Brand New Cuckoo, Escape Needs Oiling?

Posted: Wed Jan 19, 2011 4:22 pm     Post subject: Brand New Cuckoo, Escape Needs Oiling?

I posted earlier with some questions about a new Cuckoo Clock.

In fiddling with it I think I found the source of the noise, the escape. I'm fairly certain it's not a pivot point because the squeak would be even. It seems to happen at certain points when the palettes rub against the escape wheel teeth.

It's a brand new clock, factory sealed but I strongly suspect it was in storage at the dealer for quite a while since it was purchased from a store that doesn't specialize in clocks so they probably don't sell them too often. The silver wires going to the bellows for example look like they're starting to corrode.

I've ordered the same # clock oil that was stamped on the brass frame of the movement. It's a #25 Regula 1 day movement, two weights.

I probably should just return the clock for a new one, but as I plan to try to do some maintenance on this clock myself, and if it's just a matter of oiling the escape, I want to try that first. Plus I'm sentimental and I'd hate to think that the store would just toss this clock into the garbage after sending me a new one.

So how to oil the escape? Do I just put a drop of oil on the levers that engage the teeth and let the action spread the oil to the wheel, or should I put a tiny drop on every tooth on the wheel as well. I've read that over oiling is a mistake, so I don't want to mess it up.

Posted: Thu Jan 20, 2011 2:57 am     Post subject:

you never oil the escapement wheel, or the pallets. You only oil the pivot points.

Posted: Fri Jan 21, 2011 11:11 am     Post subject:

you SHOULD oil the escape wheel on two teeth on the tips BUT the smallest amount possible. use an eye glass/loupe so you can see exactly how much you have put on.

put some oil on the corroding rods too and rub over with your ingers or a rag to leave just smear on to try to remove some rusting and prevent further effects.

Posted: Sat Jan 22, 2011 9:29 pm     Post subject:

The clock oil arrived and I tried putting a very tiny amount on the mechanism.

I used the tip of a straightened paper clip to put one tiny drop on each of the palettes. (I guess that these were the two teeth clokfxr was referring to?) I can see a spot where the black metal palette has been scraped silver from rubbing against the escape wheel, and I think that's the part that squeeks.

I also put tiny drops of oil on the pivots, just the side facing the back, (I didn't remove the works). I made sure not to put so much that any runs out of the oil sinks, just a tiny speck from the end of the paper clip.

And I put one tiny drop of oil at the top of the loop the pendulum hangs from.

And the noise is still there.

It's not a very loud noise, so maybe it's just the way cuckoo clocks sound? Not having any other clocks to compare it to I have no frame of reference.

I've read that it can be very difficult to eliminate the squeek from a cuckoo clock, and one person suggested it's more common with a 1 day movement than the 8 day movements.