Weights and cat gut

[Rogue Hunter]

Saw a clock today that interests me. The gentleman said that the weights hang on cat gut "cords". So, I have some questions, if the forum will share their knowledge. How durable is the cat gut; would a person need to "condition" them from time to time, and; if one were to break, what would you replace it with?

Thanks,
Stephen

 

[Jeremy Woodoff]

I would say it is very durable. I installed some on a tall case clock almost 40 years ago and it shows no sign of wearing out. As far as I know it is still available from suppliers, though I haven't looked for it in a long time. I don't think there is any way or need to condition it.

 

[Bruce Barnes]

I agree with Jeremy, I have two clocks that use cat gut however one caveat, if the cat gut line is not secured it may"birds nest" on you and then you have to straighten it out like a back lashed fishing reel.....................
Bruce

 

[harold bain]

You didn't say what sort of clock it is. I use it on older tall clocks. A good soaking (a few days) in olive oil is recommended to condition it before using it. With wall clocks and shelf clocks, I use braided nylon (fishing line).

 

[Willie X]

The most common failure modes are chafing and breaking at a knot. It should be smooth for it's entire length, no nicks. Shouldn't feel dry and scratchy.

Usually the line is easy to replace when you have a problem. Many think that the line is sort of a permanent part of the clock, when in fact the line has usually been replaced many times.

Best place to find good gut replacement is in the music store, or on line music stores. Musicians will only use the good stuff.

You may be better off with a synthetic ... much more readily available.

Good luck, Willie X

 

[Uhralt]

I had good luck finding quality natural gut at tennis supplies on ebay. The "buy it now" price is about half of what you pay when you look at clock repair suppliers. Make sure that you measure the diameter of the gut cord before you order.

Uhralt