essex clock repair service
 
0845 467 9006

Aside from a broken mainspring or physical interference previously by a 'bodger' or someone who simply does not know what he is doing, most clocks only stop working because they need a periodic service or because they've been moved and require setting up correctly again. A longcase or "Grandfather" clock (on which the pendulum swings each way once a second) ticks more than 30 million times a year. A carriage clock ticks close to 150 million times! So it's hardly surprising that any clock over 100 years old may need attention once every few years.

If it runs temperamentally, even a clean-looking clock may still need a proper clean. The back plate might look bright and shiny on the outside but what really matters is how clean and well-lubricated are the pivots and their holes - where the arbor (or shaft/axle) of each wheel (or gear/cog) turns in the plates. Dirt and grime accumulate here, attracted and then held by the sticky oil. The build up of dirt gradually increases, thickening the oil and drying it out, causing additional drag which saps the power of the mainsprings or weights. A little too much oil, or the wrong type of oil will often be enough to make a clock run sluggishly and eventually stop. Often, however, it is a chemical reaction between the oil and the brass and steel that causes the old oil to turn to a jelly-like coagulate and this is sometimes manifests itself in the form of a greenish tinge in the pivot holes because over time the oil composition breaks dow, especially mineral oil.

Now you'll hear a lot of horror stories about clocks that were left unchecked for years but they're not all just attempts to scare you into paying for your clock to be serviced. If left, insufficiently-lubricated pivot holes will begin to wear oval in shape due to the competing forces of the wheels, and this gradually allows the wheels to drift further and further apart so that eventually only the tips of the brass teeth engage with the steel pinion leaves, and then one day during winding half a dozen teeth are stripped or severely bent. Sorting this out is expensive and results in a clock that has permanently lost some of its value as a collectable antique.

There's only one reliable way to prevent this and that's by dismantling the movement to separate the front and back plates so that they can be properly cleaned and checked. But before any cleaning is carried out, I normally check the assembled movement for damage and excessive wear before stripping it; cleaning won't do much for a clock with a broken tooth or worn pallets. And if it's really dirty, I might even give it a prewash while it is still assembled to facilitate this important initial inspection and if any serious wear or damage is revealed, I'll tell you first and give you a price.

For speed and efficiency I use two ultrasonic cleaning tanks and either a diluted ammonia-based cleaning fluid (such as Horolene) or a greener alternative (such as Horogrene). Through a process of cavitation, the ultrasound transducers create tiny air bubbles in the warm fluid that vibrate and shift the dirt much faster than a long soak. And they can get into tiny holes, cracks and crevices that a brush can't reach. The wheels and other parts are also cleaned in the same way.

Everything then needs to be carefully dried in granules of absorbent sawdust and warm air, and then handled with gloves to avoid leaving fingerprints; the oils and acids in the skin would gradually tarnish the brass parts leaving unsightly stains after a few months. The parts then need to be checked again as they are reassembled and then lightly oiled in the right places.

If it is important to you that the plates and other parts are brightly polished (say, a carriage clock or a 400-day clock where the movement is under glass and visible), the process of polishing is undertaken before final cleaning so that all trace of the polishing materials are removed in the tank. A finish that suits most longcase clock movements involves brushing French chalk on the cleaned surface - it gives a burnished look, a restrained sheen rather than a reflective mirror-shine, that suits a clock with age. But if the movement is out of sight in a wooden case, the emphasis should be on it being properly cleaned rather than polished at all.

 

In summary, my 'routine 10-part service' includes:

1. An initial check for correct alignment and proper engagement of teeth and pallets.

2. Dismantling to examine each part including springs for signs of excessive wear and damage.

3. First ultrasonic tank clean and rinse to remove dirt and congealed oil from pivots and pivot holes.

4. Burnishing of worn pivots and rebushing any badly worn pivot holes.

5. Redressing pallet faces where damaged or worn.

6. Second ultrasonic tank clean to remove all trace of debris.

7. Making up new silk threads, gut lines, suspensions etc. and greasing or replacing mainsprings.

8. Reassemble loosely for final adjustments to ensure proper operation.

9. Tightening up, and oiling pivots and pallets with the finest synthetic clock oils.

10. Regulation to optimise timekeeping.

 

Often cleaning alone gives a movement a new lease of life so it tends to run more freely and that in turn may mean that it needs regulating again to correct the time-keeping. This is quite easy but for spring-driven clocks it cannot be rushed so if you're in a hurry, I'll explain what is required and leave that to you if you prefer. If you do wish me to regulate it, there's no additional charge but I shall need to have the pendulum.

Next, have a look at my clear, easy-to-understand price list.

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