I purchased one of his clocks and I could not be happier. The product is pristine, completely restored, and works like a charm. In addition to the clock, I received a personalized booklet and 90 day warranty. The best part…I had the opportunity to purchased this restored piece of art from a U.S. military veteran. Sir, thank you for your service and the amazing clock. Tell Bugsy I said hello! Douglas Bayne
Thanks Doug !!! Message passed to Bugsy too. Sorry I didn't see this message for 2 months. TH-cam never notified me there was a message. We appreciate the endorsement tremendously. It takes the feedback/reviews we receive to grow our little business. We need these to stand-out from the Yard-Sale folks flipping these clocks and wiping them down before listing.
Thanks a whole bunch !!! The reviews and feedback I get from satisfied customers is worth so much more than a little profit. A wise man once said "If you love what you do, you'll never work a day".
You are very welcome and Thank You !! We do our work for love of the clocks, not the small profit made. I get many email from folks like yourself asking for repair tips, etc. I don't mind replies at all, so send any others that you may have along. Cheers- Mark and Bugsy
I am 72 years old when I was growing up in the 1960s my grandfather had one these Jefferson Mystery Clocks on top of the television set in his home. I did not know how these things worked until recent years when I saw TH-cam videos about this unusual and unique clock. It is too bad that this type of clock is not made anymore.
Howdy David, A lot of my customers have memories of these intriguing clocks dating back to the 50s and 60s. There were approximately 2 million Golden Hour models produced and its sad to think how many of them wound up in the dumpster since then. Most clock repair shops won't work on them because it's hard to find and keep all the needed parts in an inventory. Many are very happy to find out they can still get one, that works and looks like new from our small business. I, nearly always have them up for sale on eBay except when I get buried in orders and need to catch up before relisting a clock. I'm always open to a private sale and you can contact us at: newmew185@gmail.com Cheers- Mark @ Bugsy's Dad Enterprises
No Workie is an ooopppss for me. That is a special, nuclear launch code term, that was a secret. Just forget you ever heard it..... BTW thanks for watching !!!
Howdy-it is VERY important to clean all the old adhesive off of the ring gear and the glass before trying rebond the entire thing. Using a glass pie plate or similar glass bowl, place the ring bonded face upward and add enough acetone to entirely cover the ring.s Once done, that will allow you to remove some of the old adhesive with a wire brush. Repeat with the glass but do NOT use a wire brush on that. Gently scrape it off the edges with a single-edged razor blade or exacto knife (preferred using the chisel blade). Next, I use a Dremel tool with one of the dark-green radial bristle brushes, to go over all surfaces of the drive ring. The Dremel will leave the ring well polished and free of old adhesive. Finish the ring by wiping it down with alcohol to ensure it is completely cleaned. The glass can be cleaned by going over the outside of it, where the old adhesive remains, using an acetone soaked cloth. The tough adhesive will likely need to be scraped off with a blade. When the glass is free of the old adhesive, clean it with dish soap and water. As to the adhesive, I can't in good conscience recommend anything other than the 3M 847. I know it is pricey and unfortunately you won't need much at all, making it a real painful hit on the wallet. The concern I have with substituting another adhesive is in the property of the 3M goop, that cures with a very, very slight, rubbery consistency. I believe this acts to provide a bit of a shock-absorber from the motor torque, without shearing away the glass. Most of the glass separation we see in the shop is from the adhesive over decades of operation, drying out and becoming brittle. Finally, I put a sheet of wax paper on a paper plate (2 plates), then put the ring on it bonding 'face' up. Before you do this, put the glass into the ring and observe it all around to ensure the ring isn't out of round. You will see this if the ring is slightly above the glass a a certain point. Now put a fairly slender bead of adhesive all the way around the gear bonding face. Try not to use too much adhesive as it is a mess to clean up afterwards. The wax paper keeps the adhesive from gluing the paper plate and ring gear together. Now, carefully put the glass onto the ring gear, press it firmly into place and while keeping pressure on the glass, turn it a bit to smear out the adhesive. Now put another piece of wax paper over the bonded parts. Place some weight on the unit to allow it to cure while smeared over the ring face. Try some soup cans or veggie cans. I use 6 cans- two deep over the glass, then a small bag of flower (3 lbs??). Allow the assembly to dry for a minimum of 24 hours, but preferably 48 hours. Finally peel off the wax paper and clean everything with the exacto scraper and acetone to soften it up. Clean up every bit of dried adhesive off the assembly as it will gum up the gears in operation. I know this sounds like a lot of work, it is, but I developed it and never deviate from it after 300+ clocks restored. Good Luck- If you have any other questions, contact me @ newmew185@gmail.com
Howdy- My apologies, I missed your question until now. I use an ultrasonic cleaner with jeweler's cleaning solution to get the initial nastiness off of the plated parts. Following that, you must be ULTRA careful NOT to use ANY type of 'regular' metal cleaner/polish. They ALL contain abrasives that will remove the finish, leaving an ugly nickel plate subsurface beneath. I use a glass polish that is minimally abrasive. Its called GP-Pro and is available on Amazon. I put some larger 'dabs' on each of the surfaces, then LIGHTLY hand rub them with a 4x4 lint-free gauze wipe. Just a very light back and forth movement. Do that a few times and then check the cloth. Once it starts working there will be a grayish substance on the cloth. Once you see that move to another spot and repeat. When you are done, give the parts a good cleaning with some mild dish soap (Dawn-Ultra) and a thorough rinse. Then put a few tablespoons of baking soda in a dish deep enough to immerse the parts, mixed with warm water. Give it a few good dunks, then a thorough clear water rinse. This adjusts the pH of any chemicals already on the parts, and helps the paint to adhere well. Dry it thoroughly and give it another rub-down with a gold cleaning cloth. Specifically for GOLD. Some of them are advertised for all metals and have an abrasive embedded in them. Following this, I apply a coat of an industrial sealant, that is safe for gold, water-soluble and dries quickly. It is also self-annealing, meaning that any light brush marks or bubbles will flatten out as it dries. I use ProtectaClear, also available on Amazon. It is NOT cheap, but worth it to seal and protect the soft gold surfaces. Apply that with a sponge brush using light strokes. One coat is normally enough to do the job. This is time consuming and not very cheap, BUT its worth it to preserve and protect the clock parts. Good Luck- and if you have any other questions, contact us at: newmew185@gmail.com
There is a fix for that but it isn't easy. The glass crystal has separated from the ring gear that turns it. Eventually it will stop completely. The repair involves disassembly of the clock, removal of the hand/hour mechanism, cleaning and polishing all surfaces of the ring gear, cleaning all traces of the old adhesive off of the glass, then re-bonding of the glass and ring gear. It is also common to have cracks and chips that have fallen off of the glass too. Usually that won't be a problem, but if it is a serious crack that could extend, then replacing the glass is needed. The ONLY adhesive that can be used for a proper fix is a bit expensive, since it is an industrial product from 3M #847 Nitrile Adhesive. Acetone is used to dissolve any heavy build-up of the old adhesive that may have glass shards in it. We use Dremel tools here in the shop to polish/grind-off the old adhesive/glass shards on the gear ring. The dark green radial bristle disc works best in the corner area of the gear. Next the glass, if able to be reused must also be cleaned and completely free of the old adhesive. Again, acetone is used for this, followed by polishing-out the glass with a commercial-grade glass/crystal polish, all by hand, as the Dremel could scratch the glass, even with a polishing wheel on it. A thin bead of the adhesive is applied to the ring-gear on the surface the glass rests on. The glass is then applied and carefully pushed to ensure it is well seated in the ring. After that, we use some canned soup or veggies to put weight evenly on the adhesive while it cures. It should be left undisturbed for at least 24-hours to properly cure to correct strength. Following cure, it is important that all bits of excess adhesive be removed from the entire bonding area on the gear ring and glass periphery. Now it's reassembly time, but NOT before the wear surfaces of the chapter ring (big ring with numbers) that gear rides on, MUST be completely clean and smooth. ANY traces of old oil grease MUST be removed. This clock is designed such that ANY lubrication is ever needed. Oil/grease along the chapter ring surfaces attract dust/dirt and contribute to this condition. Once, clean we go back to the Dremel and polish all the inside surfaces to a mirror-finish. Be careful not to lose the 3 tension springs that lie in their own grooves along the chapter ring as well. These too, must be clean and free of dirt/grease/oil. Now its reassembly time for the whole chapter ring w/glass. Be careful to see the video above completely, that demonstrates how to reattach the hour hand/minute hand assembly to the glass. Be certain when attaching the chapter ring that you 'jiggle' it a bit to ensure engagement with the motor drive gear. As you can see this is a very involved, fussy repair that in reality should only be done by someone knowledgeable, experienced and equipped with the proper tools and supplies. Good Luck- If I can be of any further help contact me at: newmew185@gmail.com Bugsy's Dad Mark
Hello Susan, Unfortunately replacing the glass in your clock, is much more involved and would be difficult for the average owner, to get correct. If it isn't done properly, severe damage to the clock motor may be the result and the 'fix' would fail. Feel free to send me an email: newmew185@gmail.com and I can give you some more information and suggestions. Thanks !!
Great video! I just got one for $75 and its running fast and the glass moves freely in the frame with no resistance. Is there an alternative to 3m 847 adhesive?
Doggoneit. My apologies, I missed the notification of your question. I'm not aware of an alternative to the 3M adhesive. It certainly is pricey, especially since you only need a small amount. I have NOT tried it, but Permatex Ultra Black shows up as an equivalent. Like the 3M product, this is primarily a gasket adhesive. They have a small bit of a rubbery texture in them. This helps the adhesive take the small bit of torque applied to the clock drive ring when starting and running, call it a cushioning effect. Do NOT use CA super-glues as a substitute, they dry rock-hard and you won't get that cushioning effect. This can shear the drive ring from the crystal (a very common issue) that you have. It will be essential that you thoroughly clean the old adhesive from the gear ring and the outer edge of the crystal. I use acetone to soften the old stuff, and then a Dremel nylon bristle brush to gently grind the residue off of the gear and an exacto flat blade to scrape the crystal edges. Then apply a thin bead of adhesive on the inside of the gear ring, drop the crystal in place, then keeping pressure on it, turn it a bit to spread out the adhesive. Finally, I use 4 soup cans for a weight on the adhesive and bonding. Give it a minimum of 24 hrs to fully cure. Good Luck and give me a reply here if I can be of any help. Cheers- Mark and Bugsy
I purchased one of his clocks and I could not be happier. The product is pristine, completely restored, and works like a charm. In addition to the clock, I received a personalized booklet and 90 day warranty. The best part…I had the opportunity to purchased this restored piece of art from a U.S. military veteran. Sir, thank you for your service and the amazing clock. Tell Bugsy I said hello!
Douglas Bayne
Thanks Doug !!! Message passed to Bugsy too. Sorry I didn't see this message for 2 months. TH-cam never notified me there was a message. We appreciate the endorsement tremendously. It takes the feedback/reviews we receive to grow our little business. We need these to stand-out from the Yard-Sale folks flipping these clocks and wiping them down before listing.
You are amazing! You restored my clock a few years ago. Works amazing and I just love waking up to it every day!!!!
Thanks a whole bunch !!! The reviews and feedback I get from satisfied customers is worth so much more than a little profit. A wise man once said "If you love what you do, you'll never work a day".
I just got one to replace the one my Mom made me throw out over her radium fear . Fixed it when I was a kid .”New” one - Works great -with glow .
A great presentation of all I needed to know to repair my mystery clock. Many thanks for your contributions.
You are very welcome and Thank You !! We do our work for love of the clocks, not the small profit made. I get many email from folks like yourself asking for repair tips, etc. I don't mind replies at all, so send any others that you may have along. Cheers- Mark and Bugsy
I am 72 years old when I was growing up in the 1960s my grandfather had one these Jefferson Mystery Clocks on top of the television set in his home. I did not know how these things worked until recent years when I saw TH-cam videos about this unusual and unique clock. It is too bad that this type of clock is not made anymore.
Howdy David,
A lot of my customers have memories of these intriguing clocks dating back to the 50s and 60s. There were approximately 2 million Golden Hour models produced and its sad to think how many of them wound up in the dumpster since then. Most clock repair shops won't work on them because it's hard to find and keep all the needed parts in an inventory.
Many are very happy to find out they can still get one, that works and looks like new from our small business. I, nearly always have them up for sale on eBay except when I get buried in orders and need to catch up before relisting a clock. I'm always open to a private sale and you can contact us at: newmew185@gmail.com
Cheers-
Mark @ Bugsy's Dad Enterprises
I'm sure "No Workie" is a technical term.
No Workie is an ooopppss for me. That is a special, nuclear launch code term, that was a secret. Just forget you ever heard it..... BTW thanks for watching !!!
Whats the best way to clean and polish the finish on the base and ring
Howdy-it is VERY important to clean all the old adhesive off of the ring gear and the glass before trying rebond the entire thing. Using a glass pie plate or similar glass bowl, place the ring bonded face upward and add enough acetone to entirely cover the ring.s Once done, that will allow you to remove some of the old adhesive with a wire brush. Repeat with the glass but do NOT use a wire brush on that. Gently scrape it off the edges with a single-edged razor blade or exacto knife (preferred using the chisel blade). Next, I use a Dremel tool with one of the dark-green radial bristle brushes, to go over all surfaces of the drive ring. The Dremel will leave the ring well polished and free of old adhesive. Finish the ring by wiping it down with alcohol to ensure it is completely cleaned. The glass can be cleaned by going over the outside of it, where the old adhesive remains, using an acetone soaked cloth. The tough adhesive will likely need to be scraped off with a blade. When the glass is free of the old adhesive, clean it with dish soap and water.
As to the adhesive, I can't in good conscience recommend anything other than the 3M 847. I know it is pricey and unfortunately you won't need much at all, making it a real painful hit on the wallet. The concern I have with substituting another adhesive is in the property of the 3M goop, that cures with a very, very slight, rubbery consistency. I believe this acts to provide a bit of a shock-absorber from the motor torque, without shearing away the glass. Most of the glass separation we see in the shop is from the adhesive over decades of operation, drying out and becoming brittle.
Finally, I put a sheet of wax paper on a paper plate (2 plates), then put the ring on it bonding 'face' up. Before you do this, put the glass into the ring and observe it all around to ensure the ring isn't out of round. You will see this if the ring is slightly above the glass a a certain point. Now put a fairly slender bead of adhesive all the way around the gear bonding face. Try not to use too much adhesive as it is a mess to clean up afterwards. The wax paper keeps the adhesive from gluing the paper plate and ring gear together. Now, carefully put the glass onto the ring gear, press it firmly into place and while keeping pressure on the glass, turn it a bit to smear out the adhesive. Now put another piece of wax paper over the bonded parts. Place some weight on the unit to allow it to cure while smeared over the ring face. Try some soup cans or veggie cans. I use 6 cans- two deep over the glass, then a small bag of flower (3 lbs??). Allow the assembly to dry for a minimum of 24 hours, but preferably 48 hours. Finally peel off the wax paper and clean everything with the exacto scraper and acetone to soften it up. Clean up every bit of dried adhesive off the assembly as it will gum up the gears in operation.
I know this sounds like a lot of work, it is, but I developed it and never deviate from it after 300+ clocks restored.
Good Luck- If you have any other questions, contact me @ newmew185@gmail.com
Howdy- My apologies, I missed your question until now. I use an ultrasonic cleaner with jeweler's cleaning solution to get the initial nastiness off of the plated parts. Following that, you must be ULTRA careful NOT to use ANY type of 'regular' metal cleaner/polish. They ALL contain abrasives that will remove the finish, leaving an ugly nickel plate subsurface beneath. I use a glass polish that is minimally abrasive. Its called GP-Pro and is available on Amazon. I put some larger 'dabs' on each of the surfaces, then LIGHTLY hand rub them with a 4x4 lint-free gauze wipe. Just a very light back and forth movement. Do that a few times and then check the cloth. Once it starts working there will be a grayish substance on the cloth. Once you see that move to another spot and repeat. When you are done, give the parts a good cleaning with some mild dish soap (Dawn-Ultra) and a thorough rinse. Then put a few tablespoons of baking soda in a dish deep enough to immerse the parts, mixed with warm water. Give it a few good dunks, then a thorough clear water rinse. This adjusts the pH of any chemicals already on the parts, and helps the paint to adhere well. Dry it thoroughly and give it another rub-down with a gold cleaning cloth. Specifically for GOLD. Some of them are advertised for all metals and have an abrasive embedded in them. Following this, I apply a coat of an industrial sealant, that is safe for gold, water-soluble and dries quickly. It is also self-annealing, meaning that any light brush marks or bubbles will flatten out as it dries. I use ProtectaClear, also available on Amazon. It is NOT cheap, but worth it to seal and protect the soft gold surfaces. Apply that with a sponge brush using light strokes. One coat is normally enough to do the job. This is time consuming and not very cheap, BUT its worth it to preserve and protect the clock parts.
Good Luck- and if you have any other questions, contact us at: newmew185@gmail.com
Mine runs fast. Is there a fix for that?
There is a fix for that but it isn't easy. The glass crystal has separated from the ring gear that turns it. Eventually it will stop completely. The repair involves disassembly of the clock, removal of the hand/hour mechanism, cleaning and polishing all surfaces of the ring gear, cleaning all traces of the old adhesive off of the glass, then re-bonding of the glass and ring gear. It is also common to have cracks and chips that have fallen off of the glass too. Usually that won't be a problem, but if it is a serious crack that could extend, then replacing the glass is needed. The ONLY adhesive that can be used for a proper fix is a bit expensive, since it is an industrial product from 3M #847 Nitrile Adhesive. Acetone is used to dissolve any heavy build-up of the old adhesive that may have glass shards in it. We use Dremel tools here in the shop to polish/grind-off the old adhesive/glass shards on the gear ring. The dark green radial bristle disc works best in the corner area of the gear. Next the glass, if able to be reused must also be cleaned and completely free of the old adhesive. Again, acetone is used for this, followed by polishing-out the glass with a commercial-grade glass/crystal polish, all by hand, as the Dremel could scratch the glass, even with a polishing wheel on it. A thin bead of the adhesive is applied to the ring-gear on the surface the glass rests on. The glass is then applied and carefully pushed to ensure it is well seated in the ring. After that, we use some canned soup or veggies to put weight evenly on the adhesive while it cures. It should be left undisturbed for at least 24-hours to properly cure to correct strength. Following cure, it is important that all bits of excess adhesive be removed from the entire bonding area on the gear ring and glass periphery. Now it's reassembly time, but NOT before the wear surfaces of the chapter ring (big ring with numbers) that gear rides on, MUST be completely clean and smooth. ANY traces of old oil grease MUST be removed. This clock is designed such that ANY lubrication is ever needed. Oil/grease along the chapter ring surfaces attract dust/dirt and contribute to this condition. Once, clean we go back to the Dremel and polish all the inside surfaces to a mirror-finish. Be careful not to lose the 3 tension springs that lie in their own grooves along the chapter ring as well. These too, must be clean and free of dirt/grease/oil. Now its reassembly time for the whole chapter ring w/glass. Be careful to see the video above completely, that demonstrates how to reattach the hour hand/minute hand assembly to the glass. Be certain when attaching the chapter ring that you 'jiggle' it a bit to ensure engagement with the motor drive gear. As you can see this is a very involved, fussy repair that in reality should only be done by someone knowledgeable, experienced and equipped with the proper tools and supplies. Good Luck- If I can be of any further help contact me at:
newmew185@gmail.com
Bugsy's Dad Mark
@@bugsysdadenterprises wow, thank you for such a detailed response. Much appreciated!
YVW.
Hi, I broke the glass in my clock. How do I take the glass out of the ring? Does it just pop out from the drive?
Hello Susan, Unfortunately replacing the glass in your clock, is much more involved and would be difficult for the average owner, to get correct. If it isn't done properly, severe damage to the clock motor may be the result and the 'fix' would fail. Feel free to send me an email: newmew185@gmail.com and I can give you some more information and suggestions. Thanks !!
Great video! I just got one for $75 and its running fast and the glass moves freely in the frame with no resistance. Is there an alternative to 3m 847 adhesive?
Doggoneit. My apologies, I missed the notification of your question.
I'm not aware of an alternative to the 3M adhesive. It certainly is pricey, especially since you only need a small amount. I have NOT tried it, but Permatex Ultra Black shows up as an equivalent. Like the 3M product, this is primarily a gasket adhesive. They have a small bit of a rubbery texture in them. This helps the adhesive take the small bit of torque applied to the clock drive ring when starting and running, call it a cushioning effect. Do NOT use CA super-glues as a substitute, they dry rock-hard and you won't get that cushioning effect. This can shear the drive ring from the crystal (a very common issue) that you have. It will be essential that you thoroughly clean the old adhesive from the gear ring and the outer edge of the crystal. I use acetone to soften the old stuff, and then a Dremel nylon bristle brush to gently grind the residue off of the gear and an exacto flat blade to scrape the crystal edges. Then apply a thin bead of adhesive on the inside of the gear ring, drop the crystal in place, then keeping pressure on it, turn it a bit to spread out the adhesive. Finally, I use 4 soup cans for a weight on the adhesive and bonding. Give it a minimum of 24 hrs to fully cure. Good Luck and give me a reply here if I can be of any help. Cheers- Mark and Bugsy