Jump to content

Help with mantle clock


tyl

Recommended Posts

Hi. The gear. Sat on the top of the escapement is the pendulum length adjustment of a brocot escapement. Poking through the front plate there should be an arbour with a small squared end this when turned turns the gear on the escapement top and raises or lowers the pendulum block.   If the clock is running fast then try turning this arbour and lower the pendulum.  If you have the right key it should have a large end for winding and a small end to adjust the shaft.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi.  you are right it’s for fine tuning  but to set the coarse timing it needs to be central position before we start as once the coarse timing is set and the block is either at the top or bottom it is of little use.  We need to determine is the pendulum the correct one ie. Numbers match movement and perhaps a longer suspension spring ? And get a useful rate first.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thank you for the replies.  I have adjusted the pendulum as long as it will go.  There seems to be no correlation between the numbers stamped on the clockworks 5433 52 and the pendulum 1092CV.  See pic.  Is there anyplace other than the back plate that could have 1092CV stamped?    I also note that it no longer chimes on the half hour - could I have done something?

The clock is reset and I will see how much time it gains tomorrow morning.

Pendulum.jpg

Edited by tyl
Addition
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Also wondering why it stopped chiming on the half hour.

Still studying the escapement.  I am now guessing that the wheel/gear on top (horizontal) raises and lowers the block which pinches the suspension spring.  Thereby effectively making the pendulum somewhat longer or shorter but by small increments - make sense?  Hence your comment about adjusting it by seconds instead of minutes.  I do not seem to have an arbor for adjusting from the front (at least from looking at my pics) and my key (which may not be original) does not invert for other sized winding.  I am guessing instead that this clock has a brass stop shown in the pics which holds that gear in place after adjustment.  Or am I overthinking this? 

 

 

Edited by tyl
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Good info.  Thanks.   Two key holes so this clock strikes.  It had not been wound for probably 40 years as it was completely wound up when we bought it.  For that reason I have let it run until about yesterday when I thought the strikes began to be a little slower.  I wound each side about four times, maybe five, but do not recognize any change in the speed of the strikes.  

One of the posts that I read said that overwinding a clock is just a myth.  Maybe I should wind it up more?  Earlier it was absolutely striking on the half hour.

Otherwise it is running beautifully; gains about five minutes overnight and I am ok with that for now.  I think the pendulum is lengthened as much as possible although now I remember that the top hook has a few threads and I could use that for adjustment.  

Appreciate your help.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi the myth regarding over wound. Clocks and watches is attributed to either dry/dirty or set mainsprings  also dirty/worn movements where pivots are worn the oil has dried up leaving a sticky residue or has attracted Dust and become a gummy paste whick if left will wear the pivot holes or the pivots or both.  They become “ overwound” as the movement is wound to capacity and won’t run because of the above problems    First thing to do with any movement “ overwound” is to let down the power so the spring relaxes. Service the movement and run the movement , you may not get the power reserve as the spring is tired and set you have little alternative other than change the spring for a new one. Being overwound is a symptom of other causes.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 months later...

Now that the mantel clock is keeping good time, I have another question.  The clockface is a dark bronze and is quite hard to read even in the daytime.  How can I clean or lighten up the clockface.  I am afraid to use Brasso to clean the brass? and think it might remove the black numbers whicn are most likely just black paint.

 

Thx for your help.

Mantel clockface.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Apart from going over it with cotton wool and dip it in warm water there is nothing you can do. You could have the dial restored by a dial restorer but then it might look odd against the clock case.  

Don't use Brasso as it will remove everything on that dial don't use any abrasive. 

Edited by oldhippy
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

5 hours ago, LittleWatchShop said:

Ratchet wheel will break if you wind it too hard. When you get to the end of the wind and continue torquing, you can (and I did) break the wheel. So, yes, a rare case of over winding.

Start at 1:15

here

There is no such thing as over winding. If the ratchet broke it is a fault with the ratchet. Once the spring is wound up to its full it will not wind anymore. The whole over winding thing is an old wives tail. 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

19 minutes ago, oldhippy said:

Just skipped through it, its about watches. 

Respectfully, you are wrong. If you had watched the video at the time point I mentioned, you would understand my point. Secondly, I own this watch and I broke it by "over winding." You may say it is the fault of the rachet wheel, but I am the one who applied excessive torque. Indeed, IMHO, the design of the rachet wheel is poor--google it.

I will agree that the concept of over winding is generally a myth. As I would sit in my dad's shop day after day, people would come in with this complaint and we would chuckle under our breath.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

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

    • Even for myself who only started getting into watch repair/servicing during COVID I have seen a huge jump in watch prices - we have a 404 channel on this forum. When I started you could relatively easily find a watch on eBay to restore and put onto the channel, however this is now almost impossible and the only feasible solution is to buy a job lot with an average price <4.04. Even watches sold for parts/spares are 3 or four times the price of only a few years ago. Why - Either Demand must have increased in order to push up the price, or supply is reduced. I think it is a little of both, I think that most watches in the UK/US may have been picked over, which agrees with most of what @Neverenoughwatches says so supply of all kinds of vintage watches, including tat is dwindling. As a double whammy I think that more people are wanting watches, either to work on, or as a way to differentiate themselves from the Apple Watch and FitBit crowd. The upshot is that half decent watches that require restoration are now $500 instead of $100 and cheaper watches (Seiko 5 etc) are now $50 instead of $10, and even Mumbai Specials and garbage are now pushing $50 each. When - how long will this last, I think that most of the people who are returning to mechanical watches are those that have previously experienced life without them and want to return to something with a bit of personality that doesn't buzz every 10 seconds on your wrist and tell you how many steps you have done today. i.e. the 30-40+ generation. My son who is 17 has several mechanical watches but only wears one on a special occasion and is obviously only aware of them at all in part due to my hobby. I asked him the other day how many of his friends wear a watch and he told me that some use a smart watch but most just use their phones. So as I see it, demand will start to fall once the sub-thirty crowd start becoming the majority and/or the older amongst us stop buying watches and switch our attention to mobility scooters and trying to remember our bank password. Price - I think this is here to stay, even if demand does start to drop as the older generation becomes to decrepit and stops buying and the younger generation isn't interested in buying, supply will become progressively less as time goes on as more vintage watches become lost or broken beyond repair. I think the prices will plateau at some point as an equilibrium is reached as reduced demand is balanced with reduced supply, i.e. less and less people buying less and less watches. Sorry for the long ramble!
    • Hi. Use a PVA based glue, gorilla glue it dries transparent then do as advised by Old Hippy, smoothe down using very fine  0000 wire wool and either French polish or beeswax for a finish.
    • Hello and welcome to the forum.    Enjoy
    • The problem with oil in particular 9010 is it likes to spread. This is why you're supposed to use epilam anywhere it's used to keep the oil in place. Then you want to splurge on money you could buy 941 it's actually an oil that existed before 9415. Then the problem with the grease yes it stays in place but if you have too much you lose amplitude. Then if you get really obsessed with this he would follow Omega's recommendation for escapement lubrication. One of the problems with internal documents of the watch companies is typically are never going to see Them.But a few of them out in the wild for instance at this link Below I searched for the keyword of working. In particular working instructions of the Omega watch company for which there is way more than This but this is all they have. So you want to download number 40 as were going to talk about that and also download Number 81. Plus anything else that looks interesting https://www.cousinsuk.com/document/search?SearchString=Working Then number 40 covers lubrication of the watch. Most interesting is lubrication of the lever escapement under three different conditions with Lubrifar Which you probably no longer have has been washed off without which is what you have and then a course with epilam. Notice how they go supers super minimalistic with the 9415 because if it's too heavy you lose amplitude. Then if you lose amplitude the group will be disappointed with you and the end of the world will come.      
    • You would always get an answer John, you dont need to be dramatic or humerous to get one, but it was appreciated anyway 🙂 Kind of, for those of us that wish to stay in touch and continue to learn from each other in case the forum ever dissappears then yes i suppose so . I  hope that you would also count yourself in , what we learn from you is invaluable,  how you benefit from that exactly I'm not sure, being able to teach ? I did say is it ok to ask mark for some input John and suggested that he might read the thread that explains how some of us feel. I dont see how its really discussing forum policy, but in all honesty i wish i had never even bothered now.
×
×
  • Create New...