Jump to content

Recommended Posts

Posted

I recently purchased this French 8 day mantel clock from eBay. However (see pic) this is how it arrived. To be fair to the seller he offered a full re-fund on return. However as the seller is based in Spain I offered to keep it at a greatly reduced price. This is for myself so there is no hurry and it is going to be a challenge for sure. Marble to repair, re-gilding, dial to repair these jobs I not tried before. On a positive note the movement although dirty and a broken suspension spring looks in good order. This project will keep me busy for while that’s for sure.

 

 

IMG_5785.thumb.jpg.011ebab2906ba496ef011a27a3b4046b.jpgIMG_5783.thumb.jpg.b69cc0a7e77d8d576d03e8532370372c.jpg

Posted

That should keep you busy for a while.

Might be worth having a new marble base made, using the original as a guide. A broken original has about as much value as a nice replacement.

Posted

Yes I know this will be difficult but as my workshop has gone really quiet I thought why not use it as a learning piece. Its mine to tinker with and of no real value so nothing to loose. I will give updates as I progress (if any!!!)

Posted

Gott in Himmel!  That's heartbreaking!

And marble breaking!  I knew that having the word "fragile" emblazoned in red across a package was no real magic talisman against damage, buy that's the kind of grim reminder that drives the point home. 

But I'd love to see future pics of what restoration you can do.  Please keep us informed.  The above make for some somber "before" pics.

  • 1 month later...
Posted

I had exactly the same experience when buying a slate clock from ebay. As well as coming apart, a lot of the slate was shattered into small pieces. The seller was happy enough to refund me fully and let me keep the clock. I have since managed to repair it and did a pretty good job using Milliput. Ive got to say though its much easier to repair a black clock rather than a cream one as after filling I could coat the whole thing with Marblack.

20200120_130028.jpg

20201019_234442.jpg

  • 6 months later...

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Restore formatting

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.



  • Recently Browsing

    • No registered users viewing this page.
  • Topics

  • Posts

    • Sounds like you've either got a short somewhere or excess friction that's draining the battery. Are both insulators still under the battery.
    • I have only made screws down to M1 & 14BA & I had trouble getting the slot in the centre of the head so I made a jig to help me be more accurate when cutting the slot, here is my video.  
    • I would repeat what @nickelsilver says, and even more. I have at leas 10 old thread plates and I have never seen one that will cut like a normal die. I don't know if they are completely worn or have never been sharp enough, but I find them completely useless. And, for the new Indian ones, I have heard only bad things. For sure, if one tries to cut more thread on a winding stem, this hole of the plate is ruined. Further more, I have bad experience with all watch size thread dies that I could buy from the available machine  tool shops here. They could not cut normal thread even on brass rod. The size was significantly smaller and the pitch is like it should be for the claimed size... The thread shape was bad too. I will explain how I do threads. I use lathe that can cut threads and thus I can prepare perfect taps. I use milling attachment instead cutter in the tool post and so I can cut thread even on hardened rod. But I prefer to harden the rod after thread cutting and temper it only to light color change as to have the maximum hardness. Then I make a tap out of it by grinding. I prepare my dies for screw thread cutting with the taps I have prepared as described. In watchmaking, dies exist and are often used that are not cutting, but rather forming the thread. They are like nuts and don't have cutting holes and edges. This kind of dies I prepare and use. You will need soft steel plate , drill a hole in it, then cut thread, then make chamfer on one side, repeat the thread, harden. You can temper just a little or leave untempered, depending of the steel You use. Using such die is with soft steel rod (or completely annealed). Good oil is to be generously applied. The rod has to be with smaller diam than the thread size (about 0.8 - 0.9 x ), the diam is better determined by tries. The rod elongates by the thread forming too. When I have to make screws from harder material like SS, I just cut them on the lathe. You screw needs hardening and tempering to be finished as real screw.  
    • You could make a guide/jig. Cut a slot in a piece of metal approx the same thickness as the screw head, then drill a hole (screw head diameter) in that slot.
    • Tried a SR920W and its completely dead after 3 weeks 🤷‍♂️ 
×
×
  • Create New...