Chelsea Do's and Don'ts, Opinions and little bit of help

Posted: Sat Jun 18, 2011 7:18 pm     Post subject: Chelsea Do's and Don'ts, Opinions and little bit of help

Hello i am new to forum, i am looking for help opinions and dos and donts. I was given a Chelsea 4 1/2" Pilot Clock (ships wheel) from my grandparents. The questions are if its working fine ships bells strike when there supposed to. Do i need to oil anything or an maintance of any sorts.. Opinions on leaving the original patena or sending it back to Chelsea, for cleaning like new is what im trying to say..I also got a Certificate of Orgin from Chelsea, i thought it would tell me alot more about my clock but was'nt what i thought it would tell me.. I have googled 4 1/2" Pilot Clock and i dont see any thing like my clock, all i get are the round circle clocks, not the ships wheel. Is it common or not so common. I have seen some 6" Pilot Clocks ship wheels but not the 4 !/2". can some one give me any help . thanks for any help..

Posted: Mon Jun 20, 2011 1:28 pm     Post subject:

As a general rule of thumb, mechanical movements should be oiled every one to three years and cleaned every three to five years. It really does not matter if the movement is working properly or not. This general rule of thumb will help ensure that the movement will always continue to work properly (for years to come).

Dust is the major enemy of any mechanical movement. Dust collects on oil (oil which keeps bearings and such lubricated for proper operation). Once dust mixes with oil, it forms a grime which wears away at parts. Cleaning gets rid of all dust and grime. Oiling ensures that bearings and such have clean lubrication for continued operation. Note that it is not always necessary to clean the movement every time you oil, however it is necessary if existing oil should appear dirty.

Waiting until something goes wrong with the movement can lead to costly repairs and the possible requirement of replacement parts (beyond just a simple cleaning/oiling). As with an automobile, it is better to keep things serviced rather than wait for something to go wrong.