Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat
Chatting => Chatting on the Plot => Topic started by: Kleftiwallah on January 11, 2022, 13:05
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I have Dad's 'auld' clock, just yer bog standard wooden mantle clock. Presented to him on the occasion of his (1st) marriage in June 1931 by ' The staff of 1125 shop, which I think was Boots in Southshore Blackpool.
Finally...it seems I'm up there winding it up every couple of days and yet other times it keeps going for a week with no sign of slowing down and losing time???
Cheers. Tony.
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Come on man, at that age it's allowed to work in fits and starts. You're lucky it's still going. Bet you'd be lucky to find knowledge and parts to better the service you have.
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I remember Dad standing by the clock and patiently winding the hands on and waiting for each chime range after it had stopped yet again. I've had it cleaned by a close friend (sadly no longer with us) and it has kept adequate time up to now.
Cheers, Tony.
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The mantel clocks usually have about a 5 year maintenance interval and an 8-day main time spring. There will usually be a separate spring for chimes and strikes.
The main failures are dirt in the bearings which causes the brass plate to carve out an oval hole. This can be fixed by having a repair shop drill out the hole and add a steel ring to the original size.
They sell well on ebay and there are also places (of varying qualities and prices) that will still service them. Well worth keeping going.
I have one old Garrard Mantel Clock and also a modern imitation with a more conventional manual mechanism inside.
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Daniel, do you know if there's a way to tell whether a shop that offers a service of these old clocks is any good? My Mum has an old clock which has stopped.
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The best way would be to go in and chat with them. I would suspect any physical shop that seems active is going to be more suitable than somewhere online that you cannot scrutinise. Remember you have to bring the clock in (and back) which means the pendulum has to be lifted during transport.
I used a Clock Repair shop in the South West Scotland to service my own clock but don't know about the rest of the UK I am afraid. My neighbour gave me a lift both ways for the service since mantel clocks and motorbikes don't really go well together!
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Just to add from what I was told... most of the time clocks just need stripped down, inspected and cleaned then re-oiled and the springs checked. If it is a very old clock or has been allowed to run dirty for a long time then the steel pinions on the cogs tend to wallow out the soft brass of the plates and don't run true. In that case the shop will drill out the plate and fit a steel collar (which was more normal on better branded clocks anyway).
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Hello try the man on repair shop Steve Fletcher he's a 3rd generation Horologist (clockmaker repairer) jezza
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If we're going to suggest people I would say John here in Sandown, he got my watch going again. He's also a trained horologist.
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We’ve got a Rotherham Coventry mantle clock ( inherited ) which has now stopped although wound ( not over wound ! ).
It sounds from this thread that it would be worth having it serviced ?. Any idea how much ?. :)
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If it is a standard clock it will be several hours of skilled work. If it is an actual antique (rather than just "old") then it will be a lot more. Find your local place and ask. They will always quote.
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This is a hobby of mine.
I learnt a decade or so back at an evening college course.
Many colleges do it and its a fun hobby to learn. So might be worth a look.
Not only learning to repair and maintain clocks/watches etc but also how to treat/restore the cases.
The course I attended was a couple of terms each year. A small number had been going for a number of years and treated it more like a small club and working with the tutor to give others good help and advice too.
I just did it for two years, as I felt I had learnt enough to be proficient and gained my qualification certificate :)
mind it gets you good contacts and have since wanted a few small parts made up or sourced and they duly supplied.
I love clocks and have all sorts of mantle clocks around the house that I have cleaned and restored from.
After time they do become dirty and a good clean is all that is needed. Not failed with ones I have acquired yet.
Would encourage you to ask around as Mantel clocks are not too much work to clean up and revitalise and there are plenty of hobbyists, retiree repair centres or even via a local college course.
Afraid I do not do it as any kind of offering.