eagle statue on banjo clocks

[purpledog]

I received my Seesions miniature banjo clock (about 23 inches from top to bottom). While opening up the wrappings, I got too excited, and pulled out the clock before the wrappings were undone. And the end result was that I broke the little eagle statue on top of my clock.

I have 2 questions.

The eagle statue isn't made of metal. From what I read on ebay, the eagle statue is usually made of brass. The eagle statue was more like some kind of plastic/ceramic, although it does have a brass-look finish. Has anyone come acrss eagle statues of banjo clocks being made of other materials?

The break was a clean one, and I guess there should be no problem to glue it back. Would epoxy resin glue be good for ceramics/plastics?

I could have asked the seller, but he seems to be a seller of general antiques, and might not be the best person to answer my questions. Thank you.

 

[purpledog]

I received my Seesions miniature banjo clock (about 23 inches from top to bottom). While opening up the wrappings, I got too excited, and pulled out the clock before the wrappings were undone. And the end result was that I broke the little eagle statue on top of my clock.

I have 2 questions.

The eagle statue isn't made of metal. From what I read on ebay, the eagle statue is usually made of brass. The eagle statue was more like some kind of plastic/ceramic, although it does have a brass-look finish. Has anyone come acrss eagle statues of banjo clocks being made of other materials?

The break was a clean one, and I guess there should be no problem to glue it back. Would epoxy resin glue be good for ceramics/plastics?

I could have asked the seller, but he seems to be a seller of general antiques, and might not be the best person to answer my questions. Thank you.

 

[lamarw]

Never seen a banjo with that material type finial, and I doubt it is original to the clock. I would research for the proper finial and replace with as close to original as possible. The supply houses have a good selection. Try to compare style and size to original types you see in old catalogs, publicatons or maybe even on other clocks on the internet. Although it is possibly I am wrong, I would bet otherwise.

 

[tymfxr]

I too have never seen ceramic or plastic eagle on a banjo clock. Merritts has some
http://www.merritts.com/store3/main/productlist.asp?sea...nials&submit1=Search
Also call them and ask for the clock shop to see if they have any old ones laying around.
610-689-9541
Mike C.
Oh, by the way, mention my name and they will double the price!

 

[purpledog]

I have taken some pictures to show the broken part.

View attachment 350

View attachment 351

View attachment 352

While uploading the photos, a few other questions came up to my mind.

As you can see, there is a hole at the back without a cover. Would it be better to get something to cover the hole up to prevent dust from getting inside the casing? Also, there is a coating (shellac or lacquer, not too sure). Is this coating supposed to be on such clocks? Or was it probably painted by the previous owner? Personally, I don't quite like the coating. At certain angle, the coating looks 'cloudy'. I will left it untouched if it is original. Othewise, I am thinking of using acetone to remove it.

 

[Andy Dervan]

Hello Purpledog,

Here are responses to your questions.

Tran Duy Ly published a series of books on various clock manufacturing companies including Sessions.

If you would post a full front photograph of the clock, a message board user could look it up comparing photograph vs. catalog and obtain a good original description of the clock for you.

Super glue should work well to repair eagle. I am not sure the correct eagle (see prior paragraph).

The clock was originally finished either shellac or varnish. Shellac dissolves in methanol and varnish dissolves in mineral spirits or xylene.
Lacquer was used much later as a wood finisher.

I would be careful attacking the finish with acetone; you will strip everything off.

The clock probably dates from 1920's so it is 80 years old. These coatings oxidize with time and they can look cracked or crazed. First clean off dirt with mild detergent - Mr. Clean diluted with water. Wring out most of the water out of the rag before going over the case. Allow to dry and clean with a paste wax called "Black Wax" and 0000 steel wool (finest grade) will help remove some the oxidized finish and clock will look much better. Less aggressive methods are best! You would be surprised how just cleaning and waxing will look.

The whole was probably covered with a small circular brass plate. Are there some small holes in the brass strip that a circular brass plate could have been attached?

Hope this helps... Andy Dervan

 

[purpledog]

This is a picture of the clock.
View attachment 353

The clear coat on the clock isn't in a bad state. But I thought the wood would look better without the clear coat: just a personal taste. Ethanol is less harmful to humans as compared to methanol, and it also dissolves shellac. Would ethanol be a better choice to remove shellac?