How we overhaul your clock. We do the following steps to restore your clock to excellent operating condition. The movement is taken apart and cleaned, examined for wear and damage, and checked for correct operation. The necessary repair work is carried out including repairing the pinions, polishing the pivots, bushing worn pivot holes, checking and repairing the mainspring ratchets, testing and correcting wheel meshing, and checking the mainsprings. The parts are cleaned again, the pivot holes cleaned with pegwood, the pivots given final cleaning, and the movement is assembled and lubricated. Then the movement is tested with minimum power.
As dust gets in the mechanism, the oil becomes an abrasive paste, which causes wear. The longer the clock runs in this condition, the more repair it will need. Many American clocks have very strong mainsprings which will run the clock for many years after the oil has gone bad, causing severe wear to pivots and pivot holes.
Shortcuts are bad. If your clock stops and you spray it with oil to make it go again, the movement will wear badly, because dust will stick to the oil, forming an abrasive paste which cuts through brass and steel parts.
Your clock's movement is a mechanical device which requires a service schedule to keep it running. You may relate the workings to your car's engine. As with your car's engine, your clock's parts are metal on metal. The main determining factor in how many years the parts last is how clean you keep the oil that is lubricating the movement.
As time goes by, oil starts to break down, dry out and become more and more gritty. Finally the oil gets to a point where it is acting more like an abrasive then a lubricant.
We recommend an in-house cleaning every two years for grandfather clocks. With a thorough overhaul every ten years. With the proper service a well made clock movement should last many lifetimes passing down from generation to generation.
How To Regulate Your Clock For Accurate Timekeeping:
The faster the pendulum swings, the faster the minute hand will turn. A basic principle of physics is that the length of a pendulum determines how fast it swings. A short pendulum swings faster than a long pendulum. You can remember this principle with the phrase A SHORT DOG'S TAIL WAGS FASTER
You can change the effective length of the pendulum by raising or lowering the pendulum bob on the pendulum stick. If you push the bob up, the clock will run faster. Lower it and the clock will run slower. If you turn the nut clockwise you will be raising the bob. If your clock runs too fast or slow, the best way to correct this problem is to set your clock to an accurate watch or clock.
After 24 hours, record how many minutes your clock is running too fast or slow. Then adjust the bob up or down the pendulum stick to change the pendulums effective length. You'll need to take an educated guess as to the distance. Reset the clock minute hand time to your watch or clock again. Repeat this process every 24 hours, recording the results, and readjusting the bob until you are within 3 minutes of the correct time.
Then, switch from recording every day to recording every week. Use the same process described, recording the time difference, adjusting the bob up or down every week, until the clock is accurate within approximately 3 minutes per week. Remember, mechanical clocks are not as accurate as quartz or electric clocks! A three-minute error per week is not bad. Maybe you can do better.
How to adjust timekeeping
Our 12-Point Clock Repair Overhaul Program and/or Restoration
We use traditional materials and techniques to perform an age appropriate repair.
When you clock is overhauled by Time Pieces, we use the following 12-Point program:
- Remove the movement from the case.
- Inspect the clock for ware and problems.
- Document the condition of your clock.
- Fully disassemble the movement.
- Ultrasonic clean your clock in specialized clock cleaning solution.
- Dress and polish all pivots.
- Perform any repairs and re-bushings.
- Test all gear trains individually.
- Assemble, oil and adjust your clock.
- Run for 24 hours in test stand monitoring with timing device and computer.
- Run for one week when fully assembled.
- After an overhaul your clock is guaranteed for one year.
- Final review of all work.
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- FULL RESTORATION: Call for clock restoration details and costs
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Whether the clock be a modern battery operated piece or a 17th Century masterpiece, all timepieces are important to their owners and are treated with respect.
