Cleaning A New Mainspring ?

[Rookie]

Hi , I know this is a total Newbie questions,
But, I have a 100 year old Gilbert Kitchen Clock,That I want to put a new Mainspring on.
I have purchased a 3/4x.165x96 for it from
Timesaves.But I read somewhere that it might have some kind of anti rust coating from the factory on it.Are all new Mainsprings coated with this ? And Is it necessary to remove it,And if so what the easiest way too.Anything
that I might have around the house to use on it thats not too strong ?(Enviro-Friendly).
Sorry for the Dumb question !! But ,Unfortunetly ,My Mentor that was just starting to teach me Clock Repair, Was killed in an auto accident last month. But, He Inspired me enough to try to at least keep his
clocks he had built going.

Thanks Abunch for any Ideas!
The Rookie

[Rookie]

Hi , I know this is a total Newbie questions,
But, I have a 100 year old Gilbert Kitchen Clock,That I want to put a new Mainspring on.
I have purchased a 3/4x.165x96 for it from
Timesaves.But I read somewhere that it might have some kind of anti rust coating from the factory on it.Are all new Mainsprings coated with this ? And Is it necessary to remove it,And if so what the easiest way too.Anything
that I might have around the house to use on it thats not too strong ?(Enviro-Friendly).
Sorry for the Dumb question !! But ,Unfortunetly ,My Mentor that was just starting to teach me Clock Repair, Was killed in an auto accident last month. But, He Inspired me enough to try to at least keep his
clocks he had built going.

Thanks Abunch for any Ideas!
The Rookie

[erngrover]

Good choice on the mainspring size. Always be sure it's a quality mainspring and not a piece of cheap junk. You don't need further damage in the movement.

I use naphtha as a solvent in my shop for pre-soaking and final rinse. Respect the caution label on whatever you use. I always soak a new mainspring in a bucket of used solvent overnight, then wipe it down with some fine steel wool. Lastly, I rinse it off with some fresh solvent and air dry.

I never use an ultrasonic on a mainspring. Something in the pit of my stomach says that it might disturb something under tension. I'd not want to be the cause of a failure after it's been installed in the clock.

Until I know what the coating is or if it's compatible with the lubricant I use in the shop, I prefer to start out clean.

[doug sinclair]

Rookie,

I agree with Ern. The transport coating on new springs is not suited as a lubricant in use in a clock. I clean them in non-water based cleaner, rinse them in petroleum based rinse, dry them with compressed air, and grease them with all-purpose chassis lube. I've used that for 30 years with excellent results. There are dedicated mainspring lubricants available in the market place as well. Generally, heavier lubricants are preferred for mainsprings to prevent friction between the coil surfaces.

Doug S.