Clock Repair - How to Center a Worn Pivot Hole by Hand  

Thanks!

Thats awesome. Thanks for the support.

Break clean is not good. It will leave a residue on the clock and eat the lacquer. The tools can be bought from timesavers or merritts, they are not cheap. Good luck.

@@Chrisclockrepair OK. Guess I won't try to replace the bushings.

You're welcome. Thanks!

Agreed.

Thank you so much. Yes regular cleaning and oiling will increase longevity.

I personally don't use the bearings, but there are those who do.

Thank you 😀

@@Chrisclockrepair what technique do you use to ream by hand straight, i usually look at the plate, try to get it to be a perfect ( T ) and turn it 90° keeping the T but sometimes it just cant be reamed straight by hand

@@rccl4487 it just takes practice, what you describe is a common practice.

If the pallets are skipping across the escape wheel teeth, you need more depthing. Is the bridge adjustable on the back? Usually has two screws. If so, loosen the screws enough so you can slide the bridge down just a bit. Retighten and try again. Take power off if you can before doing so.

@@Chrisclockrepair ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-8EmY4We8mYs.html I tapped the "dogbone" closer to the escapement and it is now ticking away. Actually, there are not many screws on it. Everything is riveted. There are four bolts with these odd-sized nuts (5.1 mm or 0.20 inches) holding the plates together plus a few screws here and there, but most of it is riveted. This makes me think it was a cheapo movement meant for throwaway. I don't know that for sure, though, maybe some were like that back in the day. Thanks very much for your channel and help.

@@wildernessofzinn17 glad it worked our!

EDIT: Unfortunately, it stopped after running w/o the pendulum for about 3 hours, and only runs about 10 minutes with it. I thought maybe I was onto something. It needs help. I really should take it apart and clean it right for starters. The pendulum looks like it wobbles some and that may be a suspension spring or something.

​@@Chrisclockrepair I have also try to adjust this, what is the best adjustent, where to start?

Nice.

I would like to add a more detailed explanation.... I would appreciate your opinion on something. I have an old english(? - there are NO markings on the plate but it has a strike wheel vs a snail gear) grandfather clock. It is chain driven (the chain links are very unusual...they are 'U' shaped with loops at the end for the adjacent 'U' shaped link to connect into. It is just a simple two weight clock with strike and time. I am having an issue with the clock sometimes running fast and sometimes running slow. I have adjusted the bob up and down using 1/4 turns at a time and at times I'll be out a minute or two in a day - turn it a 1/4 turn then suddenly its 10 min out in the other direction. I also noticed that there is significant play on the center arbor that supports the hands. Do you have any suggestions for me? is there something specific you think I could look at? I understand that adjusting the pendulum up and down will speed up and slow down the clock. I have adjusted the height - over multiple days - all the way up and it was still to slow...then suddenly it was to fast...so I worked on lowering the bob and as it appeared to be zeroing in - it suddenly was to fast....again this is over multiple days. The hands seem to be fairly loose...could the weight of the hands be affecting how the clock is keeping time? Can I tighten the center wheel? Could the hands be slipping as they are approaching 12 or as they are descending from 12???? Thoughts?

@@joeychirico1623 Hi there. This is hard to diagnose without studying the movement; however, it is possible the hands can slip (if too loose), but more likely is that there is slipping on the clutch or there is a problem with the escapement. If the escapement is worn it may be missing teeth sometimes causing the clock to “go faster” how much time are we talking?

Nice!

This is a question of personal preference. I use a chamfering tool to create a small round that serves as an oil sink. However, some may argue that you should cut a new oil sink.

I use a contact cleaner spray. And use a qtip to catch the dirt

@@Chrisclockrepair Thank you. I have a circa 1886 Seth Thomas mantle clock I bought at a local thrift store. It was missing the windup key. Ordered it online. All pivot points are worn out. Everything else appears to be in fair condition. I was thinking about getting it refurbished. Would you be able to give me a rough estimate as to how much it would cost me to get this done? A ballpark figure would be ok.

@@EddieLeal 350 to 450 depending on style of movement

I can repair pivots, send me an email with a photo of the wheel and arbor

Timesavers.com

It’s not ideal but can be done once you straighten the pivot hole. Otherwise your hole won’t be on center. Also it will be a bit large for the press fit, so you can burgeon the bushing by giving it a few taps with the ball peen hammer to enlargen the bushing a bit for a tight press fit

@@Chrisclockrepair Thank you, Chriss!! :D

I am not familiar with watches.

Yes. However it may prove more difficult finding the center. But it can be done

What kind of clock is it?

You can buy the book on amazon. Does that ship to uk?

No, but you can buy an entire movement

Thank you.

Thank you.

Amen!

Does it drive otherwise?

@@Chrisclockrepair Dear Chris, no, when the weights are driven up the clock completely stops. Only when the weights are say, half-way down does the clock continue to run.

Removing material

Because it’s not necessary.

@@Chrisclockrepair in begginig of a video, the cleaning pivots sequence took much time and a viewer need to know what will happen after, it's the reason why i asked why you no use a brush to clean 😀, thanks for sharing.

Yessir.

Okay!

Thanks for the feedback. I’m continually seeking to improve

I don’t see any of your clock repair videos. Please post one so we can see how it should be done.

@greatlambrini8722 Perhaps the video is not meant for the complete beginner? Hence, the reference to the books by Mr. Conover.