Door hinge for fusee wall clock

[NigelW]

This single fusee wall clock feel off my neighbour's wall a while back and I said I would repair it for them. I fixed the movement a long time ago but am stuck with finding a replacement hinge. It needs to be 1 3/4" long - an uncommon size - and needs to look right. I have now concluded that I should make one.

The hinge needs to be soldered to the brass bezel but should it also bend so as to give it more surface area in contact with the brass, as in the drawing? I have included a pic of what it should look like form the outside.

 

[DeanT]

do you have the original hinge?

 

[novicetimekeeper]

Nice hands is it a John Walker? He favoured heart shaped hands. You often see converted hinges used, they have been cut down but have the remnants of the old screw holes. I could photograph hinges from clocks with that bezel style for you.

 

[novicetimekeeper]

Not one of mine but I was taking pics of the dial for somebody and it was a good example of adapted hinge

 

[DeanT]

I've got a friend who made a jig to bend the brass to make a round end in a press. But I wasn't sure if the end was a piece bent into a round shape?

 

[NigelW]

do you have the original hinge?

Unfortunately not.

 

[NigelW]

Not one of mine but I was taking pics of the dial for somebody and it was a good example of adapted hinge

View attachment 667088

Thanks for that. It has clearly just been soldered to the edge of the bezel and sawn off.

 

[NigelW]

I've got a friend who made a jig to bend the brass to make a round end in a press. But I wasn't sure if the end was a piece bent into a round shape?

I have never made a hinge but it shouldn't be too difficult to make one from solid on my milling machine plus a bit of hand filing. I just need to buy some longer drills to make the hole for the pin. It's the soldering I am not so confident with but my tutor can help.

 

[NigelW]

Nice hands is it a John Walker? He favoured heart shaped hands. You often see converted hinges used, they have been cut down but have the remnants of the old screw holes. I could photograph hinges from clocks with that bezel style for you.

There is no signature or other marks on the movement. The pic of the full clock I posted is not the one I am working on but an example from the net which has a hinge. The clock is below. Profaze of Islington is a long defunct local jewellers shop, so this was probably from their premises but not made by them. The last time it fell off the neighbour's wall the glass broke and was replaced with a flat piece. I have managed to source the right sized domed glass which I will fit once the hinge has been sorted.

Where I live in Islington is only about half a mile from the former premises of a very famous maker of watches and chronometers: Victor Kullberg. David Penny currently has a free sprung watch made by him, albeit with another retailer's signature on both movement and dial. I am tempted.

 

[Micam100]

Hello Nigel,

Here’s two of mine. They both appear to have been morticed into the bezel. One is then pinned to the bezel and the other one has been soldered almost invisibly.

One is 1 ¾ inches, the other is 2 inches.

The redundant side of the hinge has been cut off the 2 inch soldered one (similar to Novice’s example), but left in place on the other.

I don’t know if they were originally made like that…surely not?

Michael

 

[NigelW]

Really helpful, thanks Michael!

 

[novicetimekeeper]

You would think in a house bursting at the seams with dial clocks I would have more examples but most are the wrong size or a different bezel. I have included one 8" but the rest here are 10" or 12". I have three or four more the right size right bezel.

 

[DeanT]

I have never made a hinge but it shouldn't be too difficult to make one from solid on my milling machine plus a bit of hand filing. I just need to buy some longer drills to make the hole for the pin. It's the soldering I am not so confident with but my tutor can help.

Given what else I've seen you make this shouldn't be too hard. I'd even consider milling the round piece so its just hand finishing.

 

[NigelW]

Finally started the job of making the hinge. Casting the components would have been a more efficient use of material but I don't have the equipment or skill, so I am machining it from solid. I drilled the pivot holes first using the lathe, holding the brass in a machine vice. The hole was straight enough I think but not completely so. I have now milled the leaves to half thickness.

 

[NigelW]

Finally got back to my neighbour's single fusee English dial clock which needs a new door hinge. One of the challenges I have been pondering is how to hold the hinge securely and accurately in place when soldering it to the bezel, alignment being very critical so that the door opens and closes correctly. The answer was in front of me all the time but I have only just spotted it.

When cleaning up the bezel I noticed that the recess for the hinge is dovetailed and one of the dovetails is at a slight angle relative to the other. By carefully filing the hinge leaf to match I should be able to locate the hinge firmly in the right position with a friction fit which is firm enough to hold it steady while soldering.

I am quite pleased with my home made hinge although it's not quite finished yet and still needs the screw holes drilled and a good polish to remove the file marks.

 

[DeanT]

That looks great. Its one of the items which are often replaced and an eyesore on those clocks but yours will be perfect!

 

[daveR]

I am quite pleased with my home made hinge

You should be, it .looks great !

 

[NigelW]

Sucessfully soldered my homemade hinge onto the bezel on Monday. Dunked it in Baker's fluid, inserted it into the dovetail, heated it with a small blowtorch and applied some thin electrical solder, which went into the gap with capillary action. I used a bit too much so had to spend some time cleaning it up afterwards but I think it's a solid joint and seems to look the part.

 

[JTD]

Sucessfully soldered my homemade hinge onto the bezel on Monday. Dunked it in Baker's fluid, inserted it into the dovetail, heated it with a small blowtorch and applied some thin electrical solder, which went into the gap with capillary action. I used a bit too much so had to spend some time cleaning it up afterwards but I think it's a solid joint and seems to look the part.

View attachment 680338 View attachment 680339

Well done, I think it looks fine.

JTD

 

[Christopher Lloyd Owen]

Bravo!