English longcase restoration

[ccpjim]

I am in the middle of cleaning an 1820ish longcase and have some questions concerning the ratchet and click and the pallets.
The click was mounted to the great wheel via threads, see attached picture. Has this been done before and is this authenticate? I am tempted to bore out the click and put a screw in place.
Also the pallet is not square to the arbor and the crutch is not true to arbor. The arbor is slighty bent due to the soldering of the crutch. I am trying to decide on removing the soldered piece and turning a brass fitting down to press on and attach the crutch to it.
What are the thoughts of repairing an old movement and some of the previous repairs done to it. Correct them or leave them as is or as close as possible.

 

[Scottie-TX]

As for the crutch and pallet, I would correct all of it - have the pallet body square to the arbor - you don't want teeth hitting pallets at an angle. Crutch looks sloppy. I'd correct that for at least esthetics. It looks ugly. Straighten the arbor, of course.

 

[Willie X]

ccpj,

The click has not been modified. This is the way they were made. Yours appears to be in good condition. Do not worry if the threads seem a bit loose. More to worry that the locking face of the click is flat and at the propper angle. Also that the click's spring has no cracks and is exerting a moderate pressure with no binding. The click wheels often need to be checked closely for damaged teeth. These big weights can cause a good bit of wear and tear with 175 years of use. Luckily these movements were made to take it and will continue to run, even with many defects.

Point being, that if you take good care of the worst of its problems, the clock will probably run merrily alomg for another 50 years.

Willie X

 

[Ralph B]

Your click is correct and, as stated, relatively unworn.
They can get alarmingly sloppy and it looks like someone has been concerned about yours and tried tightening it with a punch.

Bad idea for lots of reasons but one of them is you risk the click clicking up and staying up. Then the winder turns into a little metal propeller as the weight heads for the bottom and a very sudden stop....

Ralph B.

 

[Mike Phelan]

I would leave the click as it is - it's worked fine for over a century!
That's how they were made, and putting in a modern screw would achieve nothing. Floorboards meeting the weight can wake you up!

I'd leave the pallets as well, for the same reason and the fact they are not visibly out of line in the picture, but make a new collet for the crutch. Best if you can get hold of yellow brass for authenticity.