Basic Toools

[jaymac]

I am totally new to the Clock Course and am wanting to know what tool I should buy (preferably used) for dealing with mainsprings? I understand there are different types of tools for this purpose. I would appreciate and advice anybody is willing to give me regarding this subject.

Thanks in advance.

Jaymac

[Bob Tascione]

Welcome to the forum Jaymac!
I love the Ollie Baker type mainspring winder that I use in the course videos. My favorite! They are more expensive than most others though so would depend on how much you can or want to spend. I don’t see them for sale used often if at all but I’m guessing they do surface up on eBay at times. Let’s see what other members suggest.
Hope this helps!
Bob

[willofiam]

Hey Jaymac, welcome. I also use the Ollie baker mainspring winder, when I first started I made a winder, it sort of worked, found the idea on the web. I continued to search for one and I knew that the Ollie baker would be the one I would want. In a unlikely place I finally found one for around $70, If you are planning to do many clocks the mainspring winder is an important tool to have for ease of use and safety. Sorry I cannot comment on the other styles of winders. Have fun, William

[david pierce]

Jay,
Go to the BOARD INDEX and take a look at the shop pictures. You can get a good idea of the tools they use from their shop photographs.
david

[jaymac]

My thanks to Bob Tascione, willofiam and david pierce for their welcome and suggestions. It looks like the Ollie Baker is the way to go. You have my appreciation.

Jaymac

[arutha]

Just to add my 2 cents I too have the Ollie Baker style mainspring tool but mine was built by Joe Collins. Their one and only weakness I have found so far is on carriage clock barrels, The arbor goes through the barrel in the opposite way so unless you want to try winding the spring on the pivot end (which would not be a good idea!) you have no option but to do it by hand. Chiming clocks also have the occasional back to front arbor. Just something to be aware of.
Paul.

[Bob Tascione]

Hey Paul,
Yes your British Anvil clocks have their chime barrel set up this way. Does your unit not have enough bed length to allow for turning the barrel around and use the retainer sleeve on the tailstock side? Mine has a 10″ bed and I’m able to fit everything in there. I can also slide the hooks off of the bed and turn them around if needed. If you need more room can you shorten the winding arbors by cutting the tips off of a key and then press and pin a 7/16 hex on the end? I may be visualizing incorrectly what you’re saying though and thinking backwards here.
Happy New Year Paul!
Bob

[arutha]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6uOsZ_ZIvLc Think i should have bought an Ollie Baker, ignore my previous post!
Thanks Bob but my winder is quite different it seems.

[Bob Tascione]

Well that explains it!
Yep that’s a bit different. Pretty cool though!
Seems like that unit could be modified a little to make it work for those barrels too. Not sure how but…
Thanks for the video Paul,
and again a Happy New Year over there!
Bob

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