Posted 3 years ago
Gage_rober…
(68 items)
Here is a new clock I picked up for $22 at the same place as the clock from my previous post. I had been walking around the store when in the corner of my eye, I spotted this lovely gem. I waited for the small area to clear out of people completely oblivious to anything but the records which were stacked on either side of the clock. Upon first glance, i suspected that the clock was just another boring modern day battery powered clock from the late 20th century, but it turned out to be quite the contrary. The case had no markings, of a makers mark and/or past maintenance, e.t.c. And there was clear evidence that damage had occurred to the case, and repairs had been done. Not only was the glass on the dial door missing, but the door was a completely different color metal than the dial itself more of a copper color rather than brass. I also noticed there was various chips all over the veneer, but besides these few imperfections, I decided to buy it. I decided I was going to restore this clock for my grandparents. The restoration will involve re-veneering the whole case, and refinishing it, and figuring out how to get a new piece of glass for the door. I tested the movement when I first got home with it, and sure enough, it lasted about two minutes every time i set it, and then ceased to tick. I removed the movement and saw the movement was labeled ‘E. INGRAHAM CO.’ With the numbers 6 and 10 on either side of the plate (respectively) which I assumed means June of 1910. After removing the movement I proceeded to cleaning the movement and inspecting it for damage as best I could. I used an extremely minute amount of all purpose three-in-one oil on a que tip on the back plates of the movement, and on some of the gears and gear barrels which had a slight bit of surface rust on them. Afterwards I wiped off all the 3 in 1 oil and disposed of the access. I was fully expecting the oil sinks to be full of old dirty grimed oil, but I was surprised to see that the sinks were completely bone dry. I was not sure why this was the case, but im hoping maybe you guys could give me some answers. I proceeded to purchase Horace Whitlock’s complete synthetic oil kit, and Proceeded to apply plenty of oil wherever I could find a place to on the clock. (Meaning the oil sinks and bushings) after all this, I put the movement back in the case, set it, adjusted it, and let it run. To my surprise, the clock was running perfect once again, chiming the hour and half hour right on time. Now it is just a matter of the case. Thanks for looking!
Mystery:
1. Did Ingraham manufacture cases like this one, or was this case hand made, and the movement most likely taken from another clock?
2. Why did the clock not have any oil in the oil sinks? Is this a good sign? Bad? Is there any special maintenance that should be done to help the movement after it running dry for so long?
Any and all assistance in this mystery is appreciated. Thanks!
Hello Gage,
It's fine to share and comment here but for repair/restoration/maintenance, I'd really prefer to go over this in detail on the NAWCC's website since it helps contribute to their archives for future use by someone with the same types of questions for this model.
This really goes beyond the scope of CW I think, but here are the answers to many of your questions (I hope)...
This looks like this may be a model from circa 1907. If so, Ingraham gave the case five different names depending upon the type of wood/veneer it was made from or perhaps the color of stain it was given?
Avon=Light Oak
Derby="Flemish"
Bethel=Golden Oak
Essex=Mahogany
Cheshire=Dutch Brown
If your clock case measures 12 1/2 inches tall by 9 1/2 inches wide, that's probably the model you have here (Bethel?).
This is a cabinet mantel clock, in the "Doric Arch" (round top) shape.
Carefully measure the diameter of the "Bezel". Use the measurement to order a round piece of clock glass. The glass will need to fit snugly but not too tight. Keep in mind that the bezel may have been bent out of round so measure across several locations to check. If there is sufficient clearance, you can place/replace the missing glass with a flat piece of glass. If the hands stick out too far to clear flat glass, you need to order convex glass instead. I think you'll need a convex piece of glass. You can test by cutting out a thin piece of cardboard, or card stock and placing it in the bezel to check clearance. You could also try measuring how far the minute/hour hand arbor sticks out beyond the dial. Then close the bezel and estimate how much clearance a flat piece of glass would provide. You can order clock glass from clock suppliers like Timesavers.com. Check here for a more comprehensive list of suppliers/services: https://mb.nawcc.org/threads/clock-suppliers-general-supply-tools-repair-service-etc-%E2%80%A2.171838/
You may be able to find a local glass supplier who would be willing to cut a round piece of glass for you, but they probably won't have convex glass cut to size, only flat.
The glass is normally held in place with soldered retainer tabs. It's usually best to try to stay with original, period appropriate methods and materials when working with antiques.
The bezel may have been gold plated at one time. Copper was often used as the base metal for gold plate. Perhaps not. In the case of this model, I don't know.
For oiling a clock, you should use synthetic clock oil. Low viscosity Mobil 1 can be an acceptable substitute for clock oil in some situations. Clock oil needs to do several things:
1. Provide a separating film (lubricate of course)
2. Stay put (doesn't flow away from or out of the bearings
3. Sit for 5-10 years without evaporating, sludging, thickening
4. Not evaporate for the same length of time
5. Not react with brass or steel, cause no discoloration.
6. Safe with lacquers.
You also have to be careful when mixing oils. They don't all "play nice" with one another.
I'm not familiar with "Horace Whitlock" but the claims are good. No doubt it's better than some routine household general purpose oil.
You should NOT oil the gears. They should be left dry so that they don't attract airborne dust and/or abrasives which can cause them to wear out faster. If you've only oiled the pivots, that's fine.
Perhaps you've watched a video on how to oil a clock? I think this is a pretty good one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NEb9kMcxTMI
So, over an extended period of time, oil will evaporate. If you can smell oil, it is evaporating. If a movement sits for a long time in a dry, hot environment the oil will disappear, as there isn't (or shouldn't be) that much of it to begin with. If a movement is run dry, it will wear much faster. There are differing opinions on whether a "dry" movement should be overhauled before being placed back into service or not. It tends to be a judgement call. You mentioned the presence of rust. There may be rust on your dry pivots. If so, the brass pivot holes/bushings will begin to wear much faster than normal.
The bottom line is that there is a lot to it. I've only begun to scratch the surface here. You can get better, more complete answers to your repair/maintenance questions in the NAWCC's clock repair forums.
If that answered your question(s), please indicate "Mystery Solved".
Thanks,
Bruce
Wow. Thanks for that response Bruce, I think I will post this exact item for more intricate advice as to what I should do. Thanks a lot,
Gage.
(On NAWCC i mean)