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Rover800.Info • Clock Oil.
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Clock Oil.

Posted: Mon Aug 20, 2018 2:26 pm
by zcar12
I have a pendulum clock, powered by a battery. The clock will wind itself on the 1/2 hour and the hour. Last repaired 19 years ago at a cost of £80.

It has started to lose time and I think that the summer heatwave may have dried it out internally. I would like to oil the mechanism. My question is:

What kind of oil should I use? It needs to be thin but not too thin. Are there any clock repairers on here?

Re: Clock Oil.

Posted: Mon Aug 20, 2018 10:12 pm
by scoobyh123
Have you tried changing the battery Nick? That would be my first idea, second idea is let it settle until we have cooler weather and see if it sorts itself out - there's every possibility it's overheated and just isn't moving as freely as it should.

Last idea is don't oil it! Oil attracts dirt and dust and will clog the mechanism faster than you can say Grandfather Clock!

I know very little about clocks other than a stopped one is still right twice a day and every time i've seen one on tv, whether it's on that Dickinsons Deal program or whatever, they always say you should never oil them. You might get a better result by blowing out any dust that's settled inside it, that extra heat created a lot more dust than normal so that might be a possibility.

Has it got an adjuster on the pendulum? I know some have and you can move the weight up and down the pendulum to alter the timing, not sure which way though! :wink: :D

Re: Clock Oil.

Posted: Tue Aug 21, 2018 11:02 am
by zcar12
Thanks Dave. I had a thought after I posted and it seems there is plenty of info on the web. I need to catch up with the modern world!

Yes, it does have a pendulum that is adjustable. I wound it up a turn so the mechanism should run a tiny bit faster but it still loses 10 minutes every 24 hours. I changed the battery but no change there. We have had the clock for 35 years and my wife is very attached to it so I need to keep it. One unusual feature with it, it has a date hand on the outside that reads the date and makes a 360 every 31 days. Never seen another clock with that feature.

You could well be right that the heat has created additional dust and this has made the mechanism just a little sticky. It has been unusually warm in the house this year. So I will wait till things cool down before I do anything. Thanks again. Sorry the pictures are a bit blurred.
Image

Image

Re: Clock Oil.

Posted: Tue Aug 21, 2018 11:26 am
by scoobyh123
I also had a thought after posting Nick and i'm convinced your pendulum is stretched! :shock:

What you said about winding the adjuster up a turn to make the pendulum shorter to speed it up has confirmed my theory could be valid - i couldn't remember whether lengthening or shortening it would speed it up.

While this might seem irrelevant, you'll see the connection (every pun intended! :lol: ) in a moment - i have an extension lead running between my two sheds, there is only power in the main shed but i need power in the small one for charging the scooter.
Typical shed door, round the edge of the top corner there's enough space and flexibility to squeeze an extension lead through without damage. I have some screws etc and a security light at various places over which i run the lead.
During the hot weather, the cable has stretched. As such, there are loops hanging down at the moment, even though it's cooled off somewhat. It takes a few weeks of colder weather for it to shrink back and come the winter, it will be "snug".

If it's effected your pendulum the same way then it might be winter before it gets back to normal. :wink: :D

Re: Clock Oil.

Posted: Tue Aug 21, 2018 12:26 pm
by Richard Moss
My guess is dust, dirt, dryness. We inherited an old clockwork pendulum clock that had stopped altogether - we were told that it had been dead for a decade.

I cleaned the mechanism with a paint brush and compressed air (I blew on it!) and oiled it with WD40 and it's still going strong after 20 years or so

Re: Clock Oil.

Posted: Tue Aug 21, 2018 3:27 pm
by zcar12
Dave, your thinking is quite outstanding, I would never have thought of that, the pendulum lengthening ever so slightly in the heat. Quite brilliant! I knew I asked my question in the right place. Its been much warmer in the house this year, the walls were insulated 10 years back, and this is the first really prolonged hot spell we have had since then. Take a bow Dave!

Richard, my first thought also was dust , dirt and dryness. I did think of giving the mechanism a spray but I will leave things alone now until temperatures return to normal The clock may also return to normal, I hope so.

Richard, we need more posts from you! Hope you are doing well out in the desert.

Re: Clock Oil.

Posted: Tue Aug 21, 2018 4:37 pm
by scoobyh123
Thanks Nick - i just looked for the most obvious cause, whether i'm right or wrong remains to be seen when it cools down. :wink: :D

Re: Clock Oil.

Posted: Wed Aug 29, 2018 7:28 pm
by zcar12
Now that the warm weather has gone for a while, the clock continued to lose 10 minutes every 24 hours. So two days ago, I sprayed the mechanism with a maintenance spray. That seems to have speeded everything up. It is likely that the main reason for the slow clock was that the heat dried everything out, though I am sure that the heat effecting the pendulum length also had an effect. I am now in the process of lengthening the pendulum again a little every day, as now the clock has started to gain time every 24 hours.

Re: Clock Oil.

Posted: Wed Aug 29, 2018 8:26 pm
by scoobyh123
I hope the spray doesn't attract dust Nick! Glad it seems to have settled down anyway! :wink: :D

Re: Clock Oil.

Posted: Mon Dec 10, 2018 10:57 pm
by zcar12
The clock now seems to have settled down after spraying the works with some maintenance spray and adjusting the pendulum. It now keeps perfect time again. This has saved me a ton of cash, as it cost me £80 19 years ago to have it looked at and fixed by a clock maker. A cheap fix indeed.

Re: Clock Oil.

Posted: Mon Dec 10, 2018 11:54 pm
by scoobyh123
zcar12 wrote:
Mon Dec 10, 2018 10:57 pm
The clock now seems to have settled down after spraying the works with some maintenance spray and adjusting the pendulum. It now keeps perfect time again. This has saved me a ton of cash, as it cost me £80 19 years ago to have it looked at and fixed by a clock maker. A cheap fix indeed.
Excellent news Nick! :wink: :D