys tell me it was a crap, poorly designed movement that might last 20 years. I have pulled it out of the case and will try your brake cleaner solution; since I have nothing to lose as it's just a shiny boat anchor right now. I have seen someplace I can get a new movement for $199. Would you guess they are just a plug and play type thing, or do they require specialized adjustments once installed?
The other option I'm looking at is to put in a quartz movement for $100. Some actually sound quite decent. Anyway, thanks for the great video! John - Spring TX.
@@johngraham6839 They will be plug and play movement replacements if you get the correct model match.
You left it in the ammonia solution too long which why the lacquer came off. Clocks MUST be stripped to do a proper service.
I notice you have no regard for health and safety - iso prop and brake cleaner can cause reactions to skin and eyes.
Thanks for the info. I did do a strip job, I wanted to show people other options if they can't bring themselves to take apart the clock correctly. Some people just will not go as far as we will. I wear gloves when I work with cleaners and have used both for 30 years without issue. I'm not saying it isn't bad, just that I feel safe enough and haven't been affected. I use break cleaner often while working on cars and I have got a splatter of break cleaner in my eyes many times. A quick rinse under the utility sink and all is good.
I used IPA in semiconductor processing for decades without issue. MSDS have good information about this chemical. Ethanol can cause similar issues.
Thanks for the laughs
Yeah, I know. I'm still learning. Input is always welcome. ;)
I didn't know it was lacquered or that the cleaning would remove the lacquer at the time. I was just following the books I had read. Strange none of the books mentioned anything about a lacquered pieces not needed such cleaning. You horologists keep too many secrets to yourselves. ;) I also was scanning TH-cam but never found any good home cleaning videos a DIY person could follow so I used what I had learned from some books and made my own video. I do cover how I should have cleaned the mechanism differently in the video and that I was trying different methods in my video just to show how those different methods could be done depending on how dirty a mechanism was, not that my clock needed such extensive cleaning, so I hope the general public follows and understands just the same. I end the video saying such so please watch the whole video and give me feedback. I'm making one last video on how to do a pivot job by drilling and replacing with a new pivot insert. You'll really crack up when you see how I'm going to try to do this in my DIY method without the correct clamping / drilling jig. I'm going to make my own jig and practice on some stoke brass plate. Maybe you want to watch video 5 on DIY pivot repair before I release it live? If so let me know and I'll send you a private viewing link. If you have ideas I can always edit or re-shoot parts if possible. But once a video 5 goes live I can't change it. Thanks for your time. PS. you have a nice looking little shop in Rockford, MI. Thanks for stopping by.
Hi Todd. Your video is really encouraging. I was given a basic clock repair book as an xmas present -- then my first project was a Westminster chime clock that had stopped. I took it apart and cleaned it with tooth picks, pretty much like you did, and like you, made all my jigs myself. The only proper 'clock' item I bought was oil. LOVE the idea of using polystyrene tiles to hold the cogs! Am definitely going to pinch that off you!! I discovered the problem was a worn Bush in the time train - but my book explained what to do, so I took the plunge. Again, no special tools required, as i already had a set if small needle files. Brass is quite workable, and with a set of bushes I managed OK . Clock is running as happy as Larry. I cant believe I did it myself!
I can see that a 'professional' who attends to lots of clocks will want the full armoury of costly gadgets, but for the one (or two....? !) clock enthusiastic amateur there's no need. I didn't laugh at your video, Todd, I though it was wonderful to see how others tackle the same problems with some latteral thinking. So THANK YOU for sharing your experiences!
Cheers
David
Thanks very much David!
Very very helpful and enjoy all videos even though a cubs fan...cards fan here@@ToddFun
Sir, I hope you're just pulling Todd's leg. If not, it's no wonder why the clock shops are going out of business.
I inherited a Howard Miller Grandfather Presidential clock that sat unused for many years. I called three clock shops in my area, asking for a ballpark price for a clean and lube, understanding that if parts were required, the price would go up.
The least expensive quote was $525 and the highest was $900 plus parts. I can purchase a new Kieninger triple chime movement for less than the repair cost.
The only reason for only calling three shops was that the other two shops listed being in the area as well as the service tag inside the clock, they were all out of business.