Last week (week of 8th of February, 2016) the pendulum quit moving on my regulator clock. Note this has happened before and I have just moved the pendulum to get it started.
This time that did not work for me. Googling it read somewhere that it went from a tick tock to a tock tick.
A little wiki stuff....
A pendulum clock is a clock that uses a pendulum, a swinging weight, as its timekeeping element. The advantage of a pendulum for timekeeping is that it is a harmonic oscillator; it swings back and forth in a precise time interval dependent on its length, and resists swinging at other rates. From its invention in 1656 by Christiaan Huygens until the 1930s, the pendulum clock was the world's most precise timekeeper, accounting for its widespread use.
Throughout the 18th and 19th centuries pendulum clocks in homes, factories, offices and railroad stations served as primary time standards for scheduling daily life, work shifts, and public transportation, and their greater accuracy allowed the faster pace of life which was necessary for the Industrial Revolution.
Pendulum clocks must be stationary to operate; any motion or accelerations will affect the motion of the pendulum, causing inaccuracies, so other mechanisms must be used in portable timepieces. They are now kept mostly for their decorative and antique value.
The pendulum clock was invented in 1656 by Dutch scientist Christiaan Huygens, and patented the following year. Huygens contracted the construction of his clock designs to clockmaker Salomon Coster, who actually built the clock. Huygens was inspired by investigations of pendulums by Galileo Galilei beginning around 1602. Galileo discovered the key property that makes pendulums useful timekeepers: isochronism, which means that the period of swing of a pendulum is approximately the same for different sized swings. Galileo had the idea for a pendulum clock in 1637, which was partly constructed by his son in 1649, but neither lived to finish it. The introduction of the pendulum, the first harmonic oscillator used in timekeeping, increased the accuracy of clocks enormously, from about 15 minutes per day to 15 seconds per day leading to their rapid spread as existing 'verge and foliot' clocks were retrofitted with pendulums.
Here is what the clock looks like.
This is what I did to getting working again.
Note it didn't work for two days. Much googling here relating to the repair of a regulator clock.
1 - removed weight
2 - removed pendulum
3 - took it off the wall carefully and put it on a flat surface (kitchen table)
4 - used a small can of compressed air on a stick and blowing all of the dust in the gears et al
5 - put the clock back on the wall, hung the pendulum and weight back
6 - swung the pendulum to give a start.
7 - only worked for about 1 minute and then it stopped.
8 - maybe it was earthquake related--->
---> just kidding here.
9 - took it off the wall carefully and put it on a flat surface (kitchen table) again
10 - looked for a picture of the gears utilized on the regulator clock (thinking they are all the same).
Putting a clock in beat
In many cases the complaint with a mechanical clock is that it stopped working after it was moved. This is usually from someone moving the clock without taking the pendulum off and this puts the clock out of beat. Out of beat is a term used in clock repair that basically means the clock is going tock-tick, tock-tick, or ticktock, ticktock instead of tick tock tick tock. It is sometimes corrected by putting a matchbook or Small piece of wood under one side of the clock case to make the tick and the tock evenly spaced. This can temporarily correct the problem and the clock runs fine. This method however is not as good as correcting the beat and having the clock run when it is truly straight and level.
This can be achieved on most clocks by slightly bending the verge one way or another. The verge is the only movement part that touches the pendulum and whacks the pendulum back and forth.
The verge is what gets bent or pushed when the clock is moved, without taking the pendulum off the clock. A verge that is pushed or bent effects the escapement of the clock; the escapement being that part of the clock that actually creates the tick and tock sound.
By bending or pushing this verge back into position, and then listening to the sound, you can make the clock go tick tock, tick tock rather than tock tick, tock tick or ticktock ticktock which means the clock is in beat. This method is the same for most mantle clocks, kitchen clocks, grandmother clocks, and grandfather clocks. Just about all pendulum clocks are this way except for the 400 Day clock or the Atmos, which are entirely different timepieces.
Nope...clock wasn't moved. A closer read about the verge indicates that it should almost move with no pendulum. I did notice that it didn't.
The pendulum
A false rumor...I have the clock on an outside wall.
You Cannot Place a Clock on an Outside Wall
False. I have heard this many times from many customers yet none of them know why it would matter. In spite of this, they still believe it. The only thing I have been able to come up with is that it is a carry over from times past when homes were poorly insulated. In some older homes the walls can get rather cold in the winter. This cold transferring to the clock case might affect its timekeeping accuracy or perhaps damage the case. In other homes, the walls might “sweat” from condensation or leak when it rains. This would not be good for a clock or any other item that you might hang on a wall. I have set up thousands of clocks on outside walls and have never heard a complaint from a single customer that it has caused any kind of problem.
A Cap Full of Kerosene Left in the Bottom of the Clock Case will Lubricate the Clock Effectively
About all you are going to get out of this is a clock that smells like kerosene. This idea probably started many, many years ago when people had to be more self-sufficient. If they had money to pay a clockmaker, there may not have been one around for a hundred miles. The thought here is that the evaporating kerosene would bathe the clock mechanism in its oily vapors. Of course, if kerosene was a proper lubricant, clockmakers would have been using it themselves and they aren’t. Also, oiling a clock properly is a pin point procedure. You don’t want oil all over the clock. You want it in specific places. If the evaporating kerosene does what the myth implies, your entire movement, indeed the whole inside of the clock case is going to become coated with this “oily” vapor. This would turn your clock movement into a dust magnet, which is not very desirable.
PUTTING A CLOCK IN BEAT #2
All clocks must have maximum power transfer to the pendulum or they will not run dependably. This means they must be in beat. What does this mean? Some call this "setting the balance". Try to imagine the pendulum and verge as a swing and the person pushing as the escape wheel. When the clock is in beat the escape wheel gives the pendulum a push at just the right time in the same way as a person gives the swing a push just as it arrives back and at the instant it starts back on its return trip. When a clock is not in beat the situation is similar to the person pushing the swing taking five or six steps forward before the person on the swing starts on their way back. What happens? There is a collision and the arc of the swing is disturbed. If a clock is out of beat the verge collides with the escape wheel teeth, and the clock eventually stops before it is run down.
The verge clutch will usually allow the beat to be set by adjusting the position of the impulse arm until it is at the true center at rest with the mechanism and case set level and plumb. Be very careful when setting the beat; sometimes the verge clutch is set so tight that the escape wheel teeth can be bent without realizing it. If the clock is "in beat" then as you watch the pendulum swing you will hear a "tick" or "tock" precisely at the point when the pendulum passes the center ( true center as mentioned above) of its arc. This must be its characteristic arc , not the one you give it when you swing the pendulum. How do you know its "true arc" ? Do this with the clock perfectly level while you can see the escape wheel and verge: starting with the pendulum at rest move it slowly until you hear a tick or a tock which is the sound of the escape wheel releasing.(You must know which way to move the pendulum of course because the escape wheel will only release once on each side of the arc. If you are doing this for the first time it would be a good idea to be able to watch the escape wheel and verge interaction so as to know which way to move the pendulum to allow the verge to release the escape wheel. To get an idea how this works, take the pendulum off and GENTLY move the suspension arm back and forth to observe and learn the action of the escape wheel / verge combination, then put the pendulum back on and continue.) As soon you hear the tick or the tock release the pendulum. DO NOT PUSH IT. If the clock is in beat you will hear the other side tick when the pendulum gets to the other side of its arc.
If the beat is set, but the clock gets in beat and they out of beat; check for bent escape wheel teeth if the "in beat and out of beat" sound has a regular repeating pattern. If there is not a regular pattern then the problem is probably a loose verge. The clutch can be ok but the verge can be loose on the shaft. when setting the beat on a clock, if possible do it by sight and sound.
Setting the beat on a balance wheel is just as important as the beat on the pendulum units. The hairspring collar can usually be moved if need be, it is a delicate operation.
A bit more....
Check the beat setting
check endshake check for tight bushings
check the position of the impulse arm vs susp rod
check for bent escape wheel teeth
check for bent teeth (even slightly) every where in the gear train
check for a mounting bind (with the mechanism is mounted in the case if one of the
mounting feet is even slightly bent it can cause any one or all of the gear trains to
bind) check for barrell teeth hitting #2 wheel teeth on endshake minimum or maximum.
check for worn gear teeth
check for proper gear depthing
are the mainsprings the correct strength?
is the suspension the correct strength?
possibly the pendulum is the wrong weight
Hands rubbing on the glass at any point in the 360 degree rotation? (put your finger on
the glass over where the minute hand is located and if the hand looks closer to your
finger than the glass is thick then the hand is probably hitting on the glass.)
check for a bushing not oiled
are the hands touching each other at all anywhere?
when the clock stops , very carefully check to determine if there is any power to
the escape wheel; if there is power then be more concerned about pendulum friction,
sympathetic vibration, or suspension problems. If there is absolutely no ; or very
little then there is probably a gear train problem.
is there any air circulation around the pendulum?
are the weights magnetized and is the pendulum brass plated steel?
is the pendulum touching the back of the clock ?
Is the clock case sitting on a solid surface?
is the clock hanging plumb on the wall?
Is the hour tube binding?
are the chime or strike levers binding because of lack of oil or rough edges?
check the suspension post to see if the suspension is loose--- If it is loose the clock
will probably stop.
check for pallet face wear
check all lubrication points
How to Oil a Clock
The most important thing to remember is to ensure that you only use high quality synthetic clock oil. Using substitutes like WD40 can actually damage your movement.
Q: Can I oil an alarm clock with WD-40 or sewing machine oil to get it to run again?
A: One of the worst enemies of clock movements is WD-40. While it is an awesome lubricant meant to be used for general household uses (like door latches, hinges, rusted bolts and power tools), it is NOT suitable for clock repair. Clocks oiled with WD-40 may run for a short time, but will soon gum up again—and this time for the worst. WD-40 is a natural enemy to clocks. It gums up the fine movements, runs out onto dials and stains them, and contaminates clock-cleaning solutions when it inevitably becomes necessary to properly clean the movement. Please avoid this material, even as a temporary fix.
Sewing machine oils are generally highly viscous in nature, and won’t stay put on the small pivots found in clock movements. Although they don’t do anywhere near the damage that WD-40 does, they will also tend to run out and stain dials. There are some very good clock oils available on the market today and, when applied to a properly repaired and adjusted movement, will provide excellent protection from wear—and tend to stay where put. Also remember that proper oiling of a movement often involves more than one type of clock oil or grease. There are also some moving parts within a clock that are not oiled. The trick is knowing which are which.
WD40 is a water displacement product...NOT a lubricant..
It doesn't have the viscosity needed for clock application. It also evaporates which cause premature wear. The WD stands for water displacement and the 40 represents the fortieth formula.
Its called a lubricant by many people, but it is not. It has very few uses in clock repair, one is to remove old wd 40 from parts.
Once sprayed the clock may run a short time and then stop.
It does not inhibit corrosion, it causes corrosion.
To prove a point, take two pieces of carbon steel ( what pivots are made of ).
Put WD40 on one and an oil film on the other.
Place them of to the side someplace in your work shop and look at
them later, after a few months. You'll see what I've seen. The WD40 one
will have rust over most of it and the other may not show any.
"Water Displacement #40".
The product began from a search for a rust preventative solvent and degreaser to protect missile parts.
WD-40 was created in 1953, by three technicians at the San Diego Rocket Chemical Company.
Its name comes from the project that was to find a 'Water Displacement' Compound.
They were finally successful for a formulation, with their fortieth attempt, thus WD-40.
The 'Convair Company' bought it in bulk to protect their atlas missile parts.
Ken East (one of the original founders) says there is nothing in WD-40 that would hurt you.
When you read the 'shower door' part, try it.
It's the first thing that has ever cleaned that spotty shower door.
If yours is plastic, it works just as well as on glass.
It's a miracle!
Then try it on your stovetop.
It's now shinier than it's ever been.
You'll be amazed.
As for that Basic, Main Ingredient.......
Well.... it's FISH OIL....
Update 14th of March, 2016
Getting ready to lubricate the Regulator clock with synthetic clock oil. (a redo here).
Update 15th of March, 2016
The video....oiling (lubricating) your clock...
Update 21st of March, 2016
Using synthetic clock oil (Liberty Oil) today in an attempt to putting one drop or less on each of the areas needed. (oil sinks shown above).
Clock stopped about 5 minutes after I put it on the wall.
Update 25st of March, 2016
Without taking it apart used compressed air to clean the clock up (again). Using the Liberty Oil dispenser (it is like a little needle) put one drop on all of the aforementioned locations. Started it and it stopped in 10 minutes. Cleaned it a bit more with compressed air and it started to work fine.
Well .....
.....found a interesting read called How Lubricants WorkSynthetic lubricants are manufactured for specific purposes. These lubricants are not blended from natural oils, but rather produced artificially under controlled conditions to minimize levels of contaminants. By having more control over what goes into a lubricant product, chemical engineers hope to produce a superior lubricant: ideally, they want a thinner lubricant with a higher boiling point (and therefore low evaporation rate), no thermal breakdown of the oil molecules, and with higher lubricity (a measure of the extent to which friction is reduced).
Before the advent of the automobile, petroleum was used mainly for manufacturing kerosene for lamps. Most oil products were obtained from animal, plant and fish oils and fats. These natural oils tend to contain mainly alkenes (unsaturated hydrocarbons), so they differ with their alkane counterparts in that they have lower melting points: the same lubricity could be achieved with a thinner oil, assuming both oils being compared had the same number of carbon atoms. However, these oils tend to have fatty acids that must be neutralized. Alkenes are not as stable as alkanes, so they are more easily oxidized into fatty acids and they become more unstable when subjected to heat. These oils are not hostile to bacteria, which accelerate the deterioration of the oils, whereas mineral and synthetic oils have longer life expectancies. Fatty acids tend to corrode metal parts and also to result in the formation of sludge. Oils and greases for clocks and watches were (and many still are) made from fish oils, whale fat and porpoise oils being among the favourites. The new oils have additives that protect the oils from bacteria and oxidation, thereby extending their life expectancies considerably. The principles by which lubrication takes place are the same, as outlined above. Note, however, that even the new natural oils have essentially no tolerance for heat and must therefore not be used where heat is generated (such as electric clock motors). You must use a mineral oil for electric clock motors, such as a single-weight, non-detergent oil.
I hope this essay has made you a better-educated consumer of oils and greases for clocks, electric motors, cars, or anything else. It is only a brief overview of a few aspects of tribology that might be of interest to horologists. Tribology, or the study of lubrication, is a very wide field: the more you know, the more you know you do not know! I prefer petroleum-based mineral oils over any other, especially since the quality of mineral oils has improved to such an extraordinary extent in just the last fifteen years, thanks to the hard work of many chemical engineers! Most mineral oils manufactured and marketed in the United States by well known manufacturers are of very high quality indeed, and a statement that the oil meets government and manufacturer specifications is more reassuring still. However, you still must be cautious when selecting lubricants since some lubricants are poorly engineered and since many will not suit the particular application you wish to apply it to (the same is true of clock oils from your clock suppliers: the fact that it says ‘clock oil’ on the bottle does not mean that the clock oil you bought is of high quality or that it will provide adequate protection of the second wheel pivots, as it might for the escape wheel pivots). Consider these examples. There is a very expensive clock oil that I have had many problems with because it dries after about a year and a half. It is also very thin: it tends to run too easily when applied to bushings. There is another clock oil (the cheapest) that I have found to work very well: it was still liquid five years after I applied it to numerous clocks. Two of my suppliers told me that it is not a clock oil (even though it said ‘clock oil’ on the bottle) but rather a light machine oil: in other words, a highly refined mineral oil, similar to kerosene in appearance, consistency and smell. The only problem I have experienced with this oil is that it is too thin (at room temperature, here in Texas) and runs too easily when applied to clock bushings (but it has worked very well on my pocket watches). I have had disappointing experiences with three synthetic lubricants and therefore do not use them.
Now for the disclaimer to keep me out of trouble:
1. To lubricate a clock, use only an oil that says ‘clock oil’ on the bottle.
2. To lubricate an electric clock motor, use only an oil that says ‘oil for electric motors’ on the bottle.
3. To lubricate a watch, use only an oil that says ‘watch oil’ on the bottle.
4. To lubricate your car, use only an oil that says ‘car oil’ on the bottle.
5. Experiment at your own risk!
Update 5th of April, 2016The sympathy of two pendulum clocks: beyond Huygens’ observations
Abstract
This paper introduces a modern version of the classical Huygens’ experiment on synchronization of pendulum clocks. The version presented here consists of two monumental pendulum clocks—ad hoc designed and fabricated—which are coupled through a wooden structure. It is demonstrated that the coupled clocks exhibit ‘sympathetic’ motion, i.e. the pendula of the clocks oscillate in consonance and in the same direction. Interestingly, when the clocks are synchronized, the common oscillation frequency decreases, i.e. the clocks become slow and inaccurate. In order to rigorously explain these findings, a mathematical model for the coupled clocks is obtained by using well-established physical and mechanical laws and likewise, a theoretical analysis is conducted. Ultimately, the sympathy of two monumental pendulum clocks, interacting via a flexible coupling structure, is experimentally, numerically, and analytically demonstrated.
Pause and search...maybe now will have a look see at an old 200 year old antique clock to see if I can get it working
Update 14th of April, 2016
PAUSE
Clock stopped yesterday around 0800c. Started it up again and all is well.
Curious though why it stopped.
Update 16th of April, 2016
Regulator clock still ticking.
Moving on now to one of two antique clocks. I have been afraid to wind them as the last one snapped on my fingers tearing one finger up.
Update 19th of April, 2016
Regulator clock still ticking.
Update 26th of April, 2016
Moving on to first of two antique clocks. Here is a picture of the first one.
Update 6th of May, 2016
No picture yet. From far away it does look OK. Up close though it shows it's age.
I have attached a picture of a similar looking old clock. Mine is not as nice looking as the attached.
Update 4th of June, 2016
The electronic pendulum clock stopped yesterday. This one has a battery. It is still keeping time. Just have to change battery.
It looks like this. Well I cannot find a picture so will take a picture of it and post it here.
Update 6th of July, 2016
Regulator clock is still doing it "tic toc" in sync and not stopped. I do not pay attention other than hearing it's hourly chime and tugging on the weights.
BTW here is a minute of time gratis.
This time that did not work for me. Googling it read somewhere that it went from a tick tock to a tock tick.
A little wiki stuff....
A pendulum clock is a clock that uses a pendulum, a swinging weight, as its timekeeping element. The advantage of a pendulum for timekeeping is that it is a harmonic oscillator; it swings back and forth in a precise time interval dependent on its length, and resists swinging at other rates. From its invention in 1656 by Christiaan Huygens until the 1930s, the pendulum clock was the world's most precise timekeeper, accounting for its widespread use.
Throughout the 18th and 19th centuries pendulum clocks in homes, factories, offices and railroad stations served as primary time standards for scheduling daily life, work shifts, and public transportation, and their greater accuracy allowed the faster pace of life which was necessary for the Industrial Revolution.
Pendulum clocks must be stationary to operate; any motion or accelerations will affect the motion of the pendulum, causing inaccuracies, so other mechanisms must be used in portable timepieces. They are now kept mostly for their decorative and antique value.
The pendulum clock was invented in 1656 by Dutch scientist Christiaan Huygens, and patented the following year. Huygens contracted the construction of his clock designs to clockmaker Salomon Coster, who actually built the clock. Huygens was inspired by investigations of pendulums by Galileo Galilei beginning around 1602. Galileo discovered the key property that makes pendulums useful timekeepers: isochronism, which means that the period of swing of a pendulum is approximately the same for different sized swings. Galileo had the idea for a pendulum clock in 1637, which was partly constructed by his son in 1649, but neither lived to finish it. The introduction of the pendulum, the first harmonic oscillator used in timekeeping, increased the accuracy of clocks enormously, from about 15 minutes per day to 15 seconds per day leading to their rapid spread as existing 'verge and foliot' clocks were retrofitted with pendulums.
Here is what the clock looks like.
This is what I did to getting working again.
Note it didn't work for two days. Much googling here relating to the repair of a regulator clock.
1 - removed weight
2 - removed pendulum
3 - took it off the wall carefully and put it on a flat surface (kitchen table)
4 - used a small can of compressed air on a stick and blowing all of the dust in the gears et al
5 - put the clock back on the wall, hung the pendulum and weight back
6 - swung the pendulum to give a start.
7 - only worked for about 1 minute and then it stopped.
8 - maybe it was earthquake related--->
---> just kidding here.9 - took it off the wall carefully and put it on a flat surface (kitchen table) again
10 - looked for a picture of the gears utilized on the regulator clock (thinking they are all the same).
Putting a clock in beat
In many cases the complaint with a mechanical clock is that it stopped working after it was moved. This is usually from someone moving the clock without taking the pendulum off and this puts the clock out of beat. Out of beat is a term used in clock repair that basically means the clock is going tock-tick, tock-tick, or ticktock, ticktock instead of tick tock tick tock. It is sometimes corrected by putting a matchbook or Small piece of wood under one side of the clock case to make the tick and the tock evenly spaced. This can temporarily correct the problem and the clock runs fine. This method however is not as good as correcting the beat and having the clock run when it is truly straight and level.
This can be achieved on most clocks by slightly bending the verge one way or another. The verge is the only movement part that touches the pendulum and whacks the pendulum back and forth.
The verge is what gets bent or pushed when the clock is moved, without taking the pendulum off the clock. A verge that is pushed or bent effects the escapement of the clock; the escapement being that part of the clock that actually creates the tick and tock sound.
By bending or pushing this verge back into position, and then listening to the sound, you can make the clock go tick tock, tick tock rather than tock tick, tock tick or ticktock ticktock which means the clock is in beat. This method is the same for most mantle clocks, kitchen clocks, grandmother clocks, and grandfather clocks. Just about all pendulum clocks are this way except for the 400 Day clock or the Atmos, which are entirely different timepieces.
Nope...clock wasn't moved. A closer read about the verge indicates that it should almost move with no pendulum. I did notice that it didn't.
The pendulum
A false rumor...I have the clock on an outside wall.
You Cannot Place a Clock on an Outside Wall
False. I have heard this many times from many customers yet none of them know why it would matter. In spite of this, they still believe it. The only thing I have been able to come up with is that it is a carry over from times past when homes were poorly insulated. In some older homes the walls can get rather cold in the winter. This cold transferring to the clock case might affect its timekeeping accuracy or perhaps damage the case. In other homes, the walls might “sweat” from condensation or leak when it rains. This would not be good for a clock or any other item that you might hang on a wall. I have set up thousands of clocks on outside walls and have never heard a complaint from a single customer that it has caused any kind of problem.
A Cap Full of Kerosene Left in the Bottom of the Clock Case will Lubricate the Clock Effectively
About all you are going to get out of this is a clock that smells like kerosene. This idea probably started many, many years ago when people had to be more self-sufficient. If they had money to pay a clockmaker, there may not have been one around for a hundred miles. The thought here is that the evaporating kerosene would bathe the clock mechanism in its oily vapors. Of course, if kerosene was a proper lubricant, clockmakers would have been using it themselves and they aren’t. Also, oiling a clock properly is a pin point procedure. You don’t want oil all over the clock. You want it in specific places. If the evaporating kerosene does what the myth implies, your entire movement, indeed the whole inside of the clock case is going to become coated with this “oily” vapor. This would turn your clock movement into a dust magnet, which is not very desirable.
PUTTING A CLOCK IN BEAT #2
All clocks must have maximum power transfer to the pendulum or they will not run dependably. This means they must be in beat. What does this mean? Some call this "setting the balance". Try to imagine the pendulum and verge as a swing and the person pushing as the escape wheel. When the clock is in beat the escape wheel gives the pendulum a push at just the right time in the same way as a person gives the swing a push just as it arrives back and at the instant it starts back on its return trip. When a clock is not in beat the situation is similar to the person pushing the swing taking five or six steps forward before the person on the swing starts on their way back. What happens? There is a collision and the arc of the swing is disturbed. If a clock is out of beat the verge collides with the escape wheel teeth, and the clock eventually stops before it is run down.
The verge clutch will usually allow the beat to be set by adjusting the position of the impulse arm until it is at the true center at rest with the mechanism and case set level and plumb. Be very careful when setting the beat; sometimes the verge clutch is set so tight that the escape wheel teeth can be bent without realizing it. If the clock is "in beat" then as you watch the pendulum swing you will hear a "tick" or "tock" precisely at the point when the pendulum passes the center ( true center as mentioned above) of its arc. This must be its characteristic arc , not the one you give it when you swing the pendulum. How do you know its "true arc" ? Do this with the clock perfectly level while you can see the escape wheel and verge: starting with the pendulum at rest move it slowly until you hear a tick or a tock which is the sound of the escape wheel releasing.(You must know which way to move the pendulum of course because the escape wheel will only release once on each side of the arc. If you are doing this for the first time it would be a good idea to be able to watch the escape wheel and verge interaction so as to know which way to move the pendulum to allow the verge to release the escape wheel. To get an idea how this works, take the pendulum off and GENTLY move the suspension arm back and forth to observe and learn the action of the escape wheel / verge combination, then put the pendulum back on and continue.) As soon you hear the tick or the tock release the pendulum. DO NOT PUSH IT. If the clock is in beat you will hear the other side tick when the pendulum gets to the other side of its arc.
If the beat is set, but the clock gets in beat and they out of beat; check for bent escape wheel teeth if the "in beat and out of beat" sound has a regular repeating pattern. If there is not a regular pattern then the problem is probably a loose verge. The clutch can be ok but the verge can be loose on the shaft. when setting the beat on a clock, if possible do it by sight and sound.
Setting the beat on a balance wheel is just as important as the beat on the pendulum units. The hairspring collar can usually be moved if need be, it is a delicate operation.
A bit more....
Check the beat setting
check endshake check for tight bushings
check the position of the impulse arm vs susp rod
check for bent escape wheel teeth
check for bent teeth (even slightly) every where in the gear train
check for a mounting bind (with the mechanism is mounted in the case if one of the
mounting feet is even slightly bent it can cause any one or all of the gear trains to
bind) check for barrell teeth hitting #2 wheel teeth on endshake minimum or maximum.
check for worn gear teeth
check for proper gear depthing
are the mainsprings the correct strength?
is the suspension the correct strength?
possibly the pendulum is the wrong weight
Hands rubbing on the glass at any point in the 360 degree rotation? (put your finger on
the glass over where the minute hand is located and if the hand looks closer to your
finger than the glass is thick then the hand is probably hitting on the glass.)
check for a bushing not oiled
are the hands touching each other at all anywhere?
when the clock stops , very carefully check to determine if there is any power to
the escape wheel; if there is power then be more concerned about pendulum friction,
sympathetic vibration, or suspension problems. If there is absolutely no ; or very
little then there is probably a gear train problem.
is there any air circulation around the pendulum?
are the weights magnetized and is the pendulum brass plated steel?
is the pendulum touching the back of the clock ?
Is the clock case sitting on a solid surface?
is the clock hanging plumb on the wall?
Is the hour tube binding?
are the chime or strike levers binding because of lack of oil or rough edges?
check the suspension post to see if the suspension is loose--- If it is loose the clock
will probably stop.
check for pallet face wear
check all lubrication points
How to Oil a Clock
The most important thing to remember is to ensure that you only use high quality synthetic clock oil. Using substitutes like WD40 can actually damage your movement.
Q: Can I oil an alarm clock with WD-40 or sewing machine oil to get it to run again?
A: One of the worst enemies of clock movements is WD-40. While it is an awesome lubricant meant to be used for general household uses (like door latches, hinges, rusted bolts and power tools), it is NOT suitable for clock repair. Clocks oiled with WD-40 may run for a short time, but will soon gum up again—and this time for the worst. WD-40 is a natural enemy to clocks. It gums up the fine movements, runs out onto dials and stains them, and contaminates clock-cleaning solutions when it inevitably becomes necessary to properly clean the movement. Please avoid this material, even as a temporary fix.
Sewing machine oils are generally highly viscous in nature, and won’t stay put on the small pivots found in clock movements. Although they don’t do anywhere near the damage that WD-40 does, they will also tend to run out and stain dials. There are some very good clock oils available on the market today and, when applied to a properly repaired and adjusted movement, will provide excellent protection from wear—and tend to stay where put. Also remember that proper oiling of a movement often involves more than one type of clock oil or grease. There are also some moving parts within a clock that are not oiled. The trick is knowing which are which.
WD40 is a water displacement product...NOT a lubricant..
It doesn't have the viscosity needed for clock application. It also evaporates which cause premature wear. The WD stands for water displacement and the 40 represents the fortieth formula.
Its called a lubricant by many people, but it is not. It has very few uses in clock repair, one is to remove old wd 40 from parts.
Once sprayed the clock may run a short time and then stop.
It does not inhibit corrosion, it causes corrosion.
To prove a point, take two pieces of carbon steel ( what pivots are made of ).
Put WD40 on one and an oil film on the other.
Place them of to the side someplace in your work shop and look at
them later, after a few months. You'll see what I've seen. The WD40 one
will have rust over most of it and the other may not show any.
"Water Displacement #40".
The product began from a search for a rust preventative solvent and degreaser to protect missile parts.
WD-40 was created in 1953, by three technicians at the San Diego Rocket Chemical Company.
Its name comes from the project that was to find a 'Water Displacement' Compound.
They were finally successful for a formulation, with their fortieth attempt, thus WD-40.
The 'Convair Company' bought it in bulk to protect their atlas missile parts.
Ken East (one of the original founders) says there is nothing in WD-40 that would hurt you.
When you read the 'shower door' part, try it.
It's the first thing that has ever cleaned that spotty shower door.
If yours is plastic, it works just as well as on glass.
It's a miracle!
Then try it on your stovetop.
It's now shinier than it's ever been.
You'll be amazed.
As for that Basic, Main Ingredient.......
Well.... it's FISH OIL....
Update 14th of March, 2016
Getting ready to lubricate the Regulator clock with synthetic clock oil. (a redo here).
Update 15th of March, 2016
The video....oiling (lubricating) your clock...
Update 21st of March, 2016
Using synthetic clock oil (Liberty Oil) today in an attempt to putting one drop or less on each of the areas needed. (oil sinks shown above).
Clock stopped about 5 minutes after I put it on the wall.
Update 25st of March, 2016
Without taking it apart used compressed air to clean the clock up (again). Using the Liberty Oil dispenser (it is like a little needle) put one drop on all of the aforementioned locations. Started it and it stopped in 10 minutes. Cleaned it a bit more with compressed air and it started to work fine.
Well .....
.....found a interesting read called How Lubricants WorkSynthetic lubricants are manufactured for specific purposes. These lubricants are not blended from natural oils, but rather produced artificially under controlled conditions to minimize levels of contaminants. By having more control over what goes into a lubricant product, chemical engineers hope to produce a superior lubricant: ideally, they want a thinner lubricant with a higher boiling point (and therefore low evaporation rate), no thermal breakdown of the oil molecules, and with higher lubricity (a measure of the extent to which friction is reduced).
Before the advent of the automobile, petroleum was used mainly for manufacturing kerosene for lamps. Most oil products were obtained from animal, plant and fish oils and fats. These natural oils tend to contain mainly alkenes (unsaturated hydrocarbons), so they differ with their alkane counterparts in that they have lower melting points: the same lubricity could be achieved with a thinner oil, assuming both oils being compared had the same number of carbon atoms. However, these oils tend to have fatty acids that must be neutralized. Alkenes are not as stable as alkanes, so they are more easily oxidized into fatty acids and they become more unstable when subjected to heat. These oils are not hostile to bacteria, which accelerate the deterioration of the oils, whereas mineral and synthetic oils have longer life expectancies. Fatty acids tend to corrode metal parts and also to result in the formation of sludge. Oils and greases for clocks and watches were (and many still are) made from fish oils, whale fat and porpoise oils being among the favourites. The new oils have additives that protect the oils from bacteria and oxidation, thereby extending their life expectancies considerably. The principles by which lubrication takes place are the same, as outlined above. Note, however, that even the new natural oils have essentially no tolerance for heat and must therefore not be used where heat is generated (such as electric clock motors). You must use a mineral oil for electric clock motors, such as a single-weight, non-detergent oil.
I hope this essay has made you a better-educated consumer of oils and greases for clocks, electric motors, cars, or anything else. It is only a brief overview of a few aspects of tribology that might be of interest to horologists. Tribology, or the study of lubrication, is a very wide field: the more you know, the more you know you do not know! I prefer petroleum-based mineral oils over any other, especially since the quality of mineral oils has improved to such an extraordinary extent in just the last fifteen years, thanks to the hard work of many chemical engineers! Most mineral oils manufactured and marketed in the United States by well known manufacturers are of very high quality indeed, and a statement that the oil meets government and manufacturer specifications is more reassuring still. However, you still must be cautious when selecting lubricants since some lubricants are poorly engineered and since many will not suit the particular application you wish to apply it to (the same is true of clock oils from your clock suppliers: the fact that it says ‘clock oil’ on the bottle does not mean that the clock oil you bought is of high quality or that it will provide adequate protection of the second wheel pivots, as it might for the escape wheel pivots). Consider these examples. There is a very expensive clock oil that I have had many problems with because it dries after about a year and a half. It is also very thin: it tends to run too easily when applied to bushings. There is another clock oil (the cheapest) that I have found to work very well: it was still liquid five years after I applied it to numerous clocks. Two of my suppliers told me that it is not a clock oil (even though it said ‘clock oil’ on the bottle) but rather a light machine oil: in other words, a highly refined mineral oil, similar to kerosene in appearance, consistency and smell. The only problem I have experienced with this oil is that it is too thin (at room temperature, here in Texas) and runs too easily when applied to clock bushings (but it has worked very well on my pocket watches). I have had disappointing experiences with three synthetic lubricants and therefore do not use them.
Now for the disclaimer to keep me out of trouble:
1. To lubricate a clock, use only an oil that says ‘clock oil’ on the bottle.
2. To lubricate an electric clock motor, use only an oil that says ‘oil for electric motors’ on the bottle.
3. To lubricate a watch, use only an oil that says ‘watch oil’ on the bottle.
4. To lubricate your car, use only an oil that says ‘car oil’ on the bottle.
5. Experiment at your own risk!
Update 5th of April, 2016The sympathy of two pendulum clocks: beyond Huygens’ observations
Abstract
This paper introduces a modern version of the classical Huygens’ experiment on synchronization of pendulum clocks. The version presented here consists of two monumental pendulum clocks—ad hoc designed and fabricated—which are coupled through a wooden structure. It is demonstrated that the coupled clocks exhibit ‘sympathetic’ motion, i.e. the pendula of the clocks oscillate in consonance and in the same direction. Interestingly, when the clocks are synchronized, the common oscillation frequency decreases, i.e. the clocks become slow and inaccurate. In order to rigorously explain these findings, a mathematical model for the coupled clocks is obtained by using well-established physical and mechanical laws and likewise, a theoretical analysis is conducted. Ultimately, the sympathy of two monumental pendulum clocks, interacting via a flexible coupling structure, is experimentally, numerically, and analytically demonstrated.
Pause and search...maybe now will have a look see at an old 200 year old antique clock to see if I can get it working
Update 14th of April, 2016
PAUSE
Clock stopped yesterday around 0800c. Started it up again and all is well.
Curious though why it stopped.
Update 16th of April, 2016
Regulator clock still ticking.
Moving on now to one of two antique clocks. I have been afraid to wind them as the last one snapped on my fingers tearing one finger up.
Update 19th of April, 2016
Regulator clock still ticking.
Update 26th of April, 2016
Moving on to first of two antique clocks. Here is a picture of the first one.
Update 6th of May, 2016
No picture yet. From far away it does look OK. Up close though it shows it's age.
I have attached a picture of a similar looking old clock. Mine is not as nice looking as the attached.
Update 4th of June, 2016
The electronic pendulum clock stopped yesterday. This one has a battery. It is still keeping time. Just have to change battery.
It looks like this. Well I cannot find a picture so will take a picture of it and post it here.
Update 6th of July, 2016
Regulator clock is still doing it "tic toc" in sync and not stopped. I do not pay attention other than hearing it's hourly chime and tugging on the weights.
BTW here is a minute of time gratis.
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