2 clocks

Posted: Thu Mar 26, 2009 12:06 am     Post subject: 2 clocks

Have 2 clocks and neither one works. The 1st is an electric banjo circa 1930, the motor is shot. Should I have it made into a battery job or keep it electric.
It's large with a reversed painting of mt. vernon, solid mahogony. Can you even get an electric motor anymore? The back is nailed shut and I don't want to mess with it, I know next to nothing about repairing them and don't want to mess it up.

The other clock is ceramic with a stamp that says royal bonn..the hinge for the glass has broken off. When I turn the dials it has a beautiful gong sound.
I swung open the door in the back and a pendilum and key were found. I wound it up and attached the pendilum and it only ran for about 15 secs. then stopped. However without the pend on it ticked like crazy and didn't stop.
This clock appears to be very old due to the fading on the dial, however the gold trim around the dial is in very good shape.
Also the pend. has an adjusting wheel that I had all the way up and all the way down and tried to see if it would run more than 15 sec. but it didn't.

Any advice would be appreciated.

Thanks

Posted: Thu Mar 26, 2009 1:03 pm     Post subject:

Bev,

In regard to electric motors - keep checking back for further replies. To my knowledge, they are hard to come by... but other patrons of the forum may have some suggestions that I am unaware of. If you can not find an electric motor, then we can look into the possibility of substituting a quartz (battery-operated) movement.

The second clock sounds as though it has a mechanical movement (as indicated by mention of the key). The "adjusting wheel" on the bottom of the pendulum is called the rating nut - which helps to adjust timekeeping. If the clock movement seems to be gaining or loosing time in a 24 hour period, then adjustment(s) to the rating nut usually helps to correct the problem. Adjusting the rating nut is a trial and error process that takes time to observe. Typically, you should always allow the movement to run for 24 hours in between each adjustment.

Given that your movement does not want to swing the pendulum, I would say that the rating nut is not the concern at this point. Typically, a pendulum will not swing if the movement is need of cleaning or repair, if the clock case is not level, if there is a possible suspension spring break (if applicable), or if the pendulum beat needs to be adjusted. Since it seems that this is an older movement, it may prove best to seek out the assistance of a qualified clock repair person (if at least only to troubleshoot the exact problem).

Keep checking back within the forum for further replies. I can attest that some of our patrons are far more experienced than I with mechanical movements. They may be able to offer further insights and/or suggestions.