Elisha Hotchkiss Clock Help

[TWBrown]

First time posting here. I recently bought an Elisha Hotchkiss clock at auction as a project to try and get it working with my kids. It appears to have all the parts but I'm not sure which ones are appropriate or may be extra. It came with 6 keys, a circular piece of glass, two pendulums, and 3 weights. Two of the weights were sitting in the bottom and one was attached and is up at the top on the left hand side. There was a date written in pencil on the inside of the door: 2-5-1829. I haven't messed with it too much, but I was able to connect a weight on the right side and using a key on the right side of the face it moved up the side, but then fell back down when i took the key out. I also pulled the smaller metal wire to the left and it made the chime ring. My next step is to try and remove the face to get a look behind. I figured out how to remove the face but wanted to make sure I knew the proper way to remove the hands. Do I just pull out the little pin in the front? Also, why are there 3 weights? Should't there be 2? Any tips on how to lower the weight that is stuck up on the top left? What is the piece of circular glass for? Do I have too many keys or do they all have a role? Is one of the pendulems the correct size and the other just an extra? I'm sure I will have some more questions once I start taking it apart. I only paid $45 for it so if it's unrepairable it at least provided some fun and we will have learned a bit about this type of clock. Thanks!

 

[Andy Dervan]

The clock has a Burlington, CT label, so the earliest if could be was 1830 that is when he moved from Bristol to Burlington. He was in business up to about 1840 so the penciled date is incorrect....

Be care with the movement as it is over 200 years old and teeth can be easily if it is wound improperly,

Where do you live, so we can try and put you in contact with someone who knows more about handling wood movement clocks?

It takes 2 weights about 2 1/2 lbs. each. The pendulum bob with the attached adjustment should work ok. Weight driven movements are best wound with a crank winder rather than a key. If the crank winder fits on the winding arbor ok it should work.

Other forum members might offer comments and suggestions.

Andy Dervan

 

[TWBrown]

The clock has a Burlington, CT label, so the earliest if could be was 1830 that is when he moved from Bristol to Burlington. He was in business up to about 1840 so the penciled date is incorrect....

Be care with the movement as it is over 200 years old and teeth can be easily if it is wound improperly,

Where do you live, so we can try and put you in contact with someone who knows more about handling wood movement clocks?

It takes 2 weights about 2 1/2 lbs. each. The pendulum bob with the attached adjustment should work ok. Weight driven movements are best wound with a crank winder rather than a key. If the crank winder fits on the winding arbor ok it should work.

Other forum members might offer comments and suggestions.

Andy Dervan

Hi Andy,

I live in Billerica, MA.

Thanks for the info!

Travis

 

[Jim DuBois]

Having a gong in lieu of a bell suggests it to post 1835-1836. So, it has been narrowed down to about a 4 year period so far. Your case style is usually called a beveled front or a flat ogee.

 

[EscapeWheel]

Do I just pull out the little pin in the front?

Yes, remove the pin. Behind it is a little brass washer that comes off. Then the minute hand will come off. The hour hand may be a little harder to pull off, but it will.

Any tips on how to lower the weight that is stuck up on the top left?

It'll be easier to see what's up with that weight once you've removed the dial.

What is the piece of circular glass for?

It doesn't go with this clock - it's for a clock with a round dial.

Nice old clock! You and your kids are going to love working on it. Thanks for the excellent pictures - now we need one of the movement itself.

 

[TWBrown]

Do I just pull out the little pin in the front?

Yes, remove the pin. Behind it is a little brass washer that comes off. Then the minute hand will come off. The hour hand may be a little harder to pull off, but it will.

Any tips on how to lower the weight that is stuck up on the top left?

It'll be easier to see what's up with that weight once you've removed the dial.

What is the piece of circular glass for?

It doesn't go with this clock - it's for a clock with a round dial.

Nice old clock! You and your kids are going to love working on it. Thanks for the excellent pictures - now we need one of the movement itself.

I was able to take the face off and here are the pictures with it removed. When I attached the pendulum it made contact with the bottom edge of the door so I think it might be hanging down too far? I also got a better look at the weight but not sure why it's stuck (or even if it is stuck) or how to move it. Do I also need to take off the wood face to expose more of the gears?

Thanks!

 

[TWBrown]

I was able to unhook the weight stuck in the top left. The hook will not pull down. I tried using the key to turn the knob (not sure the right terminology) on the left. When I tried turning to the right it was stuck and did not move. When I turned to the left it would pull it up slightly but it's all the way to the top already. The knob on the right would crank up the right side weight but when I removed the key it would sink back to the bottom. When I move the pendulum it will run for 10-15 seconds but then stop. I think because the pendulum is rubbing against the bottom part of the door frame so it slows down. The gong seems to work fine. I've seen some pictures online where there appears to be a strip of wood under the face. I wonder if that is to help keep the pendulum in line and not strike the door frame?

 

[Jim DuBois]

You have a decent little clock that has some difficulties. To be completely honest, you need a person who knows more than a bit about wood works clocks to look it over and offer you some input. The average clock repair shop is not likely to be that party. Not sure where you are located, but if you are in this area, SE Texas, I would be happy to assist at no charge. The clock needs to be evaluated for why it is not working, i.e. worn bushings or just needed to be properly set up. Are all the wheels and pinions intact? Weight cords overlapped? In need of a serious cleaning (doesn't look bad in that respect)? All this can be inspected, and minor corrections applied in 5 or 10 minutes. If bushing work is needed, then you do need a knowledgeable wood works clock person to do the work. Please note that is not Uncle Fix-it down the road or Dunk and Swish either. Folks who change out these movements for battery works must be avoided. I repeat myself, but you have a clock worthy of preservation, but done so with care and appreciation. It is not a valuable clock, but still worthy.

 

[TWBrown]

You have a decent little clock that has some difficulties. To be completely honest, you need a person who knows more than a bit about wood works clocks to look it over and offer you some input. The average clock repair shop is not likely to be that party. Not sure where you are located, but if you are in this area, SE Texas, I would be happy to assist at no charge. The clock needs to be evaluated for why it is not working, i.e. worn bushings or just needed to be properly set up. Are all the wheels and pinions intact? Weight cords overlapped? In need of a serious cleaning (doesn't look bad in that respect)? All this can be inspected, and minor corrections applied in 5 or 10 minutes. If bushing work is needed, then you do need a knowledgeable wood works clock person to do the work. Please note that is not Uncle Fix-it down the road or Dunk and Swish either. Folks who change out these movements for battery works must be avoided. I repeat myself, but you have a clock worthy of preservation, but done so with care and appreciation. It is not a valuable clock, but still worthy.

Hi Jim,

I appreciate the offer. I'm in Massachusetts so a little too far from you! I'll stop poking around until I find someone that knows more about these types of clocks. The last thing I want to do is break something that's not currently broken or make it worse, as it seems to be mostly intact with all the original parts.

Thanks!

 

[Jim DuBois]

Well, there are a fair number of clock collectors in your area that I know, but I am not aware of any heavy into ww repairs. The nearest person I could suggest is Peter Nunes, and he is in Rhode Island. He is also a moderator here, I think. Also, Jon Lester is a specialist in Ohio, but your clock is not one I would attempt to ship complete.

 

[Peter A. Nunes]

Mr. Brown, I'm in South Kingstown, Rhode Island, and if you'd like to take a ride down to the shop I can give you a tutorial regarding your clock. I'll send you a private message.

 

[Raymond Rice]

Mr. Brown, I'm in South Kingstown, Rhode Island, and if you'd like to take a ride down to the shop I can give you a tutorial regarding your clock. I'll send you a private message.

Jim and Peter, your offer to help the OP is what makes this forum such a great resource. May your tribe increase!
Ray

 

[R. Croswell]

First time posting here. I recently bought an Elisha Hotchkiss clock at auction as a project to try and get it working with my kids. It appears to have all the parts but I'm not sure which ones are appropriate or may be extra. It came with 6 keys, a circular piece of glass, two pendulums, and 3 weights. Two of the weights were sitting in the bottom and one was attached and is up at the top on the left hand side. There was a date written in pencil on the inside of the door: 2-5-1829. I haven't messed with it too much, but I was able to connect a weight on the right side and using a key on the right side of the face it moved up the side, but then fell back down when i took the key out. I also pulled the smaller metal wire to the left and it made the chime ring. My next step is to try and remove the face to get a look behind. I figured out how to remove the face but wanted to make sure I knew the proper way to remove the hands. Do I just pull out the little pin in the front? Also, why are there 3 weights? Shouldn't there be 2? Any tips on how to lower the weight that is stuck up on the top left? What is the piece of circular glass for? Do I have too many keys or do they all have a role? Is one of the pendulems the correct size and the other just an extra? I'm sure I will have some more questions once I start taking it apart. I only paid $45 for it so if it's unrepairable it at least provided some fun and we will have learned a bit about this type of clock. Thanks!

Nice old wooden works clock, and it looks to be in pretty good condition. You didn't mention if you have any experience with brass movement clocks or a basic understanding of what makes a mechanical clock run. Not to worry, this is a very simple clock movement, and the parts are large and easy to see. The challenge is that you will be working with mostly with wood. Because these have been around for 200+ years as you can imagine there have been many techniques used to "fix" these, so you may encounter previous repairs that toady would be considered less than proper. You will also find considerable disagreement about the use of modern glues and materials for making repairs. You have already been given some good advice, and if you can find a mentor with wooden works experience to work with you that will be great. But keep in mind that you won't complete this task in a couple hours, or even a couple trips. So I understand it, this is a learning project with your kids (how old are they and how many?), so be sure the perspective mentor is OK working with your kids as well.

As for the weight that falls back after winding, this problem is related to failure of the "click" (see picture). The little wooden piece is held against the "click wheel" by the wire "click spring" to form a ratchet mechanism that allows arbor (shaft) to be turned only in one direction which keeps the weight from dripping. If the crank (winding key) is accidentally turned backward the result is typically broken gear teeth as can be seen in this example. So don't force anything!

When you get to the point where you are ready to take this movement apart, remove the verge (the part that drives the pendulum) and the count wheel, then while holding it together place it face side down on something like the cardboard core of an empty duct tape roll, or PVC sewer pipe coupling. You can then gently lift the back plate off without disturbing the other parts. The pillars and bell hammer come with the back plate. Then it is picture time! When you put it back together, assemble it face down.

If you can't find a mentor (and even if you do) there is one book that I recommend, Entreme Restoration by Tom Temple. It has a very good section on wooden works movements like this one. At one time it was available on DVD direct from Tom at https://www.xrestore.com/index.htm but that link does not seem to work anymore. It does appear to be on Amazon and other booksellers. You may also find this helpful: Wooden Works "basket case" repair I hope your clock do not have this many problems, but this is what it looks like inside and how to put it back together. There are several highly qualified contributors to this form (some with more experience than me) who will help if you get in trouble.

RC

 

[R. Croswell]

One more thing to consider, there should only be two weights. This type of movement usually has a pair of weights about 3.0 to 3.5 lbs. If the movement is in perfect condition it may run OK on 2.5 lbs., but generally these smaller weights are found in OG clocks with 30-hour brass movements.

RC

 

[Ned L]

Well, this is one big problem that must be addressed. I have made replacements out of,……. Coat hanger wire.

 

[R. Croswell]

View attachment 753312 Well, this is one big problem that must be addressed. I have made replacements out of,……. Coat hanger wire.

I would not say a big problem, but it must be addressed. I would first try to flatten the feather and see how that goes. Depends on how you feel about originality, but the readily available two or three piece suspension spring/leader assemblies will work fine. Timesavers does sell these one piece suspension and feather type but they are too wide and have to be cut down, and they tend to be a little thicker than the original but they will work. Most coat hanger wire to too heavy but you may find one that will work but it is a lot of work to flatten out the end to get a uniformly thin feather if you have to do it by hand.

RC

 

[Ned L]

Sort of a big problem for it's not working, not a difficult problem to remedy though, I agree.
I have used coat hanger wire. Working with some heat, an anvil and hammer followed by some hand sanding I get it down to a consistent .003" in thickness, which about matches the originals.

 

[R. Croswell]

Sort of a big problem for it's not working, not a difficult problem to remedy though, I agree.
I have used coat hanger wire. Working with some heat, an anvil and hammer followed by some hand sanding I get it down to a consistent .003" in thickness, which about matches the originals.

If you have the time and can achieve that result then I agree, that's the way to go.

RC