Gustav Becker four glass.

[ivancooke]

Gustav Becker I picked up lately.
A bit scruffy when I got it, foot missing off base,No suspension,pendulum adjusting rod had a splint on it.
Now cleaned, oiled, and back in operation.
Hopefully John will supply exact date, etc.
S/N. 1845054.
This number is repeated on the base of the pendulum.



Ivan.

 

[lesbradley]

Nice result, Ivan. In my book this dates from middle of 1905, one of the last clocks to be made without the suspension guard.

 

[ivancooke]

Thanks Les,
Have found since getting it going that .102 mm suspension is too light, and the clock is going too slow with no more adjustment, so I've had to start thinning down a .114 mm.


Ivan.

 

[shutterbug]

Thanks Les,
Have found since getting it going that .102 mm suspension is too light, and the clock is going too slow with no more adjustment, so I've had to start thinning down a .114 mm.


Ivan.

Ivan - There's a formula that John posted that could help you. Use search.

 

[John Hubby]

Ivan, great job! This one was made 2nd quarter 1905, maybe six months before GB introduced their suspension guard.

The dial info is interesting, GB made a fair number of clocks for Benetfink in the time period from 1904 to 1906. I've documented a half dozen now including yours.

 

[ivancooke]

Thanks shutterbug I'll try that.
Thanks for info. John.
Though the clock was imported to London, the source I got it from was on the "Isle of Man", a little island in the middle of the Irish sea, between Briton and Ireland. So you might say it got half way here, and I shipped it the rest of the way to Ireland.

 

[shutterbug]

Here's John's quote:

here is a "rule of thumb" that I've posted earlier, that says stepping up or down one size for the suspension spring will result in a 4 minute per hour change in rate at the same pendulum setting. If the clock was running too fast with the pendulum adjusted to "full slow", then changing the spring to the next thinner size as you note would slow it down by 4 minutes per hour if you didn't change the pendulum setting. Ordinarily that will allow you to use the pendulum to do the adjustment, since most pendulums have a plus/minus adjustment range of 4 minutes change from full slow to full fast.

 

[ivancooke]

Thanks s.bug,
have been thinning on and off most of the day, and have it down to where I can do adjustments with the weights on the pendulum.
I'm sure I have done 3 to 400 passes with emery in the thinning process.
There is a lot of trial and error involved, but when it works it makes it all worthwhile.



Ivan.