Things you don't see anymore.
- Thread starter 1970's Fan
- Start date
MuseChaser
Super Member
Excellent point. I'll take, "What are 'Things you don't see anymore' for $400, Alex..."
MuseChaser
Super Member
How about this? Just reworked the movement for a friend of mine. Early 1900's Seth Thomas weight-driven Ogee clock....
All the slot screws are nice to see (Phillips screws were invented in 1932 I believe). What did you clean the brass with?
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MuseChaser
Super Member
Glad y'all liked tha
If you want to brighten the wheels, a bath in a citric acid solution works wonders, followed by Weiman's. I've done maybe 50 torsion clocks (sometimes called "Anniversary" or 400-day clocks) like that and they come out beautifully. Just have to make SURE you completely rinse all polish and buff, then clean out every minute pivot hole before reassembly. I'm hesitant to use the acid bath on valuable, very old, or other people's clocks, just out of an abundance of caution. It makes run-of-the-mill clocks look beautiful.
Here's a bunch I did back during Covid when I first got started on the hobby. Haven't touched them since, other than winding them once a year....
These were all basket cases from Goodwill, brown, dull, tarnished, not working, missing parts, etc. Feels good to keep these babies alive. This is maybe 1/10th of the ones I have.
Thanks for the question!
For the wheels (gears), pivots, and plates it varies on age and condition. This one was REALLY gummy...I don't think it had ever had a full tear down and cleaning, and it's well over 100 years old. There was some wear on the steel pivots and the brass pivot holes on the front and back plates, but other than that it was in good shape mechanically. Hand-cleaned each part with Dawn, hot water, and a soft toothbrush, then 15 minutes in a mild ultrasonic cleaner with more Dawn and water, followed by thorough rinse in water then a bath in 91% isopropyl and blow drying to make sure ALL the water was removed. I polished the front and back plates with Weiman polish (great stuff), but didn't do any of the wheels.
If you want to brighten the wheels, a bath in a citric acid solution works wonders, followed by Weiman's. I've done maybe 50 torsion clocks (sometimes called "Anniversary" or 400-day clocks) like that and they come out beautifully. Just have to make SURE you completely rinse all polish and buff, then clean out every minute pivot hole before reassembly. I'm hesitant to use the acid bath on valuable, very old, or other people's clocks, just out of an abundance of caution. It makes run-of-the-mill clocks look beautiful.
Here's a bunch I did back during Covid when I first got started on the hobby. Haven't touched them since, other than winding them once a year....
These were all basket cases from Goodwill, brown, dull, tarnished, not working, missing parts, etc. Feels good to keep these babies alive. This is maybe 1/10th of the ones I have.
Thanks for the question!
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I actually had to go back and look at the title of the thread.
j!m
Super Member
Ronson lighter fluid is an excellent (and cheap) watch and clock parts cleaner.
If you use a "double boiler" type set up, you can use it in the ultrasonic for exceptional results.
Still would need polish if that's your thing.
My son is very into clocks and has some old ones. None with wooden wheels (yet)...
If you use a "double boiler" type set up, you can use it in the ultrasonic for exceptional results.
Still would need polish if that's your thing.
My son is very into clocks and has some old ones. None with wooden wheels (yet)...
I'd love to find one of those at a Goodwill or similar place, I remember the hardware store in our little town still had one of those tube testers in the late 1970's...
My dad owned a tavern growing up and it had a glass cigar case where customers could buy cigars. He'd bring home empty cigar boxes that my brothers and I used for baseball cards, etc. Dad also used empty cigar boxes to put cash and checks in to take to the bank for deposit. When I got old enough to work for him, he'd hand me the deposit in the cigar box and I'd walk down to the bank. I never worried someone would jump me and take it. I was more worried about bringing back all the paperclips and rubber bands he used to organize the cash and checks for the deposit. The tellers knew Dad well enough that they'd usually throw in a few extras to make sure he had at least the ones I'd shown up with and a few more to keep him happy.
Of course, the laws changed and there was no longer smoking in the tavern, which I appreciated. Before that, Dad, being a smoker, wouldn't notice the thick smoke gathering. I'd usually have to ask him to turn on the big exhaust fan and that would help the situation considerably. I once cleaned all the plastic reflectors on the few fluorescent light fixtures in the bar, which were yellow with nicotine. Yuck.
Nice work MuseChaser. I have a few old clocks here, including this one which was a wedding gift to my paternal grandparents early in the last century.
This Ansonia "La Vendee" Bonn porcelain case clock is the oddest one. Unfortunately its not running currently. Should be cleaned. Maybe someday.
Kind of sad that cell phones, TV's, computers, microwaves, etc. with built in time is killing off watches and clocks (except for the collectable ones).
Depends on if he wears an old Casio digital watch like hipsters do.
It's been years since I wore a watch since. I carry my phone with me when I leave the house, plus I need to put in a new battery (more like a special-order capacitor) in my Seiko Kinetic watch.
Hey, I wear a basic Timex digital watch, that I used to get from Target, and now get from Walmart.
They survive being worn every day, being battered, scraped and banged up with me with my hand deep inside machinery- they just work. Usually for close to 20 years each.
Funny thing, is that when I got the first one, it was sort of popular. By the time I had to replace it 18 or so years later (it still worked, but the crystal was so borked you couldn't read it), it was highly UN-popular. I just replaced it again, a few years ago- and apparently, from the comments I get from other people (frequently younger), it's back to being popular again.
I'm just generally amused by it all...
Regards,
Gordon.
If you wear it long enough—no matter what it is—it will eventually come back in style. OTOH, I had a gf whose mother used to say that if you wore it the first time it was in fashion, you don’t get to wear it the second time around. She was referring to miniskirts.
Things you don't see anymore...
People who understand that the speed limit does not mean that you should get on the interstate and get in the middle of three lanes and drive 15 mph below the speed limit.
Also drivers in general actually understanding traffic rules and the flow of traffic. Just idiots everywhere these days. People who in no way should have ever gotten a license to operate a vehicle.
People who understand that the speed limit does not mean that you should get on the interstate and get in the middle of three lanes and drive 15 mph below the speed limit.
Also drivers in general actually understanding traffic rules and the flow of traffic. Just idiots everywhere these days. People who in no way should have ever gotten a license to operate a vehicle.