CTMusicStraps
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- Mar 5, 2021
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Hi again
So a while back - almost a couple of years ago, I posted in “My Latest Acquisition “ category about the Seth Thomas Black Mantel Clock I bought from a Widow lady who had seen the clock set on a shelf but never run for over 30 years. It was stenciled 1900 on bottom of clock. A month code had been included but it was faded so bad I could not make out the month.
When I first received the clock it was fully wound, but not working. I dusted it off, applied a smaller amount of oil to a few pivots and a little over the springs. It still would not stay ticking until I raised one side up a few inches high. So I knew which way to adjust the crutch. I adjusted enough to get it going. Then some days later I started it going again and allowed it to run so that the springs could slowly unwind. It ran for 10 days!
Some months later I removed the movement (the Hip movement 3-5/8” that was used in the 1800’s), and with a let down tool released all the pressure from springs slowly letting them down all the way while they were still in movement. Open end springs can be done safely that way. I cleaned them, wiping solvent between the leaves and rewiping until clean, then I oiled them and wound and released each spring several times until all the spring oil (I used Slick 50 One) had distributed through out. I then wound the springs enough to install the safety spring C-Ring clamps on, and released until the power was retained.
looked over the movement to find very little wear for a clock 122 years old at the time. So I used an electronic solvent designed not to leave residue, and cleaned around pivot holes. I pegged in them too and when things looked clean, I wiped the plates too and oiled the pivots with a small amount of Whitlocks Synthetic Clock oil. I especially noticed the escape wheel pivot hole was in very good shape.
Perhaps not being run for decades, it didn’t have much chance to wear.
Next I took the clock case apart and labeled, tagged every screw and piece of hardware. I realized the case had never been taken apart and there was almost a reverence I experienced thinking of the clockmakers who last assembled it over 100 years ago. All main case screws had new looking slots with just a little of the black paint brushed over them when the inside of case was painted at the Seth Thomas factory.
I used Gojo (original formula without pumice) several times over and over using rags, paper towels and soft nylon brushes to clean the case and get into the engraving in the Adamantine finish.
I didn’t repaint anything, and not wanting to make the hardware galdy or unrealistic looking, I soaked metal first in Dawn dishwashing liquid. Then I scrubbed the copper plate castings with baking soda and white vinegar, sometimes I used lemon juice. It cleaned it gently and allowed the original finish (what had not eroded away) to remain.
My original paper dial was sandwiched in the brass and guilt finished bezel so I didn’t soak, but carefully cleaned it with brush, cotton swabs, etc until it was nice and clean. I didn’t do anything to the paper part.
After cleaning metal hardware I sprayed the feet and Egyptian Lions with a clear protective coat of Krylon Lacquer to seal and prevent future tarnish. Before cleaning much of the hardware was dirty and turned almost black.
I carefully dipped a Q-tip in clear lacquer and applied it over the cleaned brass and guilt on dial bezel for tarnish prevention as well.
After cleaning all the Adamantine parts and buffing by hand, I applied a thin coat of Brazilian pure Carnauba wax to the already shiny black Adamantine.
Here are pics, before and after.
CT
So a while back - almost a couple of years ago, I posted in “My Latest Acquisition “ category about the Seth Thomas Black Mantel Clock I bought from a Widow lady who had seen the clock set on a shelf but never run for over 30 years. It was stenciled 1900 on bottom of clock. A month code had been included but it was faded so bad I could not make out the month.
When I first received the clock it was fully wound, but not working. I dusted it off, applied a smaller amount of oil to a few pivots and a little over the springs. It still would not stay ticking until I raised one side up a few inches high. So I knew which way to adjust the crutch. I adjusted enough to get it going. Then some days later I started it going again and allowed it to run so that the springs could slowly unwind. It ran for 10 days!
Some months later I removed the movement (the Hip movement 3-5/8” that was used in the 1800’s), and with a let down tool released all the pressure from springs slowly letting them down all the way while they were still in movement. Open end springs can be done safely that way. I cleaned them, wiping solvent between the leaves and rewiping until clean, then I oiled them and wound and released each spring several times until all the spring oil (I used Slick 50 One) had distributed through out. I then wound the springs enough to install the safety spring C-Ring clamps on, and released until the power was retained.
looked over the movement to find very little wear for a clock 122 years old at the time. So I used an electronic solvent designed not to leave residue, and cleaned around pivot holes. I pegged in them too and when things looked clean, I wiped the plates too and oiled the pivots with a small amount of Whitlocks Synthetic Clock oil. I especially noticed the escape wheel pivot hole was in very good shape.
Perhaps not being run for decades, it didn’t have much chance to wear.
Next I took the clock case apart and labeled, tagged every screw and piece of hardware. I realized the case had never been taken apart and there was almost a reverence I experienced thinking of the clockmakers who last assembled it over 100 years ago. All main case screws had new looking slots with just a little of the black paint brushed over them when the inside of case was painted at the Seth Thomas factory.
I used Gojo (original formula without pumice) several times over and over using rags, paper towels and soft nylon brushes to clean the case and get into the engraving in the Adamantine finish.
I didn’t repaint anything, and not wanting to make the hardware galdy or unrealistic looking, I soaked metal first in Dawn dishwashing liquid. Then I scrubbed the copper plate castings with baking soda and white vinegar, sometimes I used lemon juice. It cleaned it gently and allowed the original finish (what had not eroded away) to remain.
My original paper dial was sandwiched in the brass and guilt finished bezel so I didn’t soak, but carefully cleaned it with brush, cotton swabs, etc until it was nice and clean. I didn’t do anything to the paper part.
After cleaning metal hardware I sprayed the feet and Egyptian Lions with a clear protective coat of Krylon Lacquer to seal and prevent future tarnish. Before cleaning much of the hardware was dirty and turned almost black.
I carefully dipped a Q-tip in clear lacquer and applied it over the cleaned brass and guilt on dial bezel for tarnish prevention as well.
After cleaning all the Adamantine parts and buffing by hand, I applied a thin coat of Brazilian pure Carnauba wax to the already shiny black Adamantine.
Here are pics, before and after.
CT
