Cleaning old dirty brass clock movement

[quintain]

I need to clean a working old brass clock mechanical movement.
What will do the cleaning and subsequent oiling of the cogs, pins etc etc.
.......BTW when I strip it down I will take plenty of pics to make sure I get everything back into the correct holes.
I have WD40 and very light oil for sewing machine use available.

I am sure I can go online and buy at v high price somethings sold as "clock cleaning products"

I welcome all advice.

 

[nickds1]

http://www.horogrene.com/Precision Clock Oiler (24cSt) Medium Oil Precision Clock Oiler (24cSt) Medium Oil : Amazon.co.uk: Home & Kitchen
Absolutely the best process to use.

Only use special "clock oil" as it doesn't dry or clog up - you only need a tiny amount on each bearing point - normally applied with a tiny dropper with a syringe needle . Do not use 3-in-1 or WD40 etc. whatever you do.

 

[Jacob]

I need to clean a working old brass clock mechanical movement.
What will do the cleaning and subsequent oiling of the cogs, pins etc etc.
.......BTW when I strip it down I will take plenty of pics to make sure I get everything back into the correct holes.
I have WD40 and very light oil for sewing machine use available.

I am sure I can go online and buy at v high price somethings sold as "clock cleaning products"

I welcome all advice.

The Repair Shop did a clock - the King Charley episode, and no doubt have done others. It's a brilliant programme well worth watching. The Repair Shop

 

[Stuart Moffat]

As Nickds1 says, don’t use 3 in 1 or wd 40.
whilst you don’t say what type of clock movement it is, how old or how big, if you are taking it to bits, it’s worth using a cheapo ultra sound cleaner. They have been used by clock and watch makers for decades. If it is an old clock and the bearings are brass on brass, then check for wear. Old American wall clocks made in the 1800s (loads around) often have oval holes rather than round. If you’ve dismantled it, rebush any worn ones with brass ones. if it’s clockwork Google how to detention the spring properly before you start!
stuart

 

[Ollie78]

Ultrasonic cleaners are great. I was quite surprised how well it worked when I got one.


Ollie

 

[XTiffy]

When I attended West Dean College 1977/1978 on the One year Antiques Restoration Course. Alongside us in the next workshop were the "Clockies" The one year Clock restorers course. They used "Horolene" to clean all components. It is diluted 8/1 with water (if I remember correctly). I used it for cleaning brass furniture parts, smells strongly of amonia(?) but does a tremendous job. The clockies would clean all the parts so they that the components looked new which wasn't the done thing for Antique furniture!

 

[quintain]

Thank you everyone.
If I use a cheapo ultra sound cleaner do I need to dismantle all the clogs etc etc.
BTW Horogrene supplier has temporary gone off line but I can buy Horolene.

 

[XTiffy]

Yes, It is HOROLENE that I mentioned, where did you get the name Horogrene? Sounds like a typo! I believe I used to get it from Mylands in London.

 

[quintain]

Yes, It is HOROLENE that I mentioned, where did you get the name Horogrene? Sounds like a typo! I believe I used to get it from Mylands in London.

Hi XTiffy

See nickds1 reply a little before yours.

Regards
quintain

 

[Stuart Moffat]

Re question do you need to remove all the cogs etc if using ultrasound bath. It does depend on the state of it. lots of dirt will come out even if still assembled, but you won’t really get to see if there is a wear problem. What is the problem causing you to want to clean it? I have put whole movements in the ultrasound occasionally and sometimes it has done the job, other times it was a waste of time. I wouldn’t put a clockwork steel spring in though. Also be wary of putting in old decorative components. I did it once with a clock face on an arts and crafts mantel clock, and all the decorative paint vanished!

 

[quintain]

Re question do you need to remove all the cogs etc if using ultrasound bath. It does depend on the state of it. lots of dirt will come out even if still assembled, but you won’t really get to see if there is a wear problem. What is the problem causing you to want to clean it? I have put whole movements in the ultrasound occasionally and sometimes it has done the job, other times it was a waste of time. I wouldn’t put a clockwork steel spring in though. Also be wary of putting in old decorative components. I did it once with a clock face on an arts and crafts mantel clock, and all the decorative paint vanished!

Hi Stuart
I am working on a smallish mantle pendulum clock my grandad made about 1930-ish.
He made the case and undoubtedly 'liberated' a clock movement from a factory he was night watchman at; the movement could have been a clocking in unit.
My knowledge of clock movements and how to repair them starts at nil and then deteriorates.
My fiddling, fighting and generally flipping around trying to get it to work has resulted in me buying what I hope is an OK replacement from Ebay. The seller tells me it is old and dirty but working.
I will continue to try and get the original movement working; even trying to find out if I can send it somewhere and paying for it to be repaired.
With my 'vast knowledge of clocks' I think I should replace the spring.
However my lovely lady tells me after listening to it daily for 56yrs she misses the clock ticking in our evening room, hence the hopefully temporary replacement from Ebay.
I will buy some horolene and try to clean the original and the replacement movement.

 

[Pedronicus]

Hi Stuart
I will continue to try and get the original movement working; even trying to find out if I can send it somewhere and paying for it to be repaired.

Sounds like an ideal job for Steve in The Repair Shop particularly bearing in mind the date of 1930 and the fact your grandad made the clock.

 

[Dee J]

Pictures please of the original movement. Probably totally fixable, and would retain the history of the original build - there might even be someone here who can identify its suspicious origins.

 

[pe2dave]

Buy, beg, borrow an ultrasonic cleaner? Great for jewellery, watch straps, all sorts of things. Perfect for clock parts (see 'the repair shop').

 

[gasman]

Sounds like an ideal job for Steve in The Repair Shop particularly bearing in mind the date of 1930 and the fact your grandad made the clock.

Yes but he would have to promise to cry when they reveal the item to him. Close up camera 1 we got tears coming.... sorry to be cynical but it's a bit saccharine for me!

 

[Dee J]

Yes but he would have to promise to cry when they reveal the item to him. Close up camera 1 we got tears coming.... sorry to be cynical but it's a bit saccharine for me!

Agree on the saccharine, but at least the program mostly concentrates on skilled people executing fascinating work without faux jeapody and silly timescales - the standard of work seems to have increased over time too. I remember a bicycle in an early episode where some skilled camera work attempted to disguise an appalling 'restoration', but since then it's been pretty impeccable.

 

[leisurefix]

You don't have to use ultrasonic machine, at the start of his career in the 1960's my dad used thin wooden dowels sharpened to a point. Dismantle movement, insert in to bush & twist round to remove crud. Also (very carefully!!) used wood on pinions. If movement is very dirty, elliptical holes are likely, and will need bushing, reaming & polishing. Similarly, worn pinions need redoing.
An entire movement can be cleaned in ultrasonic machine, was standard practice for cheap alarm clocks (Smith's Baby & Big Ben clocks being the most common examples back in the day). The solution evaporated quite readily with the help of some heat, then the spring had a little oil applied. Different grades of oil were used depending upon movement size, thin oil for small.
Care needs to be taken with the escapement, if fitted, do not disassemble. Mark location by scratching, as slots allow alignment, and cleaning removes the alignment dirt.
Take photos during disassembly, and organise items very well, such as small pots in order for removed pins, screws etc.
Andy of the former Western Watch Centre.

 

[bourbon]

I've noticed this last run of ' Repair Shop' they are concentrating more on the repair this time.

 

[quintain]

Hello all
Repair Shop is no from me, fancy me having to explain how the movement came into my grandads v v worthy hands.

BTW 20 yrs ago I took the clock into a far north UK clock shop, close-ish to where I live; to have them service it. The rather elderly lady at the counter took it into the back of the shop and after about 10 mins (cup of tea drinking time) returned minus the clock and said "our senior clock expert says it will cost a lot of money and he wonders if it is worth spending any money on it"
With fury on my part but with good manners I said " please tell your husband (my guess) that the clock in my view is the most valuable one presently in your shop" I further told her " please return it to me immediately".

I welcome any ideas on who I should ask to repair the original movement, hopefully at not to high of a cost.

I attach some pics.

 

[Dee J]

What an intriguing little movement. Pendulum, but time keeping only, no strike train. Yet it doesn't look 'engineered' enough for something like a factory timeclock. Can't believe such a simple mechanism isn't reasonably easily fixable, but perhaps its humble origins mean its not highly regarded by the horological world. I wonder, if instead of liberated from a workplace, it actually came from a hobbies catalogue, listed alongside fretwork kits etc. With such good pictures I'm sure you'll get better answers from horological forums. Sadly I've got no personal recommendations for a repairer.. Used to be a fascinating place in Combe Martin - don't know if its still there - Internet presence is a bit out of date. Edit - still has a Facebook presence 'retired' but may still be a useful contact.