I repaired this Gilbert “Parole” shelf or parlor clock that was made about 1880. The walnut case is 19 1/4 inches tall. I polished the pivots and installed bushings (a previous repairer had punched the pivot holes to try to close them).
The clock had its original mainsprings, both of which were marked “W. Barnes Patented Nov. 27, 1866″. The strike spring was quite thick (0.02 inch). Both springs were stiff and very hard to remove from the mainwheels. I installed new Merritt’s P-1956 mainsprings that are 3/4 by .0165 by 96 inches. They provide a good escapement action and striking speed. Gilbert clocks of this type take a large pendulum swing with a small amount of supplementary arc (overswing) due to the design of the recoil escapement. I slanted the back of the mainspring arbor hooks to make the mainsprings easier to remove for future cleaning.
I repaired this New Haven long drop octagon clock. Some of the pinions had worn wires, so I replaced the wires in one pinion and reversed the wires in three. I polished the pivots and installed 13 bushings.
The mainsprings appear to be original (they match in color and style and look old).
Time mainspring: 3/4 inch wide by 0.0172 inch thick. This spring provides sufficient power, as the escapement motion is excellent.
Strike mainspring: 3/4 inch wide by 0.0142 inches thick. This spring is very thin, yet the striking speed is fine.
I retained both original mainsprings in this clock. They were in good condition, operated smoothly, and provided enough operating power, so there was no reason to change them. A good old mainspring is no more likely to break than a new one. (Some repair shops install new mainsprings in every clock they repair, I disagree with this practice.)
The case is 33 inches tall, and the minute track diameter is 11 inches.
I recently overhauled this Sessions black mantel clock from around 1903 – 1910. It was a routine overhaul including polishing the pivots and installing bushings. A previous repairer had installed two screw-in bushings (a no-no!). I replaced these with KWM size 4 American bushings. The mainwheels were made with Gilbert-style clicks, which are more robust then the standard Sessions clicks.
The original mainsprings seemed too strong. The time spring was 0.0182 inch thick, and the strike spring was 0.0178 inch thick. I replaced both with thinner mainsprings, Merritt’s Antiques P-1956, 0.0165 inch thick, to reduce future wear to the mainwheel teeth. The escapement takes an excellent motion.
This 8 day time and strike Ansonia movement was probably made in the 1880s. It has 5 pillars, and the plates are 5 3/4 inches tall. The movement goes to an oak schoolhouse (drop octagon) case 25 inches tall with an 11 inch dial.
A previous repairer had very badly bushed the front time second wheel pivot hole, and mutilated the pivot and shortened the arbor in the process. I added on to the arbor to restore it its original form, and installed a good bushing.
The time and strike mainsprings were old replacements that were too strong (0.0184 inch thick) made by Usibel, France. I replaced them with Merritt’s P-1956 3/4 by 0.0165 by 96 inch mainsprings.
Here is a video showing the escapement. The motion is excellent, even with the thinner mainspring. The mainspring is unwound about 8 turns (8 days of running) in the video.
I just serviced an E. N. Welch “Arditi” perpetual calendar clock. I disassembled the movement and cleaned it, but the only repair was replacing the click rivets, as the original brass rivets were coming loose.
This clock has a 27 3/8 inch tall walnut case, and was made in the 1880’s. The movement has very old mainsprings which appear to be original. They are thin (0.0153 inches thick for the strike spring and 0.0156 inches thick for the time spring) and do not seem very “springy”. Yet, they provide plenty of power and have no visible damage, and so I kept them in the clock. If a mainspring has lasted for over 120 years, it is likely to keep on working.
The video below shows how well this clock runs, even with the weak mainsprings (and it is run down several days, not fully wound).
I just repaired the movement of this Birge, Peck & Co. standard 8 day cornice and column shelf clock. The addrss of the printer of the label (Press of Elihu Geer, 10 State Street, Hartford) dates the clock to 1850 – 1855 (see ClockHistory.com) for reference).
The case is 32 3/8 inches tall, 16 9/16 inches wide and 4 7/8 inches deep at the bottom. The dial has a 7 inch time track. The dial and lower glass are original. The movement is a later version of that invented by Joseph Ives, having roller pinions instead of fixed trundles, and the plates are riveted strap brass instead of one piece stampings. It is weight driven with a recoil escapement.
Here are some movies of the clock and the escapement (showing the escapement before and after the adjustment for entrance drop):
This 30 hour OG is the most recent addition to my collection (I don’t buy very many clocks these days, but I couldn’t resist this one). This clock was made about 1845, the fourth year that Seth Thomas made brass movement OG clocks. It has the early features described on my ClockHistory.com web site, and the unusual feature of a brass nameplate on the dial.
Here is a slideshow of photos:
Ogee case, non-original lower glass, made in Plymouth Hollow, glasses held with wood strips. Height 26″, width 15 11/16″, depth 4 5/16″;
Dial: metal, two rings drawn around time track, dots for minute marks;
Early features of dial: tapered numerals 3, 4 and 8, small winding holes (8.2 mm);
Unusual feature of dial: brass nameplate with S. THOMAS PLYMOUTH CONN U S A;
Label: printed by Elihu Geer, Hartford, Connecticut, no address given. This dates it to 1842 – 1845;
I recently repaired this Seth Thomas tambour mantel clock. It needed to have the pivots polished and 14 bushings installed.
This clock was a good example of original thin Seth Thomas mainsprings. The time mainspring is 3/4 inches wide and 0.0159 inches thick. It is in good condition and was retained in the clock. The strike mainspring was 0.0164 inches thick. I intended to keep it in the clock, but it broke after cleaning, so I installed a 3/4 inch wide, 0.0165 inches thick, and 96 inches long, Merritt’s Antiques part no. P-1956.
Here is a slideshow of the clock and its movement, and also the label on the bottom of the case:
Here is a movie of the clock ticking and striking:
