To oil or not to oil cuckoo

Posted: Thu Jan 19, 2012 10:27 pm     Post subject: To oil or not to oil cuckoo

Can't seem to find a consistent answer, hear mention of brass/bronze not being good to oil, the gear lash too excessive to warrant it, the exposure to environment causing too much dust, etc, etc.

Oil or not oil cuckoo? I'd imagine the pivots would still be a good idea to oil. Escapements possibly too.

I just bought some for playing around with (I plan on complete dismantling and rebuild for fun).

Posted: Fri Jan 20, 2012 3:13 pm     Post subject:

Definately Oil... and oil every 1 to three years (clean every 3 to 5 years). More arid climates (or dustier climates) may warrant more frequent oiling and cleaing.

The type of oil you use is very specific. It must be clock oil. WD-40 (or other spray lubricants) and sewing machine oils are big NO-NOs! So to that extent, oil can only be bad if you are using an oil you shouldn't.

You would not run an automobile without oil (as it would most certainly break down on you). The same holds true with any mechanical clock.

Posted: Sat Feb 11, 2012 6:09 am     Post subject:

Clock oil is good! As long as you know the right places to add it and how much.

Unfortunately, most cuckoo movements are a very soft brass and the picot holes egg out very badly. No amount of oiling will make a difference in making the clock run and will cause further damage as the brass shavings and oil saw their way through the brass.

-Pete