• Upcoming updates
    Over the next couple of weeks we will be performing software updates on the forum. These will be completed in small steps as we upgrade individual software addons. You might occasionally see a maintenance message that will last a few minutes at most.

    If we anticipate an update will take more than a few minutes, we'll put up a notice with estimated time.

    Thank you!

Escape wheel installed backwards?

Altashot

Registered User
Oct 12, 2017
392
136
43
47
Country
Is it just me or is this escape wheel turning backwards?
It a Arthur Pequegnat time only drop octagon.
escape wheel.jpg


Thank you.
 

Steven Thornberry

User Administrator
Staff member
NAWCC Member
Jan 15, 2004
25,506
2,589
113
Here and there
Country
It does seem to be on backwards for a recoil escapement.
 

Willie X

Registered User
Feb 9, 2008
18,249
3,650
113
My guess would be the anchor has been replaced. Mainly because that's a lot easier to do and anchors often get broken or lost.

Hopefully, someone will come up with a photo of a like clock. Willie X
 

Kevin W.

NAWCC Member
Apr 11, 2002
23,694
763
113
65
Nepean, Ontario, Canada
Country
Region
I have never seen a escape wheel with those holes in it, on a Pequegnat clock.
 

Willie X

Registered User
Feb 9, 2008
18,249
3,650
113
I've don't think I've ever seen one (with holes) at all. I do like it though. I would be tempted to make a strip dead beat pallet, rather than change (or flip) that E-wheel.

My 2, Willie X
 

Raymond101

Registered User
Jun 25, 2022
245
58
28
69
Country
I also noticed there is a big tooth count difference between the CNC e-wheel and the original . wouldn't this mess the beat up? even if it was flipped . :( !!
its only about 9 teeth just a quick count. I think that it needs a replacement .
 

Mike Phelan

Registered User
Dec 17, 2003
11,122
427
83
West Yorkshire, England
Country
Region
Which way does it run? That will give you a definite answer.

I'd say that it's the 'scape wheel that's been swapped, as the anchor looks like an original one.
 

Raymond101

Registered User
Jun 25, 2022
245
58
28
69
Country
Looking at this whole thing from a scientific perspective. I think someone wanted a longer pendulum to replace a short drop . And forgot to reset set arm angles from 45deg to the new tooth angle which is nearer 55deg . By eye ball as the first post picture is not really possible to get exact.
If person is able to make a new escapement. Must be a minor job just to correct the arm angles . Ie straighten the top & reset bottom to match angle lock .
Theory vs practical.
 

Raymond101

Registered User
Jun 25, 2022
245
58
28
69
Country
Looking at this whole thing from a scientific perspective. I think someone wanted a longer pendulum to replace a short drop . And forgot to reset set arm angles from 45deg to the new tooth angle which is nearer 55deg . By eye ball as the first post picture is not really possible to get exact.
If person is able to make a new escapement. Must be a minor job just to correct the arm angles . Ie straighten the top & reset bottom to match angle lock .
Theory vs practical.
 

Willie X

Registered User
Feb 9, 2008
18,249
3,650
113
Will it keep time when it's running now?

If so, that is the right number of teeth, just flip the wheel, or seek out another wheel with the same number of teeth.

That wheel is on there good. You will need a lathe to do a good job of this.

Willie X
 

R. Croswell

Registered User
Apr 4, 2006
12,399
2,235
113
Trappe, Md.
www.greenfieldclockshop.com
Country
Region
It helps to confirm that the movement has a recoil escapement and that the OP's escape wheel is almost surely something that someone made and that it is on upside down for this escapement. For the movement shown in this picture, [Raymond's post #7] the lift angle of the of the pallets, especially the entrance pallet, are wrong. I expect that this movement does not run well, if it runs at all.

We still do not know just what the person who modified the movement shown in post #1 was trying to accomplish. Looks like about 4 fewer teeth so with all else being equal it will require a longer pendulum. What concerns me is that whoever made that escape wheel did a pretty neat job. I would expect someone with that skill level to not simply make a mistake and mount the wheel backward. In post #6 Willie said "I would be tempted to make a strip dead beat pallet, rather than change (or flip) that E-wheel". I can't help wondering if perhaps that was the reason to mounting the new escape wheel the way it is? Verges frequently get lost and replaced with whatever is handy. Perhaps a strip deadbeat or half-deadbeat verge got lost, or just never got made and someone stuck a recoil verge on to make it complete for sale. Either way, to make it a reliable runner, the ew should be flipped, or that recoil verge should be replaced with a deadbeat type (not both).

RC
 

wow

NAWCC Member
Jun 24, 2008
7,106
1,337
113
77
Pineville, La. (central La.)
Country
Region
It helps to confirm that the movement has a recoil escapement and that the OP's escape wheel is almost surely something that someone made and that it is on upside down for this escapement. For the movement shown in this picture, [Raymond's post #7] the lift angle of the of the pallets, especially the entrance pallet, are wrong. I expect that this movement does not run well, if it runs at all.

We still do not know just what the person who modified the movement shown in post #1 was trying to accomplish. Looks like about 4 fewer teeth so with all else being equal it will require a longer pendulum. What concerns me is that whoever made that escape wheel did a pretty neat job. I would expect someone with that skill level to not simply make a mistake and mount the wheel backward. In post #6 Willie said "I would be tempted to make a strip dead beat pallet, rather than change (or flip) that E-wheel". I can't help wondering if perhaps that was the reason to mounting the new escape wheel the way it is? Verges frequently get lost and replaced with whatever is handy. Perhaps a strip deadbeat or half-deadbeat verge got lost, or just never got made and someone stuck a recoil verge on to make it complete for sale. Either way, to make it a reliable runner, the ew should be flipped, or that recoil verge should be replaced with a deadbeat type (not both).

RC
If it runs with that escape wheel, wouldn’t it run much faster with the original pendulum? Perhaps they were trying to put the movement in a different case so the pendulum length would fit the case.
 

JayKosta

Registered User
Dec 14, 2022
61
13
8
75
Country
Question about counting the teeth on the EW - is the concern about the total number of teeth around the EW, or the number of teeth spanned by the verge?
I think the the running speed is more about the total number of teeth - am I wrong?
 

Altashot

Registered User
Oct 12, 2017
392
136
43
47
Country
Thank you for all the replies.
It is indeed the Brandon model.
It was given to my client in 2018 and it ran until a little while ago. He explained that it ran fine and kept time but suddenly developed sort of a double tick and became unreliable, sometimes running for a few days or only for a few minutes.
I experienced the double tick sound. It sounded like this: Tick-a-tick tock, tick-a-tick tock, tick-a-tick tock...
The second tick was produced by the exit pallet hitting the back of the last escaped tooth, it was badly out of beat. I don't know how it went out on its own but I had to tilt it quite a bit to make it sound in beat.
I adjusted the beat and now it runs with a normal tick tock sound and may I say, quite well, with a nice wide swing and adequate over swing.
Not too sure where to go with this one. It runs as it is, and keeps time well.

I do have a lathe and the abilities to reverse the wheel or make a new verge but as weird as this may seem, someone did indeed go through a lot
of effort, whether by replacing the escape wheel, or the verge, or both to make it work as well as it does. It appears that the entry pallet angle has been altered as there are signs that it has been heated. I agree that this wheel is a replacement and as was stated earlier, staked quite well, although not pretty, but solidly. The overall condition is acceptable, some bushings were replaced but they look good. The pallets were polished to a mirror finish, the spring is lubricated as well as all the pivots with the proper amount of oil. Whoever did this, in my opinion, knew what they were doing and had adequate skills to perform the repairs well. It's been running like this for at least 4-5 years.

That being said, I'm going to look through my verges and try a few different ones but I think the right thing to do is to reverse that wheel,
it's just wrong that way.
The exit pallet is so close to making contact with the back of the teeth and to entry one receives no impulse the way it is right now.

Strange indeed...
 
  • Like
Reactions: wow

shutterbug

Moderator
Staff member
NAWCC Member
Oct 19, 2005
49,693
3,032
113
North Carolina
Country
Region
Yeah, you're going to have to turn that wheel over and/or find a donor movement.
 

Willie X

Registered User
Feb 9, 2008
18,249
3,650
113
I've seen similar cases. The clocks barely ran but did run week to week and keep time. One was an EN Welch, which had an escape wheel made like a backwards pin pallet escape wheel The recoil pallets slid on the points only, just like the clock in question.

I would bet that flipping the wheel will improve the pendulum action and slow the rate by a small amount.

BUT, if it's not keeping time in that case now (with a good pendulum placement) all bets are off and Alta will have to rethink the 'tooth count' issue from square one.

Willie X
 

Willie X

Registered User
Feb 9, 2008
18,249
3,650
113
If it will run for 12 hours and stay within a minute or two, that is the information you need. Just oil it and move the bottom of the case a bit to make the beat better. Willie X
 
  • Like
Reactions: Raymond101

shutterbug

Moderator
Staff member
NAWCC Member
Oct 19, 2005
49,693
3,032
113
North Carolina
Country
Region
You are getting recoil on the exit only, and I'd wager that it's skipping a tooth occasionally on the entrance, which would account for the poor time keeping.
 

Willie X

Registered User
Feb 9, 2008
18,249
3,650
113
The tips of the E-wheel will batter and wear a bit faster but other than that it's not much difference. Willie X
 

Raymond101

Registered User
Jun 25, 2022
245
58
28
69
Country
It runs, and even has recoil. Amazing!
I guess you never know what will work if you don't experiment.
Return it as is. Without the hands and face it looks cool then no one will notice it runs fast . .. (joke) :)
 

Forum statistics

Threads
180,059
Messages
1,570,759
Members
54,364
Latest member
clockminded
Encyclopedia Pages
911
Total wiki contributions
3,090
Last edit
How To Open A Pocket Watch Case by Kent