Checking Escape Wheel Teeth

[arutha]

I have a dubious escape wheel in a striking clock, the pallets would hang every so often before continuing. After checking for tight pivots etc it came down to the escape wheel causing the problem. I inspected the teeth and they all looked ok but you wont tell if you have a long or short tooth/ teeth just by looking. To check I mounted the escape wheel in my watchmakers lathe and then using a black marker I coated all the teeth tips. With an arkansas stone resting against the graver rest I switch on the lathe and just touch the teeth with the stone. On the next inspection you will be able to see if you have any long or short teeth as the stone removed or left the black ink. In my case I had one short tooth. Short enough to affect the escapement action. A few more runs on the stone and now the teeth are all the same length and the clock is running beautifully.

[arutha]

I should mention that I I drew the tooth out gently with some smooth jawed pliers, this very gently stretches the tooth out, before marking all the teeth and lightly stoning them again. You should be aiming to touch the tooth tips up, dont remove lots of material or you will give yourself an even bigger problem.

[willofiam]

Excellent tip Paul, I like the idea of using a marker on the tooth tips, I would just look for whether the brass was touched or not with the stone by looking for brightness on the tips, but the marker will give a easier way to see that…In my opinion (understand that I am by no means a authoritative on the subject), that the understanding of how a escapement works is key to solving many issues in clocks and watches, lock, drop, impulse, angles, ect…miss adjusted, or worn can cause a timepiece to run slow, fast, irregular or not run at all. A often overlooked and or misunderstanding of the escapement function can cause frustration and unnecessary or unconventional adjustments. Thanks Paul , William

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