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Cheap German wall clock repaired


GeorgeClarkson

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We received from an old lady that passed away a couple of years ago this cheapo German wall clock. It was working nicely until our last moving, during which someone or something pulled one of the two hanging chains a bit too far, breaking a ring and letting it completely fall off the clock. I decided it was time to repair it...

This is the inside of the clock. As you can see, it is a cheap clock, so not really worth repairing, but why not?

In the first picture o had already removed the right (how is that thing called???), the one that makes the "cu" sound.

IMG_20170226_204721574.jpg

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What you have is a 30-hour mass-produced cuckoo clock; there is a knack of fitting the chain, it is possible to do that with the movement still in the case. They are called bellows that make the sound; todays are made out of synthetic material. Old antique original cuckoo clocks the bellows were made out of goatskin and the clocks would stand on tables they did not hang on walls and they were spring driven with a fusee movement. Well done in sorting it out, they are fiddle little sods and many clock repairs will not touch these modern types. It has a good beat as well.

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2 minutes ago, oldhippy said:

What you have is a 30-hour mass-produced cuckoo clock; there is a knack of fitting the chain, it is possible to do that with the movement still in the case. They are called bellows that make the sound; todays are made out of synthetic material. Old antique original cuckoo clocks the bellows were made out of goatskin and the clocks would stand on tables they did not hang on walls and they were spring driven with a fusee movement. Well done in sorting it out, they are fiddle little sods and many clock repairs will not touch these modern types. It has a good beat as well.

 

I was hoping you would chime in. Thanks for the info and yes bellows is the name, only that at 22:00 my mind was a bit tired... It is 8:00 in the morning and I just heard, precisely at the hour change, the cuckoo sing. Delighted to hear that even if it come from a mass produced, cheapo wall clock. And a couple of seconds later, the gong of the other wall clock in the living room just reminded me I am late for work... More pics of the cuckoo later.

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I forgot to mention the early cuckoos were made of wood and the wings would lift as if to be flapping/flying, modern ones are made of some type of plastic. It looks like you have all the info on the back plate, enough there to find out more about your clock.

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