I've just bought a slate clock for restoration and your videos have given me all the information I need to get the job done. These old French clocks are absolutely lovely and deserve a bit of tlc so that they can be properly appreciated. Great work - thank you!
I honestly cant understand why these French clocks arent making big money. You could literally buy a stunning clock for less than £50. I havent restored on for ages now, Ive got a couple that need work, perhaps I'll get around to completing them
Great work. You’ve motivated me to restore my family clock from 1879 though i had a slightly different experience with the gilding wax. I sanded the clock back to stone (due to some damage and staining) epaired with milliput, added two coats of slate blacking and two coats of book polish. I cleaned out the engraving and applied the same gilding wax as you in the same manner. Leaving it for 24hrs i then tried removing the excess with wire wool - and it was a real pain - it ended up removing the underlying wax and some stain, leaving the surface very matt. With a little trial and error, i found a better end result with: (1) removing what excess you can when you first apply the gilding wax, but do not let it smear too much. (2) leave for 20 to 30 min, for the excess to dry, then remove with a credit card wrapped in a single layer of well used duster. This is enough of an abrasive to remove the wax, but not enough to damage the underlying surface. If the gilding is still wet (usually likely to be the stuff in the holes) - stop and leave to dry longer - or it will smear. For the bits left in small marks, i used a sharpened lollipop stick, to scrape, again soft enough not to damage the underlying surface. I tend to use a silicon cone- brush the poke into the holes, to ensure the gilding gets in evenly, but doesn’t over fill them, as i prefer the 3d surface, rather than just flat. I bought 2 clocks to practice on, before i did the family one. Thanks again for your videos, i come back time and again - pls don’t cut the movement servicing, we like watching it, and if we don’t we can fast fwf. ;-)
I absolutely love that you left this message and thank you for your time in doing so. I am pretty much self-taught with a lot of trial and error and welcome any input from others. I will try out your techniques for the gilding on my next clock and see how it works out for me. Thanks again Johnny
@@treetopspider Your videos have been an inspiration, literally. My father was stunned at the transformation in the family clock; it having spent 40years on his piano, unused, before coming to me. These french movement clocks are hugely undervalued.
I am currently restoring an old black slate clock with similar tooled engraving work on the case. I will be following your lead and using the gilding wax rather than gold lacquer👌 One thing I will add is that I find barbecue skewers made from bamboo very effective at cleaning out the engraving channels without any risk of scratching the surrounding surface areas. These bamboo skewers are also very easy to file/sand to the profile of your engraving channels.
Thank you for a great Video! I have an antique Sessions that I have tried several methods that have all turned out very sloppy looking at best! I can't wait to try this on that old Clock! Thank you so Much! I love these old clocks and think they are such a work of art!
A really fine finish John - better than mine as the gilding is more defined. I haven't got round to cleaning out the old gilding but I will do so when the clock warrants it. Thanks for the credit - but I am still very much DIY standard - but if I can then I hope others may too
Hello Johnny, Nice work there... I really does look good... slightly off topic, I have noticed there has been no food interruption in the videos since the new year, is everyone on a diet? lol Take care Paul,,
Hi Billy, funny you should say that, I only this week for the first time have ever heard about engravers wax. Now youre the second person to mention it. This is something I will have to look into. Thank you Johnny
Thank you Foxy. I have in fact used a gold sharpie in my ealy attempts. The problem was that its tip wasnt fine enough for the very thin lines. Also the paint tends to be quite thick and congeals on the end of the nib. I have tried various methods and so far my best way is using gold wax. Its good becasue you can use an old credit card to scrape in on and off with and then clean up with wire wool. I showed this on one of my videos. Johnny
I've just bought a slate clock for restoration and your videos have given me all the information I need to get the job done. These old French clocks are absolutely lovely and deserve a bit of tlc so that they can be properly appreciated. Great work - thank you!
I honestly cant understand why these French clocks arent making big money. You could literally buy a stunning clock for less than £50. I havent restored on for ages now, Ive got a couple that need work, perhaps I'll get around to completing them
Great work. You’ve motivated me to restore my family clock from 1879 though i had a slightly different experience with the gilding wax. I sanded the clock back to stone (due to some damage and staining) epaired with milliput, added two coats of slate blacking and two coats of book polish. I cleaned out the engraving and applied the same gilding wax as you in the same manner. Leaving it for 24hrs i then tried removing the excess with wire wool - and it was a real pain - it ended up removing the underlying wax and some stain, leaving the surface very matt. With a little trial and error, i found a better end result with: (1) removing what excess you can when you first apply the gilding wax, but do not let it smear too much. (2) leave for 20 to 30 min, for the excess to dry, then remove with a credit card wrapped in a single layer of well used duster. This is enough of an abrasive to remove the wax, but not enough to damage the underlying surface. If the gilding is still wet (usually likely to be the stuff in the holes) - stop and leave to dry longer - or it will smear. For the bits left in small marks, i used a sharpened lollipop stick, to scrape, again soft enough not to damage the underlying surface. I tend to use a silicon cone- brush the poke into the holes, to ensure the gilding gets in evenly, but doesn’t over fill them, as i prefer the 3d surface, rather than just flat. I bought 2 clocks to practice on, before i did the family one.
Thanks again for your videos, i come back time and again - pls don’t cut the movement servicing, we like watching it, and if we don’t we can fast fwf. ;-)
I absolutely love that you left this message and thank you for your time in doing so. I am pretty much self-taught with a lot of trial and error and welcome any input from others. I will try out your techniques for the gilding on my next clock and see how it works out for me.
Thanks again
Johnny
@@treetopspider Your videos have been an inspiration, literally. My father was stunned at the transformation in the family clock; it having spent 40years on his piano, unused, before coming to me. These french movement clocks are hugely undervalued.
I am currently restoring an old black slate clock with similar tooled engraving work on the case. I will be following your lead and using the gilding wax rather than gold lacquer👌 One thing I will add is that I find barbecue skewers made from bamboo very effective at cleaning out the engraving channels without any risk of scratching the surrounding surface areas. These bamboo skewers are also very easy to file/sand to the profile of your engraving channels.
I iknow exactly the ones you mean. Weve got a bunch of thos at home. Great tip, thank you
Johnny
Thank you for a great Video! I have an antique Sessions that I have tried several methods that have all turned out very sloppy looking at best! I can't wait to try this on that old Clock! Thank you so Much! I love these old clocks and think they are such a work of art!
A really fine finish John - better than mine as the gilding is more defined. I haven't got round to cleaning out the old gilding but I will do so when the clock warrants it. Thanks for the credit - but I am still very much DIY standard - but if I can then I hope others may too
I think we are all here to inspire eachother. This is a bit of a dead poets society which makes it all the more interesting
@@treetopspider agree - but i think we are past the point of the blind leading the blind - just
Thank you for sharing, such a inspiration to the rest of us.
Thanks Donald. I wanted to present these clock restoring videos as something that anyone can do
Hi Johnny, Vicki in Australia again. Love the video, which Gold did you use, Pebeo Gedeo King Gold or Empire Gold? Thanks so much, Vicki
Please can tell me if you are using antique gold or empire gold guilding wax?
Hello Johnny,
Nice work there... I really does look good... slightly off topic, I have noticed there has been no food interruption in the videos since the new year, is everyone on a diet? lol
Take care
Paul,,
There actually was an interuption from my wife for a cup of tea but she went on to talk about other things so I had to cut it out :-)
That’s a beautiful job! Have you considered black engraver’s wax to fill in or touch up the damage by the door opening?
Hi Billy,
funny you should say that, I only this week for the first time have ever heard about engravers wax. Now youre the second person to mention it. This is something I will have to look into.
Thank you
Johnny
love your videos i wondered if you could use a gold sharpie pen ? would it work
Thank you Foxy. I have in fact used a gold sharpie in my ealy attempts. The problem was that its tip wasnt fine enough for the very thin lines. Also the paint tends to be quite thick and congeals on the end of the nib. I have tried various methods and so far my best way is using gold wax. Its good becasue you can use an old credit card to scrape in on and off with and then clean up with wire wool. I showed this on one of my videos.
Johnny
thx much but be nice to read bottom of gilt gold paste so we know which one your using. be useful thx much
hello where do you get the gilding wax
I bought mine from Hobby craft. heres the link
www.hobbycraft.co.uk/pebeo-empire-gold-gedeo-gilding-wax-30ml/629478-1000