Birge, Peck & Co. 8 Day OG Shelf Clock

Here is a Birge, Peck & Co. 8 day OG shelf clock I repaired recently.

Birge, Peck & Co. was in business from 1849 – 1859. The backboard label says at the bottom: “Press of Elihu Geer, 1 State Street, Hartford”. Elihu Geer was at 1 State Street from 1847 – 1849. Thus, we can date the clock to 1849.

Birge, Peck movement IMG_5829 IMG_5905

The dimensions of this clock are 29 1/2 inches tall, 17 1/16 inches wide, and 4 3/16 inches deep. The dial’s inner ring of the minute track is 8 13/16 inches diameter. The outer ring’s diameter is 9 7/32 inches. Minute hand length 3 7/8 inches. Strike weight 6 pounds 12.8 ounces. Time weight: 8 pounds 5.6 ounces.

The dial is original but appears to be coated with varnish, making it yellow. The chapter ring looks too large for the case, it was painted that way for an unknown reason.

See my post Birge, Peck & Co. Eight-Day Column and Cornice Weight Clock for more history of Birge, Peck clocks.

The movements of Birge, Peck and related clocks have “Rolling Pinions.” In most American antique clocks, the pinions (small gears) have fixed steel wires. Birge clock pinion wires have pivots on the ends, and they rotate in the brass shrouds. A previous clock repaired hammered the ends of the wires of one pinion so they wouldn’t rotate, so I made new ones. I also made a new shroud, as the previous repaired had made a new one with the holes out of alignment.

A previous repairer had pounded the ends of the roller pinions so they wouldn't roll, and made a new end piece with the holes out of alignment.
A previous repairer had pounded the ends of the roller pinions so they wouldn’t roll, and made a new end piece with the holes out of alignment.
New roller pinion wires
New roller pinion wires

Repair job 6755. I polished the pivots, installed 13 bushings and rebuilt one pinion.

My customer remembered seeing this clock in her grandma’s house when she was a little girl. In later years, it disappeared. Recently, she and her husband found it in a relative’s shed, about to be trashed.

See more photos.

 


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2 comments

  1. The weight cord goes up from the movement, over the pulley at the top of the case, and then down the side. If the hook is too far up to attach the weight, you’ll need to remove the hands and dial, and lift the click (part of the ratched mechanism that clicks as the clock ois being wound) and unwind the cord to cause the hook to be lower down in the case.

  2. I have a clock that looks like this one. forestville 8 day.(That’s what was on ticket inside click). During a recent move the weights came off. The one on right side I could reconnect but the left cable is loose inside the clock. I can see the end of the cable with the hook attached. Can you tell me how to reattach the end to the weight? Thank you for your help.

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