New weight shells problem

[brutusamiga]

I recently imported 20 new weight shells from a well know clock supply house in England. To my surprise all the center rods consist of two pieces welded together. I think this is both nasty work and that these rods are not as strong as one single rod. I will definitely replace these rods.

What do you think?

 

[wow]

Guess they thought no one would open them and notice. Scotty work. I would complain to them.

 

[brutusamiga]

Their response:

 

[shutterbug]

They're ugly, but if really welded together they should be strong enough. I agree - shoddy.

 

[R&A]

Seeings that you don't see them, and if the are functional. It's really doesn't matter what they look like.

 

[brutusamiga]

No, I completely disagree. One does not see the movement of most clocks. That does not mean the job should not be done right. There is a right way of doing things and then there is a wrong way of doing things.

 

[Willie X]

That won't go through the hole in many weights. Crappy supplier!
Willie X

 

[Willys_1]

It's a lot more work to weld two pieces of rod together than to simply use the correct length of rod in the first place...smh.

 

[bangster]

Guess they thought no one would open them and notice. Scotty work. I would complain to them.

Scotty work?

 

[wow]

Scotty work?

Sorry. Shotty. Or is it Shoddy like Shutt said? Any way, not professional ! Scotty-Tx would agree.

 

[Uhralt]

It's a lot more work to weld two pieces of rod together than to simply use the correct length of rod in the first place...smh.

The interesting thing is that both pieces are threaded and appear to be the same length. Maybe they are making weight shells in various lengths but use only one stock of threaded rod. To accommodate the various lengths they just weld the two pieces together in a way that the length fits.

Uhralt

 

[Dick C]

So the screw hook and the bottom piece that is screwed onto each end does not align flat with the flat surfaces.

The weight distribution, albeit negligible, is not correct.

It may be possible that the center cutout for the shaft will not accept the thicker rod.

I would never buy anything from this supplier.

 

[JTD]

Or is it Shoddy like Shutt said?

Yes, it is.

As to why anyone would do this, I don't know, unless they had a lot of fairly short pendulum rods they wanted to get rid of (because that's what the rods look like to me). Shoddy work indeed.

JTD

 

[bangster]

The horror...!

 

[Uhralt]

The horror...!

And is must have been made somewhere where labor is cheap.

Uhralt

 

[bangster]

Nice beads in the welding.

 

[novicetimekeeper]

It is indeed shoddy, a type of cloth, as I recall the helpful OCD definition describes it as a lower grade than Mungo.

 

[shutterbug]

If they were going to Join two pieces for any reason, you'd think they would at least put the pieces end to end!

 

[novicetimekeeper]

If they were going to Join two pieces for any reason, you'd think they would at least put the pieces end to end!

That's what I wondered, I don't know how they are used but don't both ends need to be central?

 

[novicetimekeeper]

I think I remembered it incorrectly

'Shoddy' - the meaning and origin of this word

I think shoddy is a grade or two above mungo

Definition of MUNGO

 

[shutterbug]

They typically go through the center of a lead weight, and hold the caps on the ends. They also provide a place for a hook that the weight hangs from. As they are now, they couldn't do that very easily.

 

[novicetimekeeper]

They typically go through the center of a lead weight, and hold the caps on the ends. They also provide a place for a hook that the weight hangs from. As they are now, they couldn't do that very easily.

I rather thought that must be it. All mine are either just lead or lead cast in a brass case, so the the metal hook or loop is captive in the casting.

 

[bangster]

If they were going to Join two pieces for any reason, you'd think they would at least put the pieces end to end!

A butt weld is much weaker than the side weld they used.

 

[RodJB]

I would love to know who supplied these, there is no excuse, I have never seen a 2 piece rod!

 

[bruce linde]

"doesn't matter than no one else has complained. the right way is one rod, centered, minimal footprint to go through whatever inserts are used, bottom and top pieces and screws aligned correctly, etc. i would appreciate it if you would send me an rma# so i can return them... at your expense."

 

[shutterbug]

A butt weld is much weaker than the side weld they used.

Not if it's brazed.

 

[brutusamiga]

They now want to import rods from China to England and then send it to me in South Africa. This it the best they can do.

 

[shutterbug]

If that's what it takes, let them do it. It will cost them some money, and will teach them a lesson on what is acceptable to their customers.

 

[bangster]

Not if it's brazed.

We talkin' welding or we talkin' brazing?

 

[bruce linde]

if i were going to solder two rods together like that i would not spot-solder... i would solder along the length between them to insure that they would hold.

but i wouldn't, in the first place. simple enough to use the right rod, yes?

 

[claussclocks]

I have dealt with a number of cast weights that those rods would not even get through the center hole. Those should have been offered as clearance or seconds for someone to choose to make do, not as first line merchandise.

 

[bangster]

if i were going to solder two rods together like that i would not spot-solder... i would solder along the length between them to insure that they would hold.

but i wouldn't, in the first place. simple enough to use the right rod, yes?

We talkin' welding or we talkin' soldering?

But I agree, it's a pretty lame approach, considering the rod is supposed to pass through a rod-sized hole in a weight.
The right way to attach them, if at all, would be a thin-wall sleeve.

 

[kinsler33]

I wouldn't take a chance with these rods, if for no other reason than the torque involved in tightening the end caps may well be sufficient to peel those spot welds apart. I'd write back to the firm, give them the URL of this thread, and ask them to kindly provide you with twenty proper center rods, and thank you.

 

[brutusamiga]

Kinsler33 I have done just that. Their supplier admitted the mistake and they will send me the correct rods. What still boggles my mind is how a company that has been in existence since 1969 could not see that this is wrong. I don't think is it true that many of their clients do not have a problem with this.

 

[shutterbug]

It would be fairly easy to just make a rod. To put 20 of them in your inventory seems a bit much ... but I'm sure there's a good reason

 

[kinsler33]

Clock parts suppliers deal with a very large and very strange variety of merchandise, most of which seems to come from China, India, or (worse) Switzerland. I'm surprised they're able to keep track of it all.

I myself am in Timesavers Closeout Merchandise recovery. I keep ordering stuff from there.

M Kinsler

but now I'm running out of bushings

 

[brutusamiga]

There is a huge demand for clock weights in South Africa. Every now and then a client phones me about his clock weights that were stolen during a robbery. Criminals sell it at scrap yards. Importing is expensive. That's why I ordered 20.

 

[brutusamiga]

Here is my new center rods. I had to buy 1m rods and simply cut it to the correct lenght.

 

[kinsler33]

There is a huge demand for clock weights in South Africa. Every now and then a client phones me about his clock weights that were stolen during a robbery. Criminals sell it at scrap yards. Importing is expensive. That's why I ordered 20.

Oh, my. I had no idea.

We've had to license our scrap yards here in the US. People have been stealing cast-iron manhole covers, with the obvious consequences. Manufacturers of wire used by electric utilities now offer to laser-inscribe the utility's name on each foot or so of wire. And the copperweld (steel heavily plated with copper) ground wire on the electric pole near our house has been stolen several times.

But in the case of home burglaries here, potential scrap metal is typically left alone: the objects of affection are typically video games and associated software, electronic goods of various sorts, tools, and drugs. Nobody has looked longingly at our cast-iron, uh, irons, or the sash weights from our old windows. I will report, however, that by informal agreement scrap metal left out in our alley is picked up quickly by the scavengers who haunt our city. Our old hot water heater disappeared within twenty minutes after I set it out there.

M Kinsler

 

[novicetimekeeper]

There is a huge demand for clock weights in South Africa. Every now and then a client phones me about his clock weights that were stolen during a robbery. Criminals sell it at scrap yards. Importing is expensive. That's why I ordered 20.

That would be quite distressing here, as several of the sets are over 300 years old. However they would probably take the dials too so there would be no point for the weights.

It used to be the case that dials and movements were stolen here for resale, that seems rather less likely now.

 

[gmorse]

We had a case a few years ago of thieves ripping out a long stretch of the main telephone cables from just near our local exchange; that caused some chaos!

 

[novicetimekeeper]

We had a case a few years ago of thieves ripping out a long stretch of the main telephone cables from just near our local exchange; that caused some chaos!

They keep stealing optical fibre thinking it is copper, you don't get clever thieves any more.

 

[kinsler33]

We had a case a few years ago of thieves ripping out a long stretch of the main telephone cables from just near our local exchange; that caused some chaos!

Another of the simple joys of running an electric company is the discovery of the blackened corpse of someone who was trying to saw copper bars out of a substation. The resulting paperwork ensures that nothing else will be accomplished that week.

The Long Island Railroad in New York gets a fine crop of deceased miscreants each year. It's an electrified railroad, 11,000 volts.

M Kinsler