Which Clock Have You Got Coming In The Mail (or you are picking up)? Show Us !!!

[Shane]

I have a n antique Ship's Bell clock on the way.  I have always wanted one.  This one is West German from the late sixties or seventies I would guess.  I'm not very nautically minded but hearing them in all the old movies made me want one.

I'm looking forward to it softly ringing through the night.

Shane 

[oldhippy]

I'm looking forward to it softly ringing through the night.

Are you sure

[Shane]

2 hours ago, oldhippy said:

I'm looking forward to it softly ringing through the night.

Are you sure

At least until that gets old.  I will say that I have a long cased chiming wall clock that strikes the hours and half hours.  It's on the wall about three feet above my head while sleeping.  My wife says, I can lurn to ignore almost anything, just ask her.  The weird thing is, I think a wind up alarm clock ticks to fast and keeps me up.

Shane 

Edited September 5, 2022 by Shane

[Michael1962]

Question for the more knowledgable than I. Hands on an old Enfield. Nickel coated brass I take it?

The hands on the clock I got from the Northern Territory have been subjected to years of high humidity and suffered for it. In cleaning them up, the green tarnish on the hands has removed some of the plating.

From the appearance of the hands and that the finish is not bright, I presume that the original brass base metal has been plated with nickel?

I also need to get hold of a nut that goes on the pendulum for adjusting the length. It looks like it has nearly stripped and unless I fabricate a new one and then get myself the correct tap for the thread, I'm going to need to get hold of one. This one may hang on for a bit, but I don't hold out great hope.

Edited September 10, 2022 by Michael1962

[oldhippy]

Correct. You might be able to pick up a pair of hands on ebay, there are normally loads of Smith Enfield movements even part movements.  

[Michael1962]

Not too worried about picking up hands for it @oldhippy as I'm using this movement to practice bushing etc, I have two transformers which I have given a birthday to and I am going to set myself up to be able to do nickel plating as well as chrome plating.

I am still trying to work out polishing the brass from the Hettich to get a mirror finish. Proving to be more difficult than I thought. Not sure what is going on, but I'll work it out.

I must admit, it is quite hard to relegate a movement to be something you will use for learning, but there you go. Have to do it some time. The case for this clock needs a lot of work to make it passable so I think it'll end up as the workshop clock that I will pull apart occasionally and use for practice until I can do it without having to concentrate so hard on ho wit all goes together.

But then, that is what we are all striving for. To be able to do this work with confidence.

I take my hat off to anyone on here that takes this art on, as I have nothing but respect for those that already have this craft under their belts.

Edited September 10, 2022 by Michael1962

[Michael1962]

Hi everyone,

I have gone further into this and the Enfield will need some work done to the threaded post that holds the chime mounting block.

It took me a while to work out what the thread was. All made sense once I remembered back to when it was made and where. BA thread. #2BA specifically.

Since I intend on doing clocks initially, if I was to look at getting some BA Taps & dies, what size range would I need to look at, or do I just buy the sizes that I need at the time?

[watchweasol]

Hi Michael  If you can lay your hands on a BA set it would be nice but as most clocks use an assortment of threads according to where they are made  ie  mm in Europe , old english clocks BA  so It makes sense to purchase what you need when you need it and buy good ones as the quality differs. I have three sets one I inherited whose taps would have a hard time cutting a thread in cheese. 

[Michael1962]

On 8/18/2022 at 7:45 PM, watchweasol said:

II

I have just realised that the wheel labelled A in this photo is exactly the same as the wheel in the movement from the grandmother clock that I have. It is an Urgos movement and I could not work out how the escape wheel could appear so worn when the pallets looked fine?  I now realise it is all exactly as it should be. Now I need to learn about auto-beat wheels. 

[oldhippy]

Ha Ha Ha your learning.

[Michael1962]

Hi Again everyone. So I have two questions.

Would you consider paying AUD$85  (or offer) for a Schatz 400 day clock that does not have the key, suspension or glass dome?

Can these parts be found online?

Thanks,

Michael.

Just noticed in a photo that the hour hand has been mangled a bit. Not sure what has happened there. So would hands be available online as well?

[HectorLooi]

I think I would. The key, dome and suspension are available and not very expensive. 

But the hands would be trickier. You have to measure hour wheel and minute hand pivot to see if you can find a matched pair of hands.

[oldhippy]

It depends on the movement if its a miniature the answer is no. It also depends on its age, domes can be bought but it will not be glass but plastic, the early ones would have had a glass dome. Keys are easy to buy and when repairing such clocks it is good practice to fit a new suspension spring, the blocks for to and bottom can be bought and so can the pallet fork.  I would like to see the clock first beforw making a comment on the hands because of the style.   

[Michael1962]

I am also looking at another ad in Gumtree which has 5 complete 400 day clocks that all need servicing etc. The Horlvar book, numerous suspensions in their packages, all the keys and all of the domes. $500, $20 postage according to the seller.

And there is a French carriage clock thrown in as well. Platform escapement, but the glass that fits in the top cover is badly chipped. I'll have to find another one, if I decide to get these.

My wife is going to kill me. So if you never hear from me again, look under the Roses.

@oldhippy the Schatz has a base that looks to be about 200mm ont rule in the photo and about 250mm tall.

I think this ad for 5 400 day clock s and the little French carriage clock is a way better deal though.

https://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/harvey/clocks/anniversary-clocks-400-day-and-parts-for-repair-/1322310727

The seller has already posted a lot more pictures.

The clock on the left hand side of the photo has no maker on the dial, but the emblem on the back of the movement is an anchor. I though I might be able to find makers marks online, but have not been able to find this one yet.

I found it. It's a Gustav Becker. GB beside the anchor spine and a crown at the top of the anchor.  1923~1933.

 

Edited February 25 by Michael1962

[watchweasol]

Hi Michael I have several of these clocks both quartz and mechanical and never paid above £20 English for any of them the cheapest was a Bentima with I think it was a schatz movement for £5 with a broken suspension. So the $500 dollar deal looks ok as it includes many suspensions top/bottom blocks the book. Which retails at £25 to 30 here in England depending where you get it. You also get a handful of clocks to play with. Also you have got a Gustav Becker which is a very good maker.  It’s easy for me and others to speculate but it’s not our neck in the noose. But never mind after the divorce you will have somthing to do

500$ aus equates to £259 .      Not a bad deal

[Michael1962]

As I foretold, Liz was REALLY annoyed.

All moot anyway, as they just sold to someone else. My offer wasn't good enough, I suppose. I'm a bit bummed out to tell the truth.

[oldhippy]

The best one in that photo is the one at the back with the disc pendulum that is old and the dome should be glass. I wouldn't pay that much for that one you are after. 

Edited February 25 by oldhippy

[Michael1962]

I just checked some other pictures that were sent to me. The Gustav Becker is indeed the clock at the back that you are talking about @oldhippy

I wasn't really after only one of them in particular. I just thought it was a good deal. When I saw that there was a Gustav Becker, I was even more interested.

Anyway, doesn't matter now.

[Dell]

I restore torsion clocks for myself and other people because most clockmakers won’t touch them , I have just finished this Gustav Becker that I purchased knowing it had a broken mainspring and expecting other damage usually bent teeth, bent arbor, broken pivots but to my surprise the only thing I could find wrong with it had nothing to do with the mainspring and that was the threaded anchor pin was loose ( thread gone in anchor) even the mainspring wasn’t broken it just wasn’t catching the hook on barrel arbor so I closed centre of mainspring up so it would catch hook so I could use the mainspring winder , I didn’t use the mainspring again because it is distorted.

I already have the same clock in my collection but with oak case this one has a Mahogany case.

Dell

[watchweasol]

Nice clock, spring has had it though.

[oldhippy]

I never had any problem with these clocks once I bought the book on them it is a clock makers bible. Both nice looking clocks and with cases like those no draft can up set them. 

[Dell]

The Horolovar 400 day repair guide has a lot of errors see here

https://mb.nawcc.org/threads/horolovar-400-day-clock-repair-guide-10th-edition-errors-and-updates.178946/

but for anyone new to repairing torsion clocks it’s invaluable I have over 30 in my collection and have probably done over a hundred but they can still be frustrating sometimes.

A few more of my clocks the last picture is a Schatz 1000 day can run on one wind for three years.

Dell

[oldhippy]

The disk pendulum with glass dome are the good old ones to go after.  

[Dell]

7 hours ago, oldhippy said:

The disk pendulum with glass dome are the good old ones to go after.  

Yes I have 20 of them and they are usually better made but not always, the best and most reliable time keeper was made by the only French maker of torsion clocks, Claude Grivolas my one is 1908 but some had German plates due to a patent dispute they couldn’t use there own movements until the dispute had been settled in early 1908 , the round movements are fully Grivolas square movements are JUF or Hauck and maybe other German manufacturers 

Dell

[oldhippy]

That is in a class of it's own. How lucky you are. You don't see many of those.