Frankenstein Clocks!

[Jay Fortner]

Gentlemen, I found a real winner this weekend.(as bangster would say, petrified cats head) Somebody sort of married a Warren telechron rotor to the remains of a balance wheel movement.(guess this is how it was done before the advent of quartz movements) I brought it home just to put it up here on this thread. Then again I might try to make a clock out of it again.

[shutterbug]

Electronic genius! You can tell by the expert wiring. ;)

[bangster]

Yeah, I LUV that wiring.

T'were me, I'd see if I could bring it to life as it is. (The spirit of Victor Frankenstein lives on!) It's WAY too ugly just to throw away. :Party:

bangster

[Randy Hirst]

That looks EXACTLY like something I would've tried as a kid. Future Genius or really bad clock person???? (not that I turned out anything like a genius):myhappy:

[Jay Fortner]

It's WAY too ugly just to throw away. :Party:

bangster
No way man, I don't throw nothin' away,call it a sickness

[Jeremy Woodoff]

The movement reminds me of what was done to tower clocks when they were electrified.

[Jay Fortner]

Cut all that bad cord off last night, checked it for shorts and opens, hooked up a test cord and plugged it in, works great. Now to figure out what to do about the case.

[Tom Kloss]

Hi

Maybe you should donate it to the NAWCC museum. It certainly is in a class by it's self. :rolleyes:

Tom.

[Jay Fortner]

Hi

Maybe you should donate it to the NAWCC museum. It certainly is in a class by it's self. :rolleyes:

Tom.
That's for sure, Bangster has dubbed it Frankenstien, I think I'll call it Frankie. You think the museum would even take it?,they might think I'm trying to trash up the place.

[Scottie-TX]

One of my teachers told me also that I was in a class by myself. Alas it wasn't a coveted class to be in.

[Jay Fortner]

For me that class was called detention

[RJSoftware]

A few questions.

If it's a Telechron armature then it no doubt turns one revolution per minute clockwise. (looks like a B2 model).

Wondering how it turns the minute arbor correct direction and speed? (can't see the mesh).

Wasn't this dial discussed earlier, I remember the 12 cut off?

The box portion of the case looks like typical Telechron case or partial case. Was the dial original to it?

Any maker name on the brass mechanial portion?

RJ

[Jay Fortner]

A few questions.

If it's a Telechron armature then it no doubt turns one revolution per minute clockwise. (looks like a B2 model).

Wondering how it turns the minute arbor correct direction and speed? (can't see the mesh).

Wasn't this dial discussed earlier, I remember the 12 cut off?

The box portion of the case looks like typical Telechron case or partial case. Was the dial original to it?

Any maker name on the brass mechanial portion?

RJ
Mr. RJ, We figured out the the dial came from a Ingraham alarm clock. What's left of the movement has no makers marks or date and is still unkown. What they had done was attach a pinion to the telechron shaft which drove the third wheel(I think) which in turn drove the center wheel,everything else was taken out of the movement and the rotor attached with just one screw. Here's where it really gets silly,the center wheel had 64 teeth,it was driven by a 8 tooth pinion,that arbor had a 60 tooth wheel. That means the pinion on the rotor had to have 7 1/2 teeth to work correctly, so it probably didn't keep time. There was no pinion on the rotor when I got it. But now I got the fix,part of a movement out of a United Metals clock. The Frankenstien monster(Franky) will live again. Thanks for the ID on the case.

[harold bain]

RJ, a telechron rotor can turn in either direction. Just flip the field coil over, and you reverse direction. Also, they came in many different speeds, not just 1 rpm.

[Jay Fortner]

RJ, a telechron rotor can turn in either direction. Just flip the field coil over,Good tip Harold not everyone knows that. I know they come in 3.6 rpm,not sure how many other variations.

[Jay Fortner]

Got some more clues as to the pieces that make up Frankie. Need some ID on this. So far It's a Telechron case and rotor,an Ingraham alarm clock dial and whatever this movement is. If that's the date on the bottom it's 6/4/15

[Jay Fortner]

Got some more clues as to the pieces that make up Frankie. Need some ID on this. So far It's a Telechron case and rotor,an Ingraham alarm clock dial and whatever this movement is. If that's the date on the bottom it's 6/4/15
Figured it out,Westclox!

[Heritage-Clocks]

Figured it out,Westclox!

Is that 15ad or 15bc ???

H/C

[Jay Fortner]

Is that 15ad or 15bc ???

H/C
Looks like BC doesn't it.

[Watchfixer]

Horrible potmetal posts and potmetal arbors does not impress me but it did serve it's function but that's not my thing. I used to play with westclox clocks as youngster long ago.

Cheers, Watchfixer

[Dean Williams]

Is that 15ad or 15bc ???
H/C
Who knows, but do you think a span of just 30 years would make much difference? :bigsmile:

[Jay Fortner]

Horrible potmetal posts and potmetal arbors does not impress me but it did serve it's function but that's not my thing. I used to play with westclox clocks as youngster long ago.

Cheers, Watchfixer
Amazing that something so ugly could last for almost 100 years.
Played with them as a kid huh,now your telling on yourself.:D

[R. Croswell]

Amazing that something so ugly could last for almost 100 years.
Played with them as a kid huh,now your telling on yourself.:D
Yeah…….something that ugly was probably put in a box where it couldn’t be seen and ignored for 100 years! On the other hand, if it was something someone’s 10-year old kid put together, the proud parent would have probably treasured it and kept it as a beautiful work of art.

So now you have “Frankie” the Westclox, Telechron, Model 469 superhetrodyne 9-tube clock complete with 4-gang condenser and dynamic speaker! Any idea how the radio advertisement came to be on the back of the dial? If this is what happened to the clock, I would hate to see what’s left of the radio or whatever gave up the telechron motor!

RC

[Jay Fortner]

Yeah…….something that ugly was probably put in a box where it couldn’t be seen and ignored for 100 years! On the other hand, if it was something someone’s 10-year old kid put together, the proud parent would have probably treasured it and kept it as a beautiful work of art.

So now you have “Frankie” the Westclox, Telechron, Model 469 superhetrodyne 9-tube clock complete with 4-gang condenser and dynamic speaker! Any idea how the radio advertisement came to be on the back of the dial? If this is what happened to the clock, I would hate to see what’s left of the radio or whatever gave up the telechron motor!

RC
RC,You forgot the Ingraham alarm clock the dial and hands(I think) came from. I think the opposite side of that add page had a black ? so they used it to back up the pierced dial. Still got to figure out how to regear it so it at least keeps time. Haven't been able to find a pinion with 7 1/2 leaves.:rolleyes:

[R. Croswell]

RC,You forgot the Ingraham alarm clock the dial and hands(I think) came from. I think the opposite side of that add page had a black ? so they used it to back up the pierced dial. Still got to figure out how to regear it so it at least keeps time. Haven't been able to find a pinion with 7 1/2 leaves.:rolleyes:

Jay, there are several possibilities for getting around the 7 ½ tooth pinion (which would be a strange looking animal) but none are probably worth the effort for something this ugly.

You would have to do some math but I’m pretty sure there is a combination of teeth that will work if you install what in the world of machinery is often called a “jack shaft” – another arbor with a wheel and pinion. You would then put a larger pinion on the motor to drive the “jack shaft” which would drive the going train of the clock. That would give you two pinions and one more wheel to add to the equation. Of course you would need to relocate the motor and fit the extra arbor.

Another possibly more elegant solution involves constructing a variable frequency inverter power supply to provide 110 volts at something other than 60 Hertz. Once you calculate the required RPMs for the motor, you should have no problem determining the operating frequency. To insure accuracy, you could make the inverter controlled by a quartz crystal oscillator. Sounds like a fun project but hardly worth the effort. Or you could just buy a variable frequency motor controller but that’s hardly worth the cost.


Or you could name a new planet in a distant solar system and simply tell everyone that this “special clock” shows the time on planet__________!

RC

[Jay Fortner]

Jay, there are several possibilities for getting around the 7 ½ tooth pinion (which would be a strange looking animal) but none are probably worth the effort for something this ugly.

You would have to do some math but I’m pretty sure there is a combination of teeth that will work if you install what in the world of machinery is often called a “jack shaft” – another arbor with a wheel and pinion. You would then put a larger pinion on the motor to drive the “jack shaft” which would drive the going train of the clock. That would give you two pinions and one more wheel to add to the equation. Of course you would need to relocate the motor and fit the extra arbor.

Another possibly more elegant solution involves constructing a variable frequency inverter power supply to provide 110 volts at something other than 60 Hertz. Once you calculate the required RPMs for the motor, you should have no problem determining the operating frequency. To insure accuracy, you could make the inverter controlled by a quartz crystal oscillator. Sounds like a fun project but hardly worth the effort. Or you could just buy a variable frequency motor controller but that’s hardly worth the cost.


Or you could name a new planet in a distant solar system and simply tell everyone that this “special clock” shows the time on planet__________!

RC
There you go,it's a cosmic clock from the planet FUBAR!

[Jay Fortner]

Sometimes I think I've gone braindead. The center shaft has a 8 leaf pinion that was driven by the mainwheel. All I need to do is get another main wheel to use as a idler and a 8 leaf pinion attached to the rotor.(DUH!) Any body got any old Westclox parts?

[Jay Fortner]

I'd like to dedicate this thread to clocks that are built out of other clocks.
Most of y'all have seen "Frankie" the Telechron,Ingraham,Westclox,Radio add clock. I'd like to see what kind of frankenstien clocks y'all have come across.

[R. Croswell]

I'd like to dedicate this thread to clocks that are built out of other clocks.
Most of y'all have seen "Frankie" the Telechron,Ingraham,Westclox,Radio add clock. I'd like to see what kind of frankenstien clocks y'all have come across.
Any particular requirements other than having parts from more than one clock?

[Jay Fortner]

Any particular requirements other than having parts from more than one clock?
Not really.I've never been big on rules, but we will have to abide by the MB's,but the uglier the better after all this is a horror show.
I think Bang is building one now,can't wait to see what he's up to. Hey man, when's the debute?

[leeinv66]

He is my Franky. He was made from my junk box. The reason? So I could work on my technique for planting wheels and getting the meshing right. And he still runs after some two years or more:smile:

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a142/leeinv66/000_1208.jpg

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a142/leeinv66/000_1168.jpg

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a142/leeinv66/000_1154.jpg

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a142/leeinv66/000_1148.jpg

[Heritage-Clocks]

I didn't even notice , but Frankie's got his own thread.

H/C

[Jay Fortner]

I didn't even notice , but Frankie's got his own thread.

H/C
Uhn-uh,This thread is for ALL Frankenstein clocks,got any to add to the mix?

[bangster]

100558

:clap:

[Jay Fortner]

Boy that's ugly!, The radium must've wore off the hands so this was his fix for illumination.
NO, It's a gas operated thermal clock,hmmmm,maybe time bomb.

[harold bain]

Needs a new mantle before you put it back on the mantel:D.

[Scottie-TX]

Barely a qualifier I suppose as it ain't totally ugly, but does have merits in this category and theme.
Wanted to see this small roulant perform in a case so I found this little cathedral on eBay. Had to cut out the back and bottom but the pendulum was too long so I perched it atop that piece of walnut cut out for the bob. Then the straps were too long so I used a cardboard cylinder to build out the case thickness. It's been a pet here for quite a few years now. Here's "Cathy":

[leeinv66]

Barely a qualifier I suppose as it ain't totally ugly, but does have merits in this category and theme.
Wanted to see this small roulant perform in a case so I found this little cathedral on eBay. Had to cut out the back and bottom but the pendulum was too long so I perched it atop that piece of walnut cut out for the bob. Then the straps were too long so I used a cardboard cylinder to build out the case thickness. It's been a pet here for quite a few years now. Here's "Cathy":

Now wait just a second! If I had been told this thread was for ugly clocks I wouldn't have posted Franky.:smile:

[shutterbug]

Bang - I love the idea of a gas powered clock! Very cool .... uh, I mean hot!

[bangster]

Barely a qualifier I suppose as it ain't totally ugly, but does have merits in this category and theme.
Wanted to see this small roulant perform in a case so I found this little cathedral on eBay. Had to cut out the back and bottom but the pendulum was too long so I perched it atop that piece of walnut cut out for the bob. Then the straps were too long so I used a cardboard cylinder to build out the case thickness. It's been a pet here for quite a few years now. Here's "Cathy":

You think our Hawaiian Cathy is gonna appreciate the namesake? :rolleyes::bigsmile:

[bangster]

Now wait just a second! If I had been told this thread was for ugly clocks I wouldn't have posted Franky.:smile:

Nono. Frankensteins (or Fronkensteens) don't HAVE to be ugly. It's just that most of them are. Remember...Elsa Lanchester didn't look too bad...'cept for the hair.

[Scottie-TX]

You think our Hawaiian Cathy is gonna appreciate the namesake
Oh I don't think she'd object. Perhaps even she'd appreciate seeing her name surface.
I guess a name change wouldn't hurt. After all, altho this shape is regarded as "cathedral" in the radio world would probably be "beehive" (I don't get that)in the clock world. I'm just not comfortable with renaming her "Justa Beeber".

[RJSoftware]

100558



:clap:


I wonder how long you could get a clock to run off of air pressure from a tank like that?

Might be interesting, two bright mantles rotating back n forth like a anniversary clock...

No, well...

RJ

[leeinv66]

Nono. Frankensteins (or Fronkensteens) don't HAVE to be ugly. It's just that most of them are. Remember...Elsa Lanchester didn't look too bad...'cept for the hair.

I don't know Bangster, there was something kind of hot about that hair:D