French Regulator Clock--a new project

[oldhippy]

8 hours ago, LittleWatchShop said:

I discovered that the lift lever that rachets up the chime count lever catches on the lever for a couple of different hour positions.  My analysis is that it needs to be longer.  See my sketch.  The red element needs to be longer.  What is on the clock now does not appear to be original.

I am hoping to find an image of what an original one looked like.  Also should it be brass or steel?

ALSO!!  What are these parts called...I am a little rusty on terminology.

It is just a normal rack strike your clock doesn't chime. Check the wear to the gathering pallet and the wear of the teeth to the rack. Make sure the snail is in its correct position. The best way is at 12 the rack should drop on the snail leaving a good gap before the next hour which will be one. Do you need me to explain about the worning   and the position of the wheels with pins where they should be before striking or are you OK with that part.  

[LittleWatchShop]

5 hours ago, oldhippy said:

The best way is at 12 the rack should drop on the snail leaving a good gap before the next hour which will be one.

Yeah, I had the snail off by a few degrees.  It is working fine after the adjustment.

[oldhippy]

Good show. 

[LittleWatchShop]

On my way to San Antonio...found a guy that is gonna sell me a couple of disassembled French clocks.  Crossing my fingers...

[LittleWatchShop]

I got a bunch of stuff on this little trip.  A disassembled French Regulator.  This one is a little different.  The mainspring barrels appear to be quite close, but I have to take the other one apart to be sure.  I noticed the different stamps on the movements.  I wonder how similar they should be.

[oldhippy]

Highly unlikely they will be interchangeable. Different makers to start with. 

[LittleWatchShop]

59 minutes ago, oldhippy said:

Highly unlikely they will be interchangeable. Different makers to start with. 

Bummer!!  Well I got a lot of parts to do something with...and a bunch of other movements and some watches...I guess the drive was worth it.

[oldhippy]

The thing with these French movements is they look all the same but in most cases parts are really interchangeable. You could have ten barrels and I bet they will all be different.  

[clockboy]

Agree I have many spare french movement parts I have accumulated over the years but very rarely are the parts interchangeable. 

[watchweasol]

Hi  Nearly all the makers as OH said are different, subtle but different and are as such not interchangeable, I think there is a mougin movement in my stache with a broken pallet arbour so the barrels are intact, I will have a look see what ive got and will be in touch.

[LittleWatchShop]

3 hours ago, watchweasol said:

Hi  Nearly all the makers as OH said are different, subtle but different and are as such not interchangeable, I think there is a mougin movement in my stache with a broken pallet arbour so the barrels are intact, I will have a look see what ive got and will be in touch.

Thanks.

[watchweasol]

Hi  I will do a recheck tomorrow  As OH sais there are differences and that may be applied to the locks attributed to a single maker.  Its quite possible the plates were made by one outworker the wheets another and the barrels another and all put together and stamped by the "Maker" like so many of the old pocket watches in England.

[rodabod]

What I would possibly aim to do is find a barrel of a similar size and re-bush the barrel to fit the original barrel arbor (and possibly adjust the barrel arbor if need be too.

[oldhippy]

You will need to find one of the exact size with the same teeth count with the same teeth height and teeth depth and width. 

Highly unlikely for this to happen. Have a new section made and cut.   

[LittleWatchShop]

I talked to the owner today.  I am going to leave the barrels as they are for now.  The clock is running nicely.  The chime hesitates a little when it gets around to those bent teeth.  Frankly, my thinking is that he will run it for a few months and then quit winding it and will sit in some place as a very pretty piece.  I cleaned it up very nicely...it looks quite good.

Down the road, if he has the passion, I will have new barrels made for it.  There are a few guys in Texas that do this...about $250 per barrel.

Today I ordered glass vials and steel slugs for the pendulum.

[oldhippy]

Oh well you can't win them all. Does the person know how much a clock like this is worth? 

This is what it say in the book The French Marble Clock by Nicholas M Thorpe

MOUGIN, A.D.

Belived to be the Mougin of Haermincourt, who exhibited roulants in 1900. Name also associated with JAPY, MARTI, ROUX, AND MOUGIN

[watchweasol]

Hi I had a look in the box of bits and I have several barrels so today I will check them against you measurements and see where we go from there.    cheers