Outstanding job, repairing this clock and respecting the wishes of the owner.👍👍👍 "A hair in a hairspring;" LOL never gets old🤣🤣🤣🤣 I guess "like attracts like?"
Yes those hairy springs can cause a lot of problems for us clock guys. I have seen one damage a balance pivot in a small ladys watch before, Sounds impossible but a hair or nylon fiber with a small film of abrasive dirt impregnated in it turns it into a cutting tool. Glad you got something out of it.
thank you James, I mainly work on pendulum time pieces, and clocks that are strikers and westminsters. I also have a triple plate waterbury that I bushed and works great. I have also ordered a couple of tools that will work with the hairsprings.
It is amazing to see how rugged and sophisticated the mechanism of this mass produced utilitarian clock is and the little things like dust covers put in place for protection to extend its service life. No sign of "planned obsolescence" here. And to think all the work necessary for its assembly and set up in days when there was likely little automation involved. And it is a joy to see you work.
Thank you, Mr. Martin. I am working on a Style 1 (manufactured 12-2-1913) right now and of course, the movement is almost the same. I've always been sort of baffled about the alarm set hand moving around with the hour/minute hands on my Big Bens. Thank you for explaining how to do the adjustment.
Love your videos. Thoroughly enjoyed this one too. I learned what a part is used for that I have and didn't know where to find out. ie: the jewel setting collets that insert into a larger collet. I have some of these and didn't know what they were for.
Thanks James, I do own one of these but mine has a wooden base, Not sure what happens original base on these. But can't lie to ya ,had mine for years keeps great time.not sure where I got it from. Just let you know My Grandma was a clock smith ,Rest her soul. I do tinker with clocks myself and do enjoy playing with the hands of time.
A lot of bases are degrading on these. They were made from pot metal, which has no standard mix of alloys, so each batch is a different mix of any available low melting low cost metals, the moisture and such degrades this pot metal with time and it can literally implode from the inside out.
I would love to send my Big Bend to you for an overall. It runs sometimes then it doesn’t. Sometimes it’s fast and sometimes it’s slow. My favorite clockmaker here in St. Louis has passed away and I’m kind of a snob when it comes to who I let work on my clocks.
I wish you would've shown how to take the main springs out and cleaned and how to put them back in. May be next video? Tons of videos on the big clock main springs but nothing on the alarm clocks.
Excellent video thank you for sharing. I did not know who you were without your beard and mustache! Looked like a different man entirely. lol, I very much enjoyed this video as always with anything you upload.
Yea, it took me a year to grow that thing and decided to shave a couple of weeks ago. I had a new kid in the neighborhood ask me the other day if I knew what happened to that guy with the beard LOL.....
Molt maco el video, m ‘ha agradat molt com adreça el volant, quina paciència!!. Ha deixat una màquina perfecte. Moltes gràcies des de Barcelona, catalonia!!
Thank you for another educational video. I wonder about the pallet fork action as seen from 58:32 to 58:51. It seems like it flickrs several times, as if it has a double beat or something. Can you explain what is going on?
Amazing skill here. I have a very difficult time doing anything with hairsprings. I am wondering if you’ve had any luck replacing one if the original is received destroyed? I usually look for a whole balance wheel with spring, which often involves obtaining a whole donor movement.
I've had to replace butchered hairsprings before. New hairspring needs to be timed to each individual balance wheel, not for the unskilled person but it can be done. I have never needed to replace any in these Big Bens, have always been able to straighten them with success.
I made a couple of them and purchased several from a local horology company years ago, that company is no longer in business. One of them I have is marked ELGIN which went out of business in 1968, seems most of what I am using these days are from places that have gone out of business. It looks like there is a set on ebay, not sure the title says collet tools, image is not clear enough to see the ends well. See below link: www.ebay.com/itm/314207704576
@@jamesmartin5370 Thank you James for the info, I do clock repairing on a paid basis, but not much experience regarding balance spring timepieces and clocks. You seem to know what you are doing, I am learning alot watching your videos. I do have a spring winder, bushing tool, and will be getting a watchmakers lathe soon. But will need a 3 jaw chuck and 8mm collets. Its a Peerless lathe.
I'm curious: can you use a watch timing computer to adjust the hair spring and beat error on larger clocks like this and , say, a grandfather clock to adjust the pendulum length? Is there a specification for the balance wheel degrees of rotation and beats per minute? And would it help to adjust the hair spring by less of more through the hair spring mount, Or just use the adjustment bar?
There are many different timing machines available. Most clocks in above category used 1200 beat movements, if the timing machine will time to 1200 beats per minute it can be used. With pendulum grandfather clocks they are usually 60 bpm movements so timing machine would need to be able to time to those bpm. I have never seen an all inclusive list of all specifications for degrees of rotation as associated with beats per minute for all the different balance wheels used in movements. If degrees of rotation is too high you will get overbanking. There are too many factors that can affect degrees of rotation to discuss here. If movement is in good shape with designed uninterpreted power to balance wheel, adjustment of hair spring using hair spring mount can be done, just make sure adjustment bar is in its center position while doing this, this will throw the beat off so beat will need to be corrected before rate can be checked.
I appreciate the video and the length of the video is fine (more information is good). I am curious what you used to remove the center wheel pinion? I think that the reason that the clutch was so tight is that the previous repairer might have used it to brace and hammered the pinion off. Just a guess. I know this is from two years ago but I am working on some Westclox's and using it to try and guide me. Thanks!
The center wheel pinion can be safely removed by sliding some thick split shims between it and the front plate. You can make some thick shims if you don't have any. Slide them in until all the space between the pinion and plate is taken up. Then the next couple ones will wedge in and will need to be tapped in with a small hammer. I have seen some people use screw drivers and pry bars, but many of them end up bending the center wheel arbor. Shims are safer.
Great video, have a nice Christmas!👍
Will do, thanks, 30+ family members coming over tomorrow for Christmas Dinner, be a full house..
@@jamesmartin5370 Wow!👍💪
Sir, you are a genius. 🙂
Thank you James. I really enjoyed this video and your explanation of the techniques you were using. I subscribed 😊
All the best,
Norm in Arizona
Thanks Norm....
Outstanding job, repairing this clock and respecting the wishes of the owner.👍👍👍 "A hair in a hairspring;" LOL never gets old🤣🤣🤣🤣 I guess "like attracts like?"
Thanks
Hehe "hair" spring. This is so satisfying to watch, thank you for sharing your craft!
Thanks Deeran,
Glad you enjoyed it .
Thank you James.. Another great educational tool (Video). And I now know there are Hair springs and hairy springs.
Yes those hairy springs can cause a lot of problems for us clock guys.
I have seen one damage a balance pivot in a small ladys watch before,
Sounds impossible but a hair or nylon fiber with a small film of abrasive dirt impregnated in it turns it into a cutting tool.
Glad you got something out of it.
thank you James, I mainly work on pendulum time pieces, and clocks that are strikers and westminsters. I also have a triple plate waterbury that I bushed and works great. I have also ordered a couple of tools that will work with the hairsprings.
It is amazing to see how rugged and sophisticated the mechanism of this mass produced utilitarian clock is and the little things like dust covers put in place for protection to extend its service life. No sign of "planned obsolescence" here. And to think all the work necessary for its assembly and set up in days when there was likely little automation involved. And it is a joy to see you work.
I agree, These were good inexpensive time keepers in their time, yet they managed to gold gilt them.
Excellent video amazing work.
Thank you, Mr. Martin. I am working on a Style 1 (manufactured 12-2-1913) right now and of course, the movement is almost the same. I've always been sort of baffled about the alarm set hand moving around with the hour/minute hands on my Big Bens. Thank you for explaining how to do the adjustment.
Hope yours all works out well, these movements were built to last many years with proper service
Thank you Mr. Martin, amazing to see a great movement ready to run again for decades, and you experience shared for further ones
Thanks Gilles,
Yes, these were inexpensive for the customer to purchase but built very rugged and were dependable.
Love your videos. Thoroughly enjoyed this one too. I learned what a part is used for that I have and didn't know where to find out. ie: the jewel setting collets that insert into a larger collet. I have some of these and didn't know what they were for.
Great to hear, hope you can put them to use now.
cool i am from peterborough ontario where westclox was now called time square
I heard they had a large facility there at one time..
Thanks James, I do own one of these but mine has a wooden base, Not sure what happens original base on these. But can't lie to ya ,had mine for years keeps great time.not sure where I got it from. Just let you know My Grandma was a clock smith ,Rest her soul. I do tinker with clocks myself and do enjoy playing with the hands of time.
A lot of bases are degrading on these.
They were made from pot metal, which has no standard mix of alloys, so each batch is a different mix of any available low melting low cost metals, the moisture and such degrades this pot metal with time and it can literally implode from the inside out.
@@jamesmartin5370 Wow , interesting.
I would love to send my Big Bend to you for an overall. It runs sometimes then it doesn’t. Sometimes it’s fast and sometimes it’s slow. My favorite clockmaker here in St. Louis has passed away and I’m kind of a snob when it comes to who I let work on my clocks.
Be glad to take a look at it for you.
You can contact me at: jamesmart55@hotmail.com
Awesome information ! Thank You !
I wish you would've shown how to take the main springs out and cleaned and how to put them back in. May be next video? Tons of videos
on the big clock main springs but nothing on the alarm clocks.
Really nice.Keep up the good work.All the best.
Glad you enjoyed it.
The best to you as well.
Excellent video thank you for sharing. I did not know who you were without your beard and mustache! Looked like a different man entirely. lol, I very much enjoyed this video as always with anything you upload.
Yea, it took me a year to grow that thing and decided to shave a couple of weeks ago.
I had a new kid in the neighborhood ask me the other day if I knew what happened to that guy with the beard LOL.....
Molt maco el video, m ‘ha agradat molt com adreça el volant, quina paciència!!. Ha deixat una màquina perfecte. Moltes gràcies des de Barcelona, catalonia!!
Molts pensen per als comentaris.
Thank you for another educational video. I wonder about the pallet fork action as seen from 58:32 to 58:51. It seems like it flickrs several times, as if it has a double beat or something. Can you explain what is going on?
That's where video was cut and edited, wasn't much happening for several minutes there so I cut a chunk of the non value added video out.
A family "hair-loom" they said.
Nao falo em ingles , mas entendi como regular o balanco do relogio despertador ,nao sabia como fazer, obrigado ,abracos
Muito feliz que você aprendeu como agora
Good
Thank you
Thanks,
Hope it was able to help you out.
Amazing skill here. I have a very difficult time doing anything with hairsprings. I am wondering if you’ve had any luck replacing one if the original is received destroyed? I usually look for a whole balance wheel with spring, which often involves obtaining a whole donor movement.
I've had to replace butchered hairsprings before.
New hairspring needs to be timed to each individual balance wheel, not for the unskilled person but it can be done.
I have never needed to replace any in these Big Bens, have always been able to straighten them with success.
Hi James where do you get the hairspring tools from, do you make them. 38:18
I made a couple of them and purchased several from a local horology company years ago, that company is no longer in business.
One of them I have is marked ELGIN which went out of business in 1968, seems most of what I am using these days are from places that have gone out of business.
It looks like there is a set on ebay, not sure the title says collet tools, image is not clear enough to see the ends well.
See below link:
www.ebay.com/itm/314207704576
@@jamesmartin5370 Thank you James for the info, I do clock repairing on a paid basis, but not much experience regarding balance spring timepieces and clocks. You seem to know what you are doing, I am learning alot watching your videos. I do have a spring winder, bushing tool, and will be getting a watchmakers lathe soon. But will need a 3 jaw chuck and 8mm collets. Its a Peerless lathe.
Also James, do you tailor make the circular metal disks with the cuttouts for the screw, for taking off the hand setters
@@verybigkittens7550 Sounds good, wish you luck with all of it.
@@verybigkittens7550 Yes, main thing is equal pressure on both sides of the knob while removing or the shaft will end up bending sideways.
I'm curious: can you use a watch timing computer to adjust the hair spring and beat error on larger clocks like this and , say, a grandfather clock to adjust the pendulum length? Is there a specification for the balance wheel degrees of rotation and beats per minute? And would it help to adjust the hair spring by less of more through the hair spring mount, Or just use the adjustment bar?
There are many different timing machines available.
Most clocks in above category used 1200 beat movements, if the timing machine will time to 1200 beats per minute it can be used.
With pendulum grandfather clocks they are usually 60 bpm movements so timing machine would need to be able to time to those bpm.
I have never seen an all inclusive list of all specifications for degrees of rotation as associated with beats per minute for all the different balance wheels used in movements.
If degrees of rotation is too high you will get overbanking.
There are too many factors that can affect degrees of rotation to discuss here.
If movement is in good shape with designed uninterpreted power to balance wheel, adjustment of hair spring using hair spring mount can be done, just make sure adjustment bar is in its center position while doing this, this will throw the beat off so beat will need to be corrected before rate can be checked.
Thanks for answering!
What do you charge to clean and oil these i have one I’d like to send you to do thanks
You can send me an image of your clock at: jamesmart55@hotmail.com
I have a different model...one with the button at the top to set the alarm and it won't open. Can you help me how to open it and make it work?
I will see, send me several images of it at: jamesmart55@hotmail.com
Thanks! I just sent you an email with all the images till the point I was able to open it.
Really odd that a long piece of hair could work it's way that deep into the clock. Just never know what you're going to find.
Its possible it may have fallen in there from the person, assembling it at the Westclox factory.
@@jamesmartin5370 Probably so.
So long. Video must short
Los relojes de antes eran mejores
Estoy de acuerdo
Good but too long. Should be brief
I agree, I have been attempting to go with more brief videos moving forward from this one.
@Moi Aussi Ha, Yes. I agree. Clock repair is not supposed to be done fast. Or explained fast.
I appreciate the video and the length of the video is fine (more information is good). I am curious what you used to remove the center wheel pinion? I think that the reason that the clutch was so tight is that the previous repairer might have used it to brace and hammered the pinion off. Just a guess. I know this is from two years ago but I am working on some Westclox's and using it to try and guide me. Thanks!
The center wheel pinion can be safely removed by sliding some thick split shims between it and the front plate.
You can make some thick shims if you don't have any.
Slide them in until all the space between the pinion and plate is taken up.
Then the next couple ones will wedge in and will need to be tapped in with a small hammer.
I have seen some people use screw drivers and pry bars, but many of them end up bending the center wheel arbor.
Shims are safer.
@@jamesmartin5370 Thanks for your reply! I wound up leaving the wheel on during cleaning but I will try it on the next clock.