What are these marks ?

[Garfield]

Take a look at the black splotches on this clock face, the eye and the fingernail say rust, the magnet says no chance - the face is totally non magnetic even with an N52 Neodymium. They are rough to the touch and in some places almost look pitted - could this be some kind of acid splash.

Also is there an invisible way to repair the face standoff where it is visible on the face.

The face is engraved John Henry, Bristol but I know nothing about the maker, the spandrels say early 1700's but I'm not so sure on the date.

 

[Garfield]

I got the name wrong - it is Henry Johns, Bristol. The marks are a hard corrosion but I believe it to be zinc, low grade brass perhaps. There are signs of hammer beating and a crack that was 'forge welded' if such a thing's possible with brass. There is the absolute butchery that has been perpetrated on the stanchion for mounting the face that will be hard to sort.

On the whole it cleans up OK but the black spots leave behind pits and I'm removing them initially with a razor blade under the microscope, the face cleans up OK but I'm going to need to resolve some of the engraving before I hit it with the engravers wax - those spots you see on the 7 and 8 positions are high spots, the engraving isn't the greatest and is very shallow in places. There are actually signs that before this was engraved that it was turned as there are radial patterns around the entire face (nigh impossible to catch on camera but they can be made out if you look near the 4 of '40' . the radial marks near the centre are wear marks I think.

 

[John MacArthur]

Garfield - this actually doesn't look too bad for a clock this age. Granted, the peening of the pillars is ugly, but from the looks of the lower left quadrant that you have cleaned up, it should restore relatively well.
Johnny

 

[Willie X]

It's normal oxidation.

Actually your dial looks pretty good.

Willie X

 

[shutterbug]

Are the numbers and letters recessed? If so, you might be able to re-silver the dial and fill the depressions with dark wax or perm. marker.

 

[Garfield]

The numbers etc are recessed but not evenly nor consistently, I have done a first pass on the face and date wheel - took best part of 10 hours. I know there are still scratches present - I am far from finished and need to disolve all the old wax out but I plan to chase out some of the etch/engrave before I do. Just looking for the tools to achieve that as I would rather not etch - more studying to do. I don't think this dial was ever silvered as it has no separate chapter ring. I do have a different clock that I will be silvering and refurbishihng over the christmas holidays so I can perhaps do some before and after on that.

Check this out >> Youtube Brass 'Carving' to see more search for Clickspring if you want to see a wizard in action

 

[Garfield]

deleted - not sure what my browsers up to - was a duplicate

 

[shutterbug]

Looks like you're making good progress. There are some good Youtube videos on how to silver dials. Looks like you'll have some aggressive steps to take to eliminate the deep scratches before the final silvering.

 

[Garfield]

Some aggressive steps possibly, I am weighing the options, for the standoffs I may be able to raise from behind, this will raise the material ultimately resulting in it being thinner and I'm not sure if I want to go that route. I've considered metal replacement but would modern brass be the correct colour (I doubt it). I don't want to commit too much to scratch removal until I sort the engraving.

I won't be silvering this particular dial but I do have another that I will be silvering - below