New Mantle Clock Acquisition: C. Rosenfelder Co. 2020_12_25

[Neadfiles]

Hello all,

My wife scored a nice holiday gift for me in the form of a C. Rosenfelder Co. mantle clock. Alas, I am a newcomer here and will naturally have a couple of questions to get this up and ticking. I am attaching pictures to give the experts a baseline of where I am to date. Apart from a good external cleaning, my first objective is to reattach the pendulum weight. Any help here would be appreciated. I'm very new to this so my part terminology is infantile! Please have a look at the attached photos. If there is something else I need to photograph let me know! Glad to have found this community. -Sam

 

[Royce]

First and foremost, welcome to the forum. Attached is from a 1960 Heco (Henry Coehler Co., Inc.) catalog. I think this may be your clock.

Clock & Watch Catalog Page: HECO Clock Catalog ca. 1960 > 36

HECO Clock Catalog ca. 1960 > 36

clockhistory.com

Royce

 

[Neadfiles]

Thanks for the welcome, Royce. That certainly looks like my clock. I appreciate your time in locating the page and sending me a link to the catalog! It's great to have a year associated with it. Best, Sam

 

[Neadfiles]

Hello all,

My wife scored a nice holiday gift for me in the form of a C. Rosenfelder Co. mantle clock. Alas, I am a newcomer here and will naturally have a couple of questions to get this up and ticking. I am attaching pictures to give the experts a baseline of where I am to date. Apart from a good external cleaning, my first objective is to reattach the pendulum weight. Any help here would be appreciated. I'm very new to this so my part terminology is infantile! Please have a look at the attached photos. If there is something else I need to photograph let me know! Glad to have found this community. -Sam

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Well, I finally figured out how to attach the pendulum (with the help of my teenage son). There was a small pin that was missing at the top that allowed the pendulum 'stem' or 'post' to hook onto. I fashioned a pin from a paper clip and to our chagrin, it is now ticking away (and chiming)! My next question to the group is: How many hours on average before one needs to wind up a mantle clock like this? I am only getting about 4 hours currently.

 

[JTD]

How many hours on average before one needs to wind up a mantle clock like this? I am only getting about 4 hours currently.

Fully wound, it should run for a week. Can you please post a photo of how you have the pendulum attached?

JTD

 

[Neadfiles]

Fully wound, it should run for a week. Can you please post a photo of how you have the pendulum attached?

JTD

 

[JTD]

Thanks for the photos.

1) The pillar from which the suspension spring hangs is twisted. The slot with the suspension spring in it should be perpendicular (vertical), so that the spring hangs straight down.

2) The suspension spring itself is broken. There should be two parallel strips from the top of the block to the lower block. The lower block has a pin (which is missing and you have used a paper clip).

You need to straighten the cock (the post which has the slot for the spring) and replace the spring. This suspension spring is easily available and costs very little, you can get it from the material supply houses such as Timesavers. However, if you remove the remains of the spring and take it to local clockmaker he will probably be able to let you have replacement.

Unless you do this, the clock will never run properly.

JTD

 

[JTD]

I meant to add that you should be able to re-position the cock by twisting it with a pair of needle-nosed pliers. It should be just a friction fit - you don't need to unscrew anything. Use a piece of cloth in the jaws so that you don't mar the cock.

JTD

 

[Neadfiles]

Thanks for the photos.

1) The pillar from which the suspension spring hangs is twisted. The slot with the suspension spring in it should be perpendicular (vertical), so that the spring hangs straight down.

2) The suspension spring itself is broken. There should be two parallel strips from the top of the block to the lower block. The lower block has a pin (which is missing and you have used a paper clip).

You need to straighten the cock (the post which has the slot for the spring) and replace the spring. This suspension spring is easily available and costs very little, you can get it from the material supply houses such as Timesavers. However, if you remove the remains of the spring and take it to local clockmaker he will probably be able to let you have replacement.

Unless you do this, the clock will never run properly.

JTD

Thanks so much for your input JTD - this mantle clock needs a bit of TLC for sure. Along with learning clock terminology, I'm looking for a reputable clock repair business in the greater Ann Arbor, MI area. If anyone reading this has a contact they would like to pass along, I'm all ears!

 

[Neadfiles]

I meant to add that you should be able to re-position the cock by twisting it with a pair of needle-nosed pliers. It should be just a friction fit - you don't need to unscrew anything. Use a piece of cloth in the jaws so that you don't mar the cock.

JTD

Just completed that!

 

[JTD]

Just completed that!

Well done!

Now replace the suspension spring and see how it runs. But you are wise to have the clock cleaned and overhauled before running it for too long as it will very likely be quite dirty. Old oil and dust makes fine grinding paste!

JTD