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This Waterbury tambour mantel clock was made around 1920. The movement plates are steel that have been given a thin brass plating. Brass bushings were inserted in the plates so that the pivots (steel gear shafts) can turn in brass holes as usual (steel on steel would cause severe wear).

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This clock strikes the hours and half-hours on a heavy coil gong. The case is 17 1/8 inches wide and 9 3/4 inches tall. The dial’s minute track is 4 3/8  inch diameter, and the minute hand is 2 1/4 inches from center to tip. The video below shows the clock striking:

When the clock arrived in my shop, the finish had been stripped from the case. I stained it with brown mahogany gel stain, and finished it with spray semi-gloss Deft lacquer.

This movement is a good example of an American clock movement with weak mainsprings. The springs are open (no barrel), 3/4 inch wide, 0.014 inch thick, and about 8 feet long. Many American movements have stronger springs (0.0165 – 0.018 inch thick). A 0.018 inch thick mainspring provides over twice the force of a 0.014 inch thick spring (because the force is proportional to the thickness cubed).

This movement has a strip deadbeat escapement with a very small escape arc (the minimum swing needed for the clock to tick). The running arc is over 3 times the escape arc, showing that the thin springs provide plenty of power for this movement. Unfortunately, it is difficult to find weak enough springs if replacements are necessary. Springs that are too strong will cause wear. The video below shows a closeup of the escapement, and shows the amount of pendulum swing, starting from the minimum:

Repair job 5675.

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2. Sessions “President No. 3″ Tambour Mantel Clock
3. Seth Thomas Tambour Mantel Clock
4. Sessions “Stratford” Tambour Mantel Clock
5. Sessions Tambour Mantel Clock, Made in 1938.

This Seth Thomas mantel clock from about 1910 – 1920 has an Adamantine (celluloid) wood-grain finish. The movement is marked “89″ and has bim-bam striking on the hour and a single tone strike (the high note only) on the half-hour. The case is 19 7/8  inches wide and 9 1/2 inches tall. The dial is silvered brass with printed numerals and a 4 7/16 inch diameter minute track. The minute hand is 2 3/8 inches long.

I cleaned the movement, polished the pivots, and installed 13 bushings. The pendulum rod and pendulum bob were previous replacements. The clock was losing time, so I shortened the pendulum rod by 3/8 inch.

I replaced the time mainspring because it was causing wear to the mainwheel teeth. I intended to keep the original strike mainspring, but it broke after cleaning and lubrication, as I was winding it into the clamp for re-assembly. The original mainsprings have the following measurements:

Time: 3/4 wide by 0.0185 inch thick (thicker than usual for a Seth Thomas No. 89 movement)

Strike: 3/4 inch by  0.017 to 0.0172 inch thick).

The replacement mainsprings are no. 280-19-003 from Colonial Clock Co., and have the following measurements:

Time: 3/4 inch wide by 0.0158 – 0.016 inch thick by 120 inches long

Strike: 3/4 inch wide by 0.0162 inch thick by 120 inches long.

The movement is a variation on the basic No. 89 having bim-bam strike. It was made before Seth Thomas started giving different model number to variations on the basic movement.

Here is a video showing the pendulum motion and the striking:

See more photos.

Repair job 5640.

Related posts:

1. Two Seth Thomas “Plymouth” Tambour Mantel Clocks, 1938 and 1945
2. Seth Thomas Tambour Mantel Clock
3. Late Seth Thomas Adamantine Mantel Clock, 1918
4. Gilbert Tambour Mantel Clock with Bim-Bam Striking
5. Seth Thomas Mahogany Adamantine Mantel Clock

I just repaired this Ansonia “Queen Elizabeth” mahogany wall clock. The top piece to the case is not shown in the photo, but the catalog illustration below shows the complete clock. The overall height with the top is 37 inches, and the width is 13 5/8 inches. The dial in this example has a replacement paper face, and the minute hand is not original (but similar to the original).

The movement is the 5-pillar Ansonia 8 day time and strike, with plate dimensions 5 7/8 by 3 5/8 inches. Repairs included polishing the pivots and replacing improper bushings (3 Rathbun and 2 screw-in) with KWM-sized American system bushings. I replaced the strike click rivet.

I retained the original strike mainspring, which measured 3/4 x 0.0175 – 0.0185 inch. The original time spring was very thick (0.019 inch) and causing mainwheel tooth wear, so I replaced it with a 3/4 x 0.016 x 120 inch mainspring, part no. 280-19-003 from Colonial Clock Shop.

See more photos.

Repair job 5634.

Related posts:

1. Ansonia “Queen Elizabeth” Wall Clock in Oak Case
2. Ansonia Queen Elizabeth Wall Clock
3. Ansonia Round Drop Wall Clock
4. Ansonia “Sharon” Cabinet Clock
5. Ansonia Walnut Kitchen (Shelf) Clock

This beautiful wall regulator has an oak case that is 37 1/2 inches tall and 18 5/8 inches wide. The painted dial has an oak bezel, and the minute track is 11 inches diameter. The minute hand is 5 11/16 inches from center to tip.

The movement has thick brass plates and hard steel pivots. The escapement is the Graham deadbeat, there is maintaining power to keep the clock going during winding, and stopworks to limit the amount of winding. The 7 pound weight is hangs on a pulley, and there is a pulley at the top right of the case so that the weight descends at the right side of the case. There is a tie-down at the bottom to secure the pendulum while the clock is being transported.

When the clock came in for repair, one pulley was missing. There was significant wear to the pivots and pivot holes. I believe that the clock was run for years with only the top right pulley, resulting in twice the driving force applied to the movement. This could explain the wear, which seemed abnormally high.

Having the weight hang on a pulley reduces the driving force by 50%. The pendulum has a lot of overswing (supplementary arc), and would probably run on 30% less weight and still have good overswing.

See more photos.

Repair job 5281.

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3. A Waltham Mantel Clock with Two Sevens on the Dial!
4. Waterbury “Crane” store regulator in oak case
5. Gustav Becker 2 Weight Wall Clock Made in Tschechoslovakia (Czechoslovakia)

The model name of this Adamantine mantel clock is “Adele”. When it was new the case was deep red, but it has faded to red-orange. The clock is 11 1/2 inches tall and 12 1/2 inches wide at the feet. The minute hand is 2 1/8 inches long.

The movement is labeled “4 1/2″ on the back, but it is the same as the No. 89 movement. The name “Adele” is stamped in ink on the bottom of the case. There may be a date code as well, but it is very faint.

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Repair job 5564. This clock has its  original mainsprings marked Seth Thomas. They are both 3/4 inches wide and 0.0175 inch thick.

Related posts:

1. Seth Thomas Red & Black Adamantine Mantel Clock
2. Seth Thomas Mahogany Adamantine Mantel Clock
3. Seth Thomas Mahogany Adamantine Mantel Clock
4. Seth Thomas Green and Black Adamantine Mantel Clock, Rear Escapement
5. Seth Thomas “Adamantine” Mantel Clock with “Ding Dong” Strike

Seth Thomas Sons & Co. was a division of the Seth Thomas Clock Co. from 1865 to 1879. Their figural clocks such as this one have a round time and strike movement loosely modeled after the round French clock movements. They are very good runners, but have a problem with the gear teeth bending too easily. I first repaired this clock over 10 years ago, and had to straighten some bent time mainspring barrel teeth about 7 years ago and again this month. Also there were 3 bent teeth on the strike second wheel, and the time ratchet gear has needed replacing twice.

The case is  17 3/8 inches tall and 13 inches wide. The dial’s minute track is 2 31/32 inches outside diameter.

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Repair job 5550.

Related posts:

1. Seth Thomas Round Top Mantel Clock
2. Seth Thomas “Plymouth” Tambour Mantel Clock
3. Seth Thomas Tambour Mantel Clock
4. Seth Thomas Mahogany Adamantine Mantel Clock
5. Plymouth (by Seth Thomas) 1940s Mantel Clock

It is common to use a tapered pin to secure the hands on American antique clocks. Seth Thomas, however, originally used a straight pin with a pointed end to secure the hands on many of their clocks. Here are photos of the original pins, washers and hands to a Seth Thomas Adamantine mantel clock made in 1902.

The pin is 1.3 milimeter diameter steel wire with one pointed end, 9.5 mm long. It has 2 (sometimes 3) convex steel washers with square holes, 8.15 mm diameter, .3 mm thick, domed to 1.1 mm high.

Most antique clocks don’t have their original hand retaining pin, but I seen many Seth Thomas clocks over the years with pins and washers like those shown here.

Related posts:

1. Mainsprings for Seth Thomas Queen Anne, Time and Strike, with Second Hand
2. Seth Thomas Octagon Top Shelf Clock, 1860s.
3. Two Seth Thomas “Plymouth” Tambour Mantel Clocks, 1938 and 1945
4. Plymouth (by Seth Thomas) 1940s Mantel Clock
5. Seth Thomas Cottage Clock, Late Model

I repaired this modern-styled mantel clock. Seth Thomas made it and sold it under the “Plymouth” name. The movement has two date codes on the back:

• 11 40 (November 1940) on left rear movement leg;
• 4506 (June 1945) on strike hammer bridge.

I can’t explain why there are two date codes, perhaps they made the movement before World War II, then finished and sold it after the war (they discontinued clock production for several years during the war). (Note: the owner of this clock states that it was bought during the war. This would mean that the 4506 is not a date code, perhaps it is a model number?)

The case is 8 5/8 inches tall and 12 3/4 inches wide. The dial is silver plated brass, with printed numerals, etc. The minute hand is 2 1/2 inches long from center to tip. The hands and hand nut are silver-plated. The minute track is 5 inches outside diameter. The movement runs over 8 days on a winding and strikes the hours and half hour on 2 chime rods.

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This clock has Seth Thomas’s later type of mantel clock movement (the one that replaced the No. 89). In the past, I didn’t like this movement, because it is subject to severe wear due to its overly strong mainsprings. I have discovered that it will run well with weaker mainsprings (see 1940s Seth Thomas 8 Day Time and Strike Clock Movement for another example of this movement, and Two Seth Thomas “Plymouth” Tambour Mantel Clocks, 1938 and 1945 for another example).

This movement has suffered wear (see photo of the worn bushing above). A previous repairer installed many bushings off-center. It appears that first, off-center rear mainwheel bushings were installed, then all the other bushings were installed off-center to keep gear depthing correct. I tested all the gear depths, and left the bushings off-center except for one that needed moving. The rear time second wheel pivot was rough (the surface was like a fine file), which is why there was so much wear to its bushing. I polished all the pivots and replaced a bent wire in the center pinion.

I replaced the too-strong original mainsprings with weaker ones.

Original mainsprings:

• Time 11/16 x 0.0183 x 80 inches;
• Strike 11/16 x 0.018 x 80 inches.

New, thinner mainsprings:

• Time 11/16 x 0.0161 x 80 inches (Timesavers 20506 shortened by 16 inches);
• Strike 11/16 x 0.0167 x 80 inches (Empire Clock 280-17-505 shortened by 16 inches).

(Note: supplier Empire Clock is no longer in business.)

The movement runs extremely well these mainsprings, and would probably run well with even thinner springs (perhaps 0.015 inch thick for the time mainspring). Both mainwheels are 25% worn due to the original strong mainsprings. The clock runs well in spite of the tooth wear.

The pendulum bob is 1 13/16 inches diameter and weighs 4 ounces. The suspension spring is 0.004 inches thick, and the pendulum rod is 2 millimeters diameter.

The inside of the rear door has an instruction label. The label includes the following:

Guarantee and Directions
Covering Clocks equipped with
No. 4300, 4500 and 4600 Series 8-Day Pendulum
Strike Movements in Tambour Cases.

Text here about the clock

Instruction text here

The Plymouth Clock
Thomaston, Conn.
Z-34P

The number 414 is stamped at the bottom.

Repair job 5534

Key: No. 6 large end, No. 0000 (4/0) small end.

Related posts:

1. Two Seth Thomas “Plymouth” Tambour Mantel Clocks, 1938 and 1945
2. Seth Thomas “Plymouth” Tambour Mantel Clock
3. Seth Thomas Tambour Mantel Clock
4. Seth Thomas Mahogany Adamantine Mantel Clock
5. 1940s Seth Thomas 8 Day Time and Strike Clock Movement