Richard Fennel bracket clock, lots to do

[novicetimekeeper]

Just bought this, not seen it yet. My first London longcase was a Fennel so I have always been interested in the guy. He made good clocks but wasn't great at business and always short of cash. Moved to Kensington to avoid paying the Clockmakrs company quarterage, last paid them 1705 but known to be working in Kensington 1715 as he took on apprentices.
I think the case is fruitwood veneer that has had the ebonising stripped and has been stained to look mahogany to modernise it. The handle has been changed and the seatboard cut.
The movement looks to have been reconverted to verge, the hour hand is wrong, and the strike silent ring is later.

Lots to do, cant find a suitable handle yet. Have bought one before so I know they were made as replacements.

 

[wow]

Great clock. What do you plan to do about the ebonizing? Do you plan to restore that? If so, how?

 

[novicetimekeeper]

Great clock. What do you plan to do about the ebonizing? Do you plan to restore that? If so, how?

Will check when it arrives, but having it re ebonised is not a problem. Fortunately veneers at this time were hand cut and quite think so even though it has been sanded back once already there is enough left to refinish it. It will be sent to the cabinet maker to deal with the case and fir a new handle.

 

[novicetimekeeper]

This is a similar age and case, it was bought described as mahogany but I had assumed fruitwood veneer with ebonising stripped. Had the same incorrect handle too.

James Stevens, London, twin fusee bracket.

I believe in the later books he is shown working till 1740, I only have him listed earlier. This is presumably one of his later offerings. Perhaps missing a pull repeat? Looks like the case should be ebonised, but apart from the missing repeat appears in reasonable order. Pics are from the...

mb.nawcc.org

 

[Bernhard J.]

Despite the "faults", a lovely clock indeed!

 

[WIngraham]

I was admiring that one from a distance, along with the other bracket clock with it. Very nice, beautiful dial and movement. Congrats.

Please post a pic after the restore. The contrast from the ebonizing will look great.

For the handle, I think 8242L would fit well. page 61

https://optimumbrasses.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/clock-parts-supplement.pdf

 

[DeanT]

I was admiring that one from a distance, along with the other bracket clock with it. Very nice, beautiful dial and movement. Congrats.

Please post a pic after the restore. The contrast from the ebonizing will look great.

For the handle, I think 8242L would fit well. page 61

https://optimumbrasses.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/clock-parts-supplement.pdf

yeap 8242L is the correct style.

 

[novicetimekeeper]

Yes, never knowingly seen it with a single fixing.

 

[ridaco]

Just bought this, not seen it yet. My first London longcase was a Fennel so I have always been interested in the guy. He made good clocks but wasn't great at business and always short of cash. Moved to Kensington to avoid paying the Clockmakrs company quarterage, last paid them 1705 but known to be working in Kensington 1715 as he took on apprentices.
I think the case is fruitwood veneer that has had the ebonising stripped and has been stained to look mahogany to modernise it. The handle has been changed and the seatboard cut.
The movement looks to have been reconverted to verge, the hour hand is wrong, and the strike silent ring is later.

Lots to do, cant find a suitable handle yet. Have bought one before so I know they were made as replacements.
kirsten ferguson Peloton Instructor
View attachment 764311 View attachment 764312 View attachment 764313 View attachment 764314

t seems that you have recently purchased a clock, possibly a London longcase clock, with some historical background and restoration needs. The case appears to have undergone modifications, including changes to the veneer and handle, while the movement has been reconverted to verge. The hour hand and strike silent ring also seem to have been altered or replaced. You mentioned the need to find a suitable handle, and you have previous knowledge of replacements being made. It appears that you have a restoration project ahead of you.

 

[daveR]

Very impressive. Has good bones to start off with, so by the the time its all done it will be really good indeed.
David

 

[DeanT]

I'm not completely sure its a reconverted verge. Given the other cosmetic issues already mentioned why fix the verge back to the original and leave the easier issues unresolved? I'd guessed it had been converted to anchor at some stage as the seatboard has excessive space for the pendulum and assumed it was an adjustment for anchor. Plus the funny attachment on the backplate.

But its impossible to be sure from the photos unless someone can see something else?

I'm sure once the cosmetic features are sorted us OCD clock collectors will be very happy

 

[novicetimekeeper]

I'm not completely sure its a reconverted verge. Given the other cosmetic issues already mentioned why fix the verge back to the original and leave the easier issues unresolved? I'd guessed it had been converted to anchor at some stage as the seatboard has excessive space for the pendulum and assumed it was an adjustment for anchor. Plus the funny attachment on the backplate.

But its impossible to be sure from the photos unless someone can see something else?

I'm sure once the cosmetic features are sorted us OCD clock collectors will be very happy

Chris wasn't sure about the reconversion. The pendulum does seem to need a fair chunk of that cutout, but I think that bit in the middle of the backplate will be the clue when I get it.

 

[novicetimekeeper]

oh and sadly that handle is no longer available.

 

[WIngraham]

Was that an AI generated post?

 

[Chris Radano]

AI won't be able to service and repair our clocks for a while.
But maybe AI will be able to help us ID clocks. For example Nick is trying to figure out how his clock was changed over time, what work was done and what parts were replaced. Maybe AI can help with that type of nuanced thinking sooner?

 

[Bernhard J.]

All AI texts I have seen up to now and related to watch- or clockmaking were essentially useless and could have been formulated by polititians ....

 

[Steve Neul]

Will check when it arrives, but having it re ebonised is not a problem. Fortunately veneers at this time were hand cut and quite think so even though it has been sanded back once already there is enough left to refinish it. It will be sent to the cabinet maker to deal with the case and fir a new handle.

Any refinishing should start with chemically removing the old finish. Sanding tends to remove the finish on the surface and leaves what is penetrated into the grain. When sanding a finish off there will be places you can't get to plus places that wasn't sanded enough so when you put the new stain on it won't stain uniform.

 

[novicetimekeeper]

I have one of the top cabi

Any refinishing should start with chemically removing the old finish. Sanding tends to remove the finish on the surface and leaves what is penetrated into the grain. When sanding a finish off there will be places you can't get to plus places that wasn't sanded enough so when you put the new stain on it won't stain uniform.

net makers for clock restoration in the country doing it. I wouldn't dream of telling him how to do it.

I know one of the problems is it will have been sanded to get to where it is now.

 

[novicetimekeeper]

Drove down to Plymouth to pick this up today. It looks like fruitwood veneer on oak to me so will be ebonised. Handle might be sorted. I thought the lump on the back was the bottom potence for the crown wheel but that comes out the front plate. Will take the movement out and have a closer look. keeps ticking so wants to go, no spare holes spotted at the moment, gut line broken on the strike side.
Dial shows other holes for spandrels as well as strike silent ring, might be able to get the strike silent re engraved.

 

[novicetimekeeper]

There are various unexplained holes in the front plate and the dial plate. The contrate wheel, the crown wheel and the wheel driving the fly, all have more recent collets. The block on the back controls the depthing of the contrate.
There are no signs that it ever had a different back cock or front cock on the verge, I think that rather than a reconversion to verge that the wheels with newer collets are just replacements.

It has an internal rack, which surprised me.