Wood fiber board wall clocks

[FStephenMasek]

I have an old Telechron wall clock with a case made of a wood fiber material which is stiffer than cardboard used in boxes, but not a hard and stiff as hardboard such as Masonite. It has a "B" rotor and is slightly noisy. Should I just run it, or try to take it apart to clean and oil it? Has anyone else seen such a clock? In a photo it would look just like any other metal wall clock. I suspect that it dates from the early to middle 1940s.

 

[davefr]

Yes, I have several. I'm not sure why Telechron used cardboard cases. My theory is either cost or metal shortages around WWII.

If you want to put the clock into full time use then have the rotor rebuilt. After 75 years the old rotor oil has done it's job and needs to be cleaned, lubricated and checked for abnormal wear. Once you do this the rotor should be good for another 75 years. If you catch a noisy rotor early enough, the gears and pivots may not need to be replaced. If you continue running a problematic rotor the bearings and gears will self destruct. It's like running a car engine with 1 qt of oil that's never been changed. (check Ebay for rotor rebuild)

Do the same with the movement. (unlike rotors, these movements are easy to clean and oil yourself)