Zaandam Resurrection

[davhill]

Good evening from the UK,



I'm a total newbie in this field and I'm seeking advice on inducing

my newly acquired Zaandam/Zanse-style wall clock to run. I bought it as a non-runner and having done some research, I can tell you quite a lot about it. Please forgive my rookie mistakes in terminology, etc.

So far, I've taken off the brassware, including Atlas and the bell he stands on. I've also carried out a little testing as follows...

By attaching the chime train's weight and turning the clock's hands, I've found that the chimes work inasmuch as they click once on the half hour and the correct number of times on the hour (passing strike?). To achieve this much, I repositioned the hands on the shafts. The bell doesn't work for a reason that'll become clear.

Inside, the movement isn't a skeleton item and there are no markings on the back plate. I understand this means it's a Regula movement that will have date markings, etc on the front.

And now for the problems currently present...

The chime hammer seems to be lacking a spring that will hold it nearer the bell. The start wheel works to make if move but it's generally a sloppy fit and not controlled properly.

Next, the time train. This is currently locked solid, with the weight hook at the very top. If I fit the pendulum and apply finger pressure to one of the cogs inside, the clock will tick, notably faster than my other wall clock - a Korean Westminster chime one.

Again inside, I've removed the movement mounting screws but I can't extract the movement because...

(a) The pendulum holder (?) won't clear the case.

(b) The hammer fouls the slot in the top of the case and

(c) The time chain's chain is too short - I've opened a link to remove the majority but the wheel the chain passes over won't move.

It looks to me like a pawl needs disengaging from a ratchet on the time chain wheel and I need to remove the pendulum holder. The same goes for the hammer. Then, I can extract the movement and examine it properly.

In addition to all this, I can tell you that the brassware needs a good polishing, although the pear weights are nice and shiny. The case is also missing its glass side panels though the metal sprags that held them are present. I also plan to refinish the case with button polish and wax.

As will be perfectly clear by now, the above is mostly partially educated guesswork and I thank you for reading my ramblings. I look forward to hearing from the Atlas experts.

Best regards,

David

 

[Willie X]

Welcome David,
Lots of words there but not to much to go on ... A few points: these clocks do not usually have polished "brassware". Regula movements are not that common and are marked on the back. Many companies made movements for Zaan clocks. The Atlas and bell does not usually need to be removed.
It would probably be better to try to deal with just one problem at a time and post some good photos. No one here knows exactly what you have there yet.
Willie X

 

[Simon Holt]

Hi David
Is yours like this?

I have restored one of these but I don't have access to it at the moment because it's in someone else's shop window and the shop is closed...

Here's a rear view; in my example, the pendulum crutch (the rod closest to the movement that has a loop at the bottom) does not prevent the movement from being removed, once the pendulum itself has been removed.

I removed both chains by removing the end rings and pulling on the chains as though I was winding the clock. Are you saying that one of your chain wheels will not move in either direction?

By tilting the movement as you start to remove it, you should be able to pull bell hammer rod free (it may bend a bit but that's OK).

Simon

 

[R. Croswell]

We really need to see a picture of everything you mentioned in your post. Bell hammers typically have a small screw that can be loosened to allow the hammer head to be removed. If you have unmounted the movement and still cannot get enough slack to remove a link on the time chain you may need to use wire cutters to just snip a link. If the time train is stuck, it should become clear what the problem is once you free the movement from the case. Also this is not a chime clock, it strikes, it does not chime. Chime clocks typically play several different tones in a melody, typically on each quarter hour.

RC

 

[davhill]

Thank you gentlemen, I appreciate your prompt replies.

My clock is the same as the one in the picture Simon posted.
The pictures here are from the eBay ad for my clock. Note
the weights are fitted under the outer chain holes.

I'll take some detail pictures and post them later. In the
meantime, many thanks for the input.

 

[svenedin]

Ah so it's a modern repro. Is it a modified Hermle movement? If it's very worn out might be easier to get a new movement.

 

[davhill]

Aha, the plot thickens! Thank you so much for your collective help so far. Here's a stack of pictures as requested and here's what I've done now...

First, I located the screw and removed the hammer head. Then, I was able to open a link in the time chain and so extract the movement. Take a look at the front plate images and you'll see a small black metal lever with a hole in it. I thought this may be a strike silencer but in any case, it seemed it was playing a part in locking the time chain wheel. In any case, it's free now.

Next, I spotted the spring around the 'hammer shaft' and this seems to have relocated itself,
all is good so far.

I wonder how old the modern repro movement might be. Nobody is owning up to having built is, as far as I can see, it's completely unmarked.

Here's my master plan now. First though, is there any mileage in a preliminary swish and dunk? I did this to my Korean chimers, with varying success but I can't recall what I used, it was possibly hydrogen peroxide.

Next, I could clamp the naked movement to an upright, rig the weights, pendulum and hands and see if everything works. Then, perhaps a little oil. So, I remain in your hands people pre- DIY. For perspective, I can make the case, etc look pretty but I obviously want my new toy to work.

Thanks again.

 

[Simon Holt]

That looks fairly clean, so if it was mine I'd put on a test stand straight away and see how it performs. If something isn't right, let us know (with video if possible, posted to YouTube and linked to here) and we can provide specific help.

Simon

 

[svenedin]

There are various threads about these clocks if you search the forum. I think they are 1970's-1990's. I think I can see heavy wear in some of the holes that would need bushing work but it's hard to tell from the photos and it could just be dirt.

I don't think anybody on here would advocate a dunk and swish but if it was just to get an idea of how worn the movement is you could do it with a bucket of paraffin. Better to test the movement as is for the time being.

 

[davhill]

Thank you svenedin.

Just two Qs. I take it paraffin won't upset the few plastic parts in the movement but for how long should I let it swim?

Q2 relates to the picture. I found it on the 'Net but I can't find a key so I can do the naming/ID of parts. Do you think a key exists?

 

[svenedin]

I really couldn’t say. There are lots of different types of plastic. Clearly some are safe with paraffin as it is sold in plastic bottles. It is bad practice to dunk and swish. Why don’t you test it as it is now? I don’t know about the parts diagram.

 

[Mike Phelan]

Hi David,

Paraffin is definitely a no-no! It takes years to evaporate. White spirit to a lesser extent is the same and for me, I would never use it.
I would use either IPA (not the beer sort!) or petrol. Outside, of course.

 

[svenedin]

Hi David,

Paraffin is definitely a no-no! It takes years to evaporate. White spirit to a lesser extent is the same and for me, I would never use it.
I would use either IPA (not the beer sort!) or petrol. Outside, of course.

Trouble is, petrol and IPA are even more risky with plastics. I have personally destroyed plastic parts with IPA.

 

[gmorse]

Yes, petrol will dissolve polystyrene to make something akin to napalm! Just wondering what the plastic was which reacted with isopropyl alcochol.

 

[svenedin]

Yes, petrol will dissolve polystyrene to make something akin to napalm! Just wondering what the plastic was which reacted with isopropyl alcochol.

It was celluloid which is sometimes encountered as mouldings on mass produced clocks around the 1900 era. Not something you’d be likely to find on a modern clock. It might have been casein plastic. I’m not sure.

 

[Rod Schaffter]

In these cases, I use Starting Fluid (ether), my favourite being SuperTech from Wal*Mart. This brand don't have much oil in it and won't harm plastics; I've used it on model train motors for many years. A snorkel tube from a can of WD-40 or Gumout fits on the spay head.

I put the parts in a pan on a bed of paper towels. Do this outside, well away from any possible source of ignition. Do it on a dry day if possible as the cooling from the evaporating solvent may cause moisture to condense on the parts...

Cheers,
Rod

 

[shutterbug]

The movement itself is very much like a slightly modified cuckoo movement. It would be a pretty good movement to get you started on disassembly and cleaning. It will also help you get your feet wet in bushing and pivot polishing. You have to start somewhere. "Git 'er done"

 

[R. Croswell]

..........Here's my master plan now. First though, is there any mileage in a preliminary swish and dunk? I did this to my Korean chimers, with varying success but I can't recall what I used, it was possibly hydrogen peroxide.

Next, I could clamp the naked movement to an upright, rig the weights, pendulum and hands and see if everything works. Then, perhaps a little oil. So, I remain in your hands people pre- DIY. For perspective, I can make the case, etc look pretty but I obviously want my new toy to work.

Dunk and swish - no.
hydrogen peroxide - no
clamp the naked movement to an upright, rig the weights, pendulum and hands and see if everything works - yes

You seem to have corrected several issues so now it is time to see if anything is broken before you try to fix something that isn't broken.

RC

 

[Willie X]

Look up "checking for wear". Worn parts is usually the culprit that makes a clock stop. Willie X

 

[davhill]

Thank you again, gentlemen.
The fascinating learning curve proceeds for me!

It would help for you to know that I am Mr. Patient when it comes
to things like this. I also listen to what experts have to say.

Please note that I'm not itching to put the movement into a
bath of anything - yet. Step one is to rig a movement holder
and do the testing. I seem to have unlocked both the time train
wheel and the hammer spring so we'll see.

As an aside, I want a key for the parts diagram I found so I can
begin to understand what the parts are called and what they do.
Aside # 2 is that I have some spray cleaner for carburettors, which
I could try later to get rid of dirt and the old oil. It didn't upset the
plastic parts on my car's throttle body.

 

[R. Croswell]

Sometimes a clock with a rack & snail strike (like yours) will appear to be locked up if time side is running and the rack drops (calling for it to strike) but the strike side has run down, or for some other reason did not run to gather (count and raise the rack), the rack tail can lock against the 12:00-1:00 wall on the snail and that will stop the time side from running and it will appear to be locked up. Turning the hands backward about 15 minutes will sometimes free things up. Most movements have an arrangement to prevent this but they don't always work.

The diagram you have is for a cuckoo clock movement that isn't the same as yours, although similar.

There are no shortcuts to properly cleaning a movement and you must take it apart to inspect the pivots.

RC

 

[davhill]

Thank you Mr. C,

I have the clock movement attached to a shelf rack and I've made a little bit of progress.

The strike side seems to work perfectly. It will make the hammer shaft operate
correctly on the hour and half hour and now the hammer wire itself has an
operating spring it should strike the bell properly.

Now for the time side. This now works correctly with the weight and if I start the pendulum,
the movement will tick - quietly - for ten seconds or so. I can see the escapement working.
If I then apply an upward pressure to the cog I've arrowed in the picture, the movement ticks
more manfully and the pendulum action is more purposeful. However, the movement won't
continue on its own.

Please bear in mind that I haven't yet established the movement is straight and level. Great
oak form l;ittle acorns grow...

 

[Willie X]

Well, are you adding rotational force to that wheel? Or, are you lifting a badly worn pinion back into it's correct position?
Willie X

 

[davhill]

Thanks Willie,
It's rotational force. I can't feel any side play in the shaft. There's some end float
between the front and back plates - the strike chain seems identical.

 

[shutterbug]

It works better when you apply more power. That's a clear sign that you have a power problem, more than likely related to wear. The only cure is to fix the worn spots by inserting bushings. It's time to take the next step in your learning curve. Do not guess about it. Most new people automatically go on assumptions and do things like inserting new mainsprings or stronger springs. Don't go down that road. It leads nowhere.

 

[davhill]

Good evening all...

He's my clock's movement on test.
I made it a temporary bracket, which is firmly bolted
to a set or workshop shelves. I also mislaid a weight hook
but I've found it now so the cable tie on the strike weight
is a temporary fix. At present, the movement runs for 20
seconds and then stops.

The other pic shows what I can do when I know what I'm doing.
The before and after view shows how grimy the external brassware
is now. The finial on the right has had a mild polishing with Autosol,
followed by half an hour in HP sauce! Works every time.

 

[davhill]

Ok folks, here's the latest.

I've refitted the movement to my special bracket and looked
very carefully at the works. So far, I've found a little bit
of side play in the shaft that goes through the exact centre
of the movement. Otherwise, the mechanism is clearly
very dirty.

I found that on being started, the movement will run for 10
seconds before stopping. The strike mechanism is also working.
Next, I carefully applied carburettor cleaner to the pivots, which
made the movement able to run for 20 seconds or so.

Now, having seen several similar clocks induced to run in You Tube
videos after cleaning without stripping, I've made some orders. 500ml
of ammoniated Priory special clock cleaning solution is en route, with
a free pot of the same company's clock oil. Some 3mm x 150mm peg
wood sticks are also due.

I'm now working on this principle. Assuming the cleaning solution
doesn't upset the the plastic chain wheels, all that will happen
is that the movement will be as clean as a dip can make it
and can be re-oiled. In the worst case, the clock still won't run and so
nothing is gained but nothing's lost.

Two other points are that one of the You Tubers cleaned a watch
movement in white spirit. Running when it went in, it was running
better when it emerged.

I am also mindful of my two Korean Westminster chiming clocks.
Both were given a wash in a solution of hydrogen peroxide and
lubrication with sewing machine oil. One is running here as I type;
it's twin is in the cellar. I can give both a new clean up and some proper oil.

So, we'll see.

 

[Mike Phelan]

Ok folks, here's the latest.

I've refitted the movement to my special bracket and looked
very carefully at the works. So far, I've found a little bit
of side play in the shaft that goes through the exact centre
of the movement. Otherwise, the mechanism is clearly
very dirty.

I found that on being started, the movement will run for 10
seconds before stopping. The strike mechanism is also working.
Next, I carefully applied carburettor cleaner to the pivots, which
made the movement able to run for 20 seconds or so.

Not bad considering it's not been oiled?

Now, having seen several similar clocks induced to run in You Tube
videos after cleaning without stripping, I've made some orders. 500ml
of ammoniated Priory special clock cleaning solution is en route, with
a free pot of the same company's clock oil. Some 3mm x 150mm peg
wood sticks are also due.

I'm now working on this principle. Assuming the cleaning solution
doesn't upset the the plastic chain wheels, all that will happen
is that the movement will be as clean as a dip can make it
and can be re-oiled. In the worst case, the clock still won't run and so
nothing is gained but nothing's lost.

Two other points are that one of the You Tubers cleaned a watch
movement in white spirit. Running when it went in, it was running
better when it emerged.

... and stopped a day later ... whoever did this wants sending to Alcatraz.
The problem is that others will try to follow this and wreck lots of watches.

I am also mindful of my two Korean Westminster chiming clocks.
Both were given a wash in a solution of hydrogen peroxide and
lubrication with sewing machine oil. One is running here as I type;
it's twin is in the cellar. I can give both a new clean up and some proper oil.

So, we'll see.

 

[davhill]

Good evening all,

I received the clock cleaning solution today so I asked the maker if it would hurt the plastic
cogs, etc in my clock. Here's the reply,
' I would remove any plastic parts as it may damage these, the solution is only really made for metals. I hope this helps '

So, my learning curve just steepened, the movement will have to be stripped so I can clean the metal parts.

I can apply logic to the strip and rebuild, such as photos at every step and reassemble in the reverse order.
However, it would be useful to know about anything to which I must pay particular attention. I'm guessing
but I think this element will be more to do with reassembly and setting up the movement.

Lastly, how do I get to the 'checking for wear' information, please? Search keeps giving me 0 matches.

Thanks in advance.

David

 

[R. Croswell]

First, "plastic" only defines non-metallic. There are thousands of kinds of plastic and most likely a commercial clock cleaning solution used at room temperature isn't going to hurt most of the "plastics" used in clocks, but no one can guarantee that so the safe thing is to remove those parts. I hope you were not planning on trying to clean the clock without disassembling it.

There are four common things to look for regarding wear:
1) pivot holes that are visibly egg shaped .
2) arbors that lean excessively when stood up in the pivot hole (with the opposite plate removed), and arbors that lean more in one direction than the other.
3) pivots that do not have parallel sides but have uneven diameters and and grooves and scratches.
4) while the movement is still together but with the springs totally let down (or weights removed) when hand power is applied in alternating directions, pivots seen "dancing around" in the pivot hole is a sign of excessive wear.

Some movements are more tolerant of wear than others.

RC

 

[davhill]

Great reply, thank you. I confess I had intended to
try cleaning the movement as is but bear with me. It worked on my
two cheap & nasty Korean Westminster chimers but the Zaandam
is my first proper clock!

Of course, I can detect very little with the movement assembled. The hand power
trick isn't revealing anything dancing around. The two things I've noticed
concern what I'm going to call the centre arbour. If I take the backplate end
of this between thumb and forefinger, I can detect side play but it's the same
amount in any direction. Similarly, the arbour that accepts the minute hand's
knurled centre nut is moving around a lot (say 3 - 4mm at the tip).

It's clearly all going to be revealed after the stripdown. I'll keep everyone posted.

 

[Willie X]

A worn out center shaft is a very common problem on modern clocks. Willie X

 

[davhill]

Thanks Willie,

Another valuable nugget of imformation!

 

[davhill]

Hello All,

Just a very quick update and two questions.

I've just put my clock's exterior brassware into a sealed box of ammoniated cleaning solution
diluted 7 to 1 with cold water as per the instructions on the bottle. It seems to be powerful
stuff - after just 10 minutes, the solution was like soup! I intend to do the rinse and dry
after six hours.

In the meantime, I found a video on You Tube that features a movement very like mine. It's
more 'skeleton' than mine but it looks very similar to mine. It is here...



After being a little bit inspired by the video, I tried undoing the screw in
the boss holding the strike crown. My screwdriver was an excellent fit
but the screw sheared off, causing me to stab my finger on the crown...first
blood to the Dutch! So this will be replacement part No.1 - I'll have to cut the boss
off the strike arbour.

OK, question one, if anyone can help. I need to remove the pendulum
suspension as I doubt the plastic in it will survive the cleaning solution.
There's a tiny metal pin (arrow in pic below) that passes through the top plastic part and the shaft.
I take it removal involves driving the pin out. Is this correct, please?

Question 2 is for any Hermle experts. There is a clock parts outlet and
repairer here in the UK called Cousins. As well as offering lots of parts, they have
downloadable documents, including exploded diagrams. I understand that my movement,
probably a Regula' is a copy of a Hermle item. It is a 8-day, weight driven cuckoo clock
and I wonder if anyone can recognise a Hermle equivalent I could download to use with my
movement. The page that lists the documents is at this url...

Document Downloads

www.cousinsuk.com

Once again, my thanks in advance.

 

[svenedin]

That suspension spring is completely knackered anyway. The slightest kink in a suspension spring will cause a clock to run badly if at all. That one is totally bent. Drive the tapered pin out from the thin end. Or if you are lucky there is enough of the thick end to grip with pliers.

Can you show us what broke?

 

[davhill]

Thank you svenedin, Point taken. I followed your instructions, and the pin came out easily
with pliers. Replacement part No.2 is on the list.

 

[POWERSTROKE]

I did a movement similar to this a couple months ago. A bim bam strike. It’s a glorified cuckoo clock movement. There are some cuckoo movements that I get that look like they were bought, run for a week and never run again, I would say 1.5 out of 10.Put pressure on the chain wheels with your thumb and turn it as if it was going to run and look at the pivot holes especially on the second wheels and then all of them. These movements like cuckoos have play from the factory. They shouldn’t be super tight, if you see the pivot dancing around it will need to be bushed. If it’s less than 133rd of movment than the diameter of the pivot that’s most likely good. You can easily over Bush this type of movement and have right pivot holes.
Pay very close attention to the strike side when it is in the locked position. The warning pin should be resting on the tab and the gathering pallet should be locked in position and the starwheel will have the levers in a distinct position. Make not of this for when it goes back together. Also the second wheel on the strike side has a pin that needs to be oriented a certain way.

 

[shutterbug]

If your cleaning solution turned to soup, you probably had a movement with a shellac coating on it. It might appear speckled when removed from the cleaner, or blotched. You can clean it up with steel wool, but clean is more important than shiny, and you could choose to ignore it.

 

[davhill]

Thank you, Powerstroke. More vaulable information, which I am amassing
at a rate.

Shutterbug: Thanks! I decided to try out the cleaning solution on the clock's
external brassware. So, I put in the three cast plaques, the pendulum, bell and chains.
After 8 hours, I had mock turtle soup - the greenish tinge was the giveaway. I'm going for shiny on the outside because I doubt I can wreck anything functional by polishing.

Svenedin: You asked to see the part I broke. The strike crown set screw arrowed in the picture is what sheared off. I can get a replacement crown but I suspect I'll have to cut the old one off the arbour.

And today's update is that I think I've ID-ed the movement. I haven't yet revealed
any markings but have discovered a Regula movement ( No. 34) that is nearly identical.
The differences I see are these...

On the front plate view, the vertical black 'column' rising from a bronze bush
is absent on mine, as are the 2nd and 3rd pegs down from the bush that joint the plates.

On the backplate view, my backplate is much less skeletal. Mine has a suspension
spring for the pendulum and on mine, the 'escapement link' is flat, matt black metal.

If my movement isn't Regula 34, it's obvious to me that it's a close copy. I've put the exploded
diagram in - all I need now is a key for the parts' names.

Onward and upward!!!

 

[svenedin]

Good news that you have identified the base movement. If all else fails you can buy a new Regula 34 and fit the modified parts to it. They are not expensive.

 

[davhill]

Here we are, playmates!

Just spent an hour on this Regula document from Cousin's,
putting the labels on from the picture's key. This will be
of great help to tyros like me.

I've taken everythng verbatim from the original
so if anobody spots an error or omission, I can
easily edit and repost.

 

[shutterbug]

As I mentioned in post #17, many Zaandam's use the modified cuckoo movement. It should be noted though that not all do. I believe some of them use a modified Hermle movement, and there may be others as well.

That translation is quite helpful, davhil, but a bit confusing. The "Roller Wheels" would probably be better named "Click Wheel" or "Main Wheel" (or a combination of both - "Main Click Wheel") and #13 is not a chain wheel. Maybe 2nd wheel would be better. There may be others too. If others will chime in so you can make a few modifications, I'll copy your drawing to another thread so it can be found easily by anyone looking for it.

 

[davhill]

Thanks, shutterbug,

The original came from 'SBS Feintechnic, ein marke der BURGERGRUPPE'.
The exploded diagram has a numbered designation (part name) list in
German, English and French so I used this translation.

I'm more than happy to alter the labels. For example, 'Click wheel time'
and 'Click wheel strike' would work because only these parts have clicks
in them and go 'click'. Similary, I'd label part No. 29 'Snail' because it looks
like one!

Here's where the group's collective knowledge and experience come in. All
I need is a corrected list so I can edit the drawing and then, it can go for
the benefit of beginners like me.

 

[shutterbug]

#21 is warning lever, #4 is pinion gear, #38 is silent lever (I think).

 

[davhill]

Thank you, shutterbug.

Now for today's two questions, All...

I have my movement stripped but for the minute shaft.
This is still in place because the pinion gear/cam gear on the shaft needs to come off.
I tried the recommended two opposing screwdrivers to try levering the gear off.
I also tried two opposing drinks can openers and the gear simply said,
"Auf deinem Fahrrad" - 'On your bike', in German.

The gear wheel looks to be made of brass and the tiny cam behind it is
made of thin, blued metal, probably steel. So, will it co-operate with some heat?
I can muster a standard heat gun and a butane blowtorch but I don't want to wreck the shaft.

Any thoughts, please.

Question 2 is another lateral thinking one. The movement is in cleaning solution now and
so far, I've identified four pivot holes that need bushing. Two are in the front plate and two are in the back plate.
I have no clock tools, no bushing kit, no drill press or anything else. However, I can get new front and back plates
for less the 25GBP plus postage and packing. With ten cogs and the fan shaft, there are 22 pivot holes by
my reckoning and I suspect that I could have all new pivot holes for less than the cost of having the four
bad ones bushed.

My brother does model engineering and will be happy to polish the pivots for me so this sounds like a plan.

Once again, any thoughts, please.

 

[shutterbug]

Yes, your butane torch will be fine. Just apply enough heat to expand the pinion, not the shaft. Usually those center pinions don't really need to come off .... but if they are loose you need to remove them for bushing.
Movements change over time, even from the factory. You might be fine with new plates, and you might not. If the holes don't match the pivots, you are back at square one. It's a gamble. Do you feel lucky?

 

[davhill]

Shutterbug, thank you once again for your invaluable input.
I wrote to the stockists (Cousins) asking about the parts I needed
and received a rather terse reply, the gist being, "We're business to business,
ask a clockmaker/horologist." But as I have a thick skin, I pressed on and
made an order.

What I call a front plate, they call a baseplate (please see the pics)
so one is on its way. According to them it is for a Regula 34.10.002.000.00.
This might have identified my movement for me. The base price for all-new front
pivot holes is £10.68 (GBP) or $14.80 (USD) at today's exchange rate.

The one thing not shown is a backplate but I'll keep looking. I also ordered
a pinion/tripping gear, a suspension spring and a new crown/star wheel. Including
tax, packing and shipping, the bill came to £27.84 or $38.59, which seems fine to me.
And yes, I do feel lucky!

Back in the workshop, I tried a heat gun to persuade the pinion to come off but it wasn't
for moving so I took my trusty Black & Decker Wizard (Dremel clone) and slit the gear, leaving the
arbour untouched. So, all I need now is a pair of tapered pins for the suspension, a new spring for the
locking lever, one for the hammer shaft and the tiny compression spring for the locking lever. Three
of these parts I lost!

With the arbour out of the way, I can see that the middle gear shaft pivot hole is egg shaped, though
the up - and - down play is minimal. This leaves only two points that make me curious...

Following web advice, I bought some pegwood stick and carved myself a couple of pointy ends.
Unlike what I'd seen on video, my clock didn't yield anything but a very small amount of grey/black
dirt, tehre was no green jelly or evident brass powder coming out. This makes me wonder if the poor
thing had failed simply through being dirty and bone dry. In any case, the brass and steel plates
have had a bath in cleaning solution and they're looking good.

The second point concerns the pendulum length. Cousins quotes many of these, saying that for
an unmarked Regula movement, this should be 191mm. Measured from the top suspension pin
to the centre of the leaf, my pendulum measures 130mm. As this pendulum cam with the clock
and resembles others, I can only assume it's correct.

So here I am, on a roll of sorts. Stay tuned for more.

 

[shutterbug]

One of the big disappointments in this business is that the parts suppliers generally have no clue about clocks and their repair. So yes, asking most of them questions is futile.

 

[davhill]

You're quite right shutterbug. Cousin's, the outfit I just used, had my order here very quickly and everything was in the package.
However, what puzzles me is the company's 'Stock Finder', where you can ask for parts and even upload images but,
and I quote...

' (Unfortunately we will be unable to respond to requests on this form for watch & clock parts or watch movements).'

I wonder what I'd be permitted to request?

Apparently, this service replaced e-mail queries so I can only call on the phone.

 

[davhill]

Hello All,

Another update and another question or two.

I got in touch with the supplier (Cousins) and managed to have them track down
and give me their own part numbers for the Regula parts I need. As a result, I
now have these items on back order from Germany...

A new movement back plate.
A new hammer assembly, complete with spring.
A new compression spring and wire spring for the locking lever.
These are due to show up in early May.

Incidentally, my new base plate has just one pivot hole in the wrong place
and I assume the new back plate will have the same. The good news is that
living on my street is a professional horologist, who I am sure will drill and form
the two missing holes for me.

Another aside is that I actually managed to find the missing top pin for the pendulum
suspension. This was on the stripey carpet under the desk where I work on the clock, so
what were the chances? The pin is now safely in a labelled piece of tape in my parts box.

The plan is now to apply button polish to the oak case and back plate. I also just ordered
cloth buffing wheels for my Dremel copy. Using these, I can polish the pendulum leaf, the
brass fittings on the case and Atlas himself. This way and with reasonable care, I can
be fairly confident that Atlas's hand painted globe won't be damaged.

My question concerns the chapter ring. This seems remarkably clean. The numerals
seem to by minimally concave and are all intact and clear. The silvering looks good too,
but for very light scratches across the VII and between the IX and the X. There is also
a very light track two-thirds of the way in from the outer edge of the ring. I suspect this is
from a fingernail touching the silvering when setting the minute hand.

I can't detect whether or not there is lacquer but if there is, it's neither discolored nor
flaking. My question is therefore about how best to deal with the chapter ring. Leave
well alone, or work on it in a very subtle way.

As always, I'll greatly appreciate any advice from my highly experienced peers on this forum.