Reply To: Clock case cleaning

[digitaltripper]

@Arutha wrote:

I dont think silver soldering is going to be hard enough for that pivot, bear in mind that silver solder is composed of tin and silver – neither as hard wearing as steel. You will find it will wear much faster than using the usual method of drilling the arbor and inserting pivot steel. If this is a customers clock I would be very careful doing things like that, If the pivot does fail in a short space of time and the customer takes it to another clockmaker they will be asking why the pivot was not repaired properly, this could damage your reputation for doing good work. If you dont have the tools to do a job properly you either need to aquire them or send the item out to get it done. There is nothing wrong with a little ingenuity but it has to produce something that is fit for purpose. If you tell the customer you have made a temporary repair then you cover yourself should the worst happen. Please dont take my comments the wrong way, this is in no way personal, I just dont want to see you get into trouble.
I have not come accross that type of case before and I would be interested to hear what to use to clean it with. Wax should do no harm but I would wait and see what the other members say.
Paul.

Thank you Paul ! I would NEVER take what you say “the wrong way” !! I really appreciate and value your input as well as the input from all the other members of the forum. I have the lathe, I need to make a flag like Bob shows in the video on pivoting and perhaps practice on an old arbor from an old clock that I have and then re-pivot and do it right!! Yes this is a customers clock, and I think you are right. I ALWAYS want to to the job correctly.

I just had another thought as well…Imagine the escape wheel pivot breaking…Can you see all of the damage it would do the the clock? Oh man that would be so very bad !!!

The clock is clamped to my bench and has been running happily for 4 days now. I think I better stop it…

As for cleaning the case, don’t use goof off 2 !! I put a little on and the case got sticky like it was melting…YIKES !! Fortunately, no damage !! I removed the gold legs and trim and I am simply going to wash those with dawn dish washing liquid soap and water as they appear to be painted. I wiped the case down with a product called “Krud Cutter” and that went great. I am rubbing the case with Flitz and it works great but it is ALLOT of rubbing. It is removing the haze from the sides and leaving a nice shiny black. I will post pictures when it is done.

If anyone else has any ideas on cleaning etc. please jump in here and let me know !!

I hope everyone had a great Christmas and I wish you all a healthy, happy, and prospers new year !!

Jim