Peter Alarm Clock

[AndyDWA]

I was speaking to a lady in a shop one day and mentioned I was interested in tinkering with old clocks. She said she might have something at home and would take a look. I called back into the shop today and she gave me this.



It's a Peter alarm clock, made in Germany. I know nothing else about it except that it works. It's got a little bit of cosmetic damage, the alarm is a bit weak and something rattles when you move it around, but it works. In fact, it can be heard ticking in the next room.

I might be tempted to take a look inside one day to see if the alarm needs attention or if that's just the sound it makes (it does remind me of clocks we had when I was a kid). I'd be interested in any pointers on a likely age. I'm guessing c1950s, from the style, but since I know very little about clocks, I'm allowing an error margin of two or three decades.

I assume the back just prises off with a screwdriver and that the movement should be assessable from there?


EDIT: This was supposed to go in "newest acquisition" forum. I must have hit the wrong link. Oops.

 

[Ticktocktime100]

Hi,
I would date the clock to the 1960's-70's. As you said, the back does indeed pry off. You then have access to the movement.
Regards.

 

[AndyDWA]

Thanks Ticktock.

I pulled the back off and had look inside. A small round piece of steel, approx 8-10mm diameter, with a hole in the side, fell out (see photo). There was old, dried adhesive tape inside the body that had obviously been used to keep this piece safe for a future repair.

This piece of metal explains the rattle but I'd like to know what it is and how it should be connected.

The movement is stamped "11-41 Germany" - although the first "1" looks different to the others.

The alarm-stop button is held in by a bent sewing pin (see photo). I'm not sure what should be here.

I worked out that the whole movement can be removed from the body by removing the two feet and the alarm button mounting. This allowed me to remove and clean the glass.

I did a poor-man's clean-up by swabbing the pivot holes with lighter fluid, soaking it out with a clean paintbrush then oiling. Not recommended, I know, but I'm not prepared to dismantle the movement at this point, and it was running okay before the clean.

 

[dAz57]

that's the alarm hammer head, looks like it is attached to the black bent wire near the hand setting arbor, I think you will find a peg riveted to the back inside that this is supposed to rattle against, this clock makes more of a rattling noise because it doesn't have a bell.

yes the dress pin was just convenient, it would have had a piece of wire normally.

it doesn't look to bad overall, the cone pivots do go blunt causing the balance wheel to have a poor action, if you have a good swing on the balance wheel, then its fine.

is it lighter fluid or shelite you use?, Shelite from the paint section in Bunnings can be bought in 1 litre bottles.

 

[AndyDWA]

I use Mobilight which I assume is the same as Shellite, lighter fluid, naptha, etc. I've had a 4-litre tin of it for over 20 years as I used to use it, long ago, for cleaning illustration board. I understand it to be one of the cleaner volatile solvents as it leaves no oily residue (which is why it could be used before doing watercolour paintings). I've read here of people using it on clocks so I'm finally putting it to use again.

I've been hunting around for reference pics of small alarm movements but haven't had much luck. I'm certain you're right about the round piece being the alarm hammer and yes, there is a bump on the inside of the back cover - I wondered what it was for, now I know. Thanks! (I tried searching for "small alarm clock hammer" but Google images gave me results I wasn't expecting).

Would I use epoxy or something to reattach the hammer to the rod?

I'm not familiar with "cone pivots" or "balance wheel" (I know a bit about 400-day clocks but not other clocks) but think I know the bits you mean. I assume the balance wheel is the one with the hair spring that operates the escape lever... I spent quite a bit of time cleaning those pivots as there was quite a bit of grime there. The clock runs well unless I move it and then, sometimes, it will stop. A small "shake" gets it going again.

I just need a little more experience and confidence before I look at pulling it apart and doing a more thorough clean.

One thing I would like to do is to re-paint the body. I assume the top handle has to spread apart to be removed and that the two small posts will then unscrew from the body?

 

[dAz57]

probably similar, Shelite is made by Shell, basically it's petrol without the additives, other names is X-55 , X-95, the number is the boiling point in Fahrenheit, so higher the number, slower it evaporates.

a high strength epoxy like JB Weld should be ok to refit the hammer.

the posts look like they are riveted on, you might just have to pop the handle off and mask off the posts.

 

[AndyDWA]

I epoxied the hammer back on and it definitely has a better ring now. It still sounds dreadful, but I'm pretty sure that's how it's meant to sound. It would certainly get me out of bed in the morning - if I could sleep with the loud ticking

I think this one is done. If only they were all so easy.