I recieved this letter and this clock. It requested a sympathetic restoration to quartz for this enticing broad confronted mantle clock. I swapped the quartz in with out an excessive amount of hassle though the hand appetures wanted resizing which is commonly a bit fiddly and comes with a excessive danger of hand destruction (fear not I carry spares for many).
The factor was that from the again these quartz actions dont look good. Everyone knows they go in low-cost clocks and in actuality nearly each clock you purchase for the look of it as a helpful timepiece. Its right down to standardisation greater than anything. The mass market clockmakers must know what appeture they’re working with…what the usual is, should you like, for an inexpensive dependable motion that does the job no frills. However, within the case of this this chap he clearly form of cared about it being seen if the clock was positioned on a desk or massive mantle – it was the subtext of the letter for me at any fee.
So a crafty plan was required.
I observed the inside motion was nearly precisely the identical dimension (57mm) as the usual excessive torque quartz I had put in. The Bakelite encompass enclosed it superbly.
The downside was that three screws have to be taken off to romove the quilt each time battery or hand change entry is required. Twice a yr no less than for season change.
I subsequently devised a plan to make use of the screw holes within the Bakelite as hangers for pegs. I duly drilled out the screw holes to 3mm, fitted 1mm/3mm pipe rod pegs. This allowed me to sink a pin into the centre of the rod to safe the peg at precisely the suitable angle the place there was sufficient friction to carry the entire thing up – form of like a friction clip unfold throughout three spiggots.
I then dummied the holes for the winder and hand turner with their unique brass fittings which I angle floor off the unique 30 hour motion. I used the cogs from the motion as securing plates for the dummies simply because I might and it appeared good – it was going to be seen throughout battery change and so forth. so it might as properly look nearly as good as the remainder.
Now to be honest the velocity regulator pin is lacking so its not excellent however there was no method of actually securing something of that kind with out drilling a fixing gap.
The butterfly key on the 30 hour Metamec is mounted on a spiggot that stands out of the again. As a result of I had gutted the case, and subsequently eliminated the spiggot, I needed to cannibalise a wonderfully good inventory spares clock to get it. It was the one one with a thick shank I might use to repair from the within and by this time I was in cannibal frenzy restoration mode . I even compound polished the important thing again to the brass so it appeared store new which for some motive had now change into my purpose within the challenge. It felt like constructing a hidden compartment in one thing – I actually loved it!.
This was an superior challenge and one I can repeat in your clock you probably have the identical goals – geunuinely genuine look with dependable fashionable mechs. The sphynx within the photograph is up to date to the clock, as is the bottom of the Grandmother clock within the background. The primary half of the twentieth century has some wonderful standout design tendencies I dont suppose will ever exit of style. On the Antiques Centre the period stays the one most requested when it comes to common vintage product demand. I’m there Saturdays if you wish to go to www.braintreeantiquescentre.co.uk. Counter workers can take your clock in my invariable absence throughout workshop or callout hours which is basicly on a regular basis.
An enormous shout out to Paul at Polishes for making astonishing “polish reviver”. I dont do product adverts or promote on this web site apart from commerce partnerships. I’m the repairer for www.cuckoocollections.co.uk as an illustration and I handle an antiques centre which I typically point out if theres one thing attention-grabbing to reference on the clock entrance. So far as happening about this reviver, its merely that that is good things and I wish to see small specialists flourish after they should. Its exhausting to search out good folks.
It brings light 50’s varnished clocks again to life very properly as an illustration. On that period of clock the varnish tends to have flaked within the grain a bit. Should you put regular polish wax on them it goes into the cracks and sometimes stays seen as form of inset stippling until you actually polish it exhausting. The reviver doesnt depart any residue I might see.
The opposite factor it actually actually does properly is return Bakelite again to what I think about is the way it appeared when it was made. Bakelite typically has an nearly walnut sample that’s hidden by oxidation. The one above was actually like that and now it has an apparent textured sample.
Its solely £11 for half a litre which is masses and would most likely do two grandfathers. I purchased 250ml as I’m usually skeptical however Ive used it loads, simply to see what occurs. Among the transformations I’ve seen even after utilizing it for a short while are spectacular. Its not polish and its not cleaner – it appears to do one thing else. It doesn’t depart grease strains like wax however you polish it off and its..polished and glass like. It responds significantly properly to excessive strain e.g. a tough rub with kitchen roll appears to convey it as much as a mirror end Ive observed.
The clock within the image above didn’t have the shine you see once I acquired it. It was boring and barely matt. And fairly frankly a unique color.
Anyway Im solely happening about it as a result of Ive purchased masses and a great deal of clock associated chemical compounds from respected suppliers which were little higher than less expensive and sometimes higher cleansing stuff from the grocery store. Its refreshing to return throughout one thing that works properly and I can genuinely advocate realizing it can replicate properly on me as a result of it can work.
Get it right here and I wager you find yourself shopping for extra http://www.priorypolishes.co.uk/store/entrance/polish-reviver/polish-reviver.html
