Help Antique Cuckoo Trundles and End Shake

[steamer471]

I finally bit the bullet and decided to tackle my old American Cuckoo Clock Company movement. After cleaning it up and inspecting the lantern pinions I noticed one was protruding slightly from the top. Looking into it further I found none of the trundles were staked at the top like American movements. I can literally take one out of any of the shrouds with tweezers. Aren't these suppose to be secured and how? Also the plates seem to be farther apart than needed. I have like 1/8" end shake and the pivots have "tunneled in" due to them being almost too short. The plates don't seemed to be warped and are awfully thick. What do I not understand?

 

[Jeff T]

looks like some of the trundles may be to long or not fully seated you can take them and grind shorter stake them backin or loctite or the dreaded solder. might sure a spacer has not been added to the 4 movement piller posts1/8 endplay seems a lot. plates will need bushed if the abors have been digging in. You can shorten the pillers but that is a last resort move becareful what that tactic

 

[steamer471]

Thank you yes I'm probably going to make a cap to go on these. I am curious, did they leave the factory this way? Even and smooth with the top of the shrouds they show wear the steel seems quite soft. Was wondering how they would expect them to stay put? I have bushed the movement (8) and I thought of trimming the pillars but was afraid I would knock everything off if not done right. Also thought of leaving the bushings proud on the inside to reduce shake but even that would not stop the tunneling. The plates don't look warped and as thick as they are I would doubt this was the case (unless brass has a property I'm unaware of). From the amount of the wear and lack of punch/bushing work my guess is it's been this way since day one.

 

[Uhralt]

It certainly looks original. I can only guess but maybe the trundles were a press or friction fit originally. The pressure on the trundles during the use of the clock may have loosened them a bit over time.

For the tunneling, this looks like a design fault. Or, (even more wild speculation) there was a transition from the thick plates to thinner plates at the time the clock was made and the wheels were supposed to be used with the thinner plates but they used the plates that were still in stock.

Uhralt

 

[Jeff T]

the cap will work fine since you have already bushed it you could go ahead and run it be a long time till the tunneling is a issue again it might very well left the factory like uhralt said with miss matched parts

 

[steamer471]

Thanks guys. I'll leave it the way it is (except for the caps) and see how she goes. I seem to have had a run of factory defects and short comings lately.

 

[Willie X]

I would have left the new bushings proud on the inside. This would definately help the situation by providing more surface contact area. Willie X

 

[steamer471]

Thanks Willie. I broached out some brass washers to fit and may still change the bushings. Thanks all.

 

[Willie X]

Nice ... Willie X