Cleaning solutiion

[disciple_dan]

Hello, it’s me, Danny, the new guy. I just got an Ultrasonic cleaner and I want to try it out with Bob Tasione’s cleaning formula. Does anyone have it written down somewhere so you could post it? I would really appreciate it.
I need help with a Cuckoo clock too. I can’t seem to find the right way to set up the rack and snail. I found info on the Regula 25 but I have an older one with a different cam on the minute arbor and I don’t see how to set it up in relation to the gathering pallet. Where can I find out about that? I just getting started in clock repair and this is my first Cuckoo clock so be gentle, please. Thanks for any help. Danny

[bernie weishapl]

Can’t help ya on the cleaner as I use Zep Citrus Industrial cleaner. It works quite well. I rinse twice in two different containers and then the final rinse is denatured alcohol that I get from the local lumber yard.

As for the rack and snail this is how I set it up. I turn the hour hand till the rack falls off the hour cam. I set the rack on the snail at the 12 position so the rack falls right at the right edge of the 12 position on the snail as you are facing the movement. Once set there I don’t ever have much problem with the right count. Once that is done I turn the minute hand till the rack drops at the 1 position. It should drop towards the center. I go all the way around making sure that the rack drops in the proper position. Clear as mud right. Most rack and snails are setup basically the same way.

[disciple_dan]

Thanks, Bernie but I must admit, it is a bit muddy. I just haven’t gotten it yet. I don’t quite understand how the rack and snail all work together. What’s the best-written explanation you know of? Like a step by step walkthrough of the sequence. I don’t have a working movement to set up and watch. Maybe I should by one and spend some time with it.
I remember when I was learning “Safe Lock Manipulation”, after I had struggled with it for some time, one day it just hit me like a ton of aluminum siding. I had pretty good understanding of the mechanics of it by that time, though. I’m really struggling with these clocks. Do you have any advice about that?
Well, Thanks again. I just got a new book by William J. Bilger on the Schatz cuckoo movement which is what I’m working on. Maybe that will shed a little light on it.
God bless, Take care, Danny

[disciple_dan]

I just tried out my ultrasonic cleaner. What a difference it makes. I never want to be without one again. Can someone tell me? Is it alright to leave the cleaner in the unit between cleaning or should I put it in a gallon bottle until needed again? Also, it has my room smelling of ammonia right now. I hope that will settle. Thanks in advance. Danny

[arutha]

Hi Danny,
If you cant seal the cleaner I would get the liquid back in a bottle otherwise all the ammonia will evapourate
Paul.

[bernie weishapl]

Danny I will look when I get a moment. Right now I am still trying to clean up and get repairs done after a storm from hell. We had a hail storm hit town here and it hailed hen egg to baseball size hail for 15 minutes along with 70 to 80 mph winds. My house is a mess with siding, roof and windows gone. We had two tree branches come down about 30 ft long and 8 inches in diameter. One of my ham radio antennas was destroyed along with a AC unit. We had a farmer out here lose 12 circles of corn. Most of the farmers around here lost there fall crops. Anyway I will try and get back with you as soon as I can. Have appointments all week with insurance adjusters and contractora. Maybe William will jump in or Paul could explain the rack and snail. Later.

[willofiam]

Hey guys, Bernie, all of you down there are in our thoughts and prayers. I know this isnt the first time you have gone thru this, if you need anything just call.

As for the rack and snail, I think Bob has video animation of the rack and snail in his clock repair course. Also I have Steven Conovers book “striking clock repair guide” , has really good information in there on several different types of set-ups. William

[bernie weishapl]

Thanks William. It was a mess. Our son, his girlfriend and grandson came up to get the yard cleaned up. It would have taken my wife and I a week or more to do it but with those guys working hard we took 4 big trailer loads to the dump then grandson mowed the lawn and it at least looks decent. Waiting on the insurance adjuster to come look now. One side of the house the siding is all but gone, both windows are destroyed, roof is totaled, gutters and downspouts look like someone took a ball peen hammer to them, my shop roof is pretty dented up, shop AC is toast, and my ham antenna beam is toast (6 months old). The town is pretty beat up and farmers down here lost anywhere from 25% to 100% of their crops. Just sucks. On the other hand that can all be replaced and we are ok which is most important.

Then to top that off I woke up about 1 am yesterday morning and finally went to the Doctor at 7 am to find out I have a stone in my kidney. So won’t be in the shop much with the pain med’s and having to drink a gallon of water a day to try and pass this thing. I guess what my grandmother said was true, “when it rains it pours.” All you can do is laugh.

Take care William.

[disciple_dan]

Hello Bernie, hey, after hearing that, I don’t have any problems. Man, what a storm. I as born in Fl. and we have had some pretty violent storms but I have never seen hail like that. What about your vehicles? They usually take a beating in a hail storm.
Well, don’t worry about me Bernie,just take care of your family and yourself. I’ll be praying for you.

William, thanks for the info on the Rack and Snail. I have looked at the animations on Bob’s site but it had still eluded me until Monday night. After I had tried my new ultrasonic cleaner I was so thrilled I decided to put the clock back together. I was using William J. Bilger’s book on the Shatz clock which is the clock I am working on and it finally clicked and I was able to get the clock set up right. I put it on the stand to test it and it worked fine. As Mr. Bilger had suggested, I hadn’t put the hammer or cuckoo levers in yet so I did that next. Thinking I had the clock back together and running properly, I put it back in the case. Well, it seemed to keep time but it wouldn’t cuckoo. I’m thinking there’s a problem with 1 or more of the levers. I’m going to take them out 1 at a time to see what I can find out. Got any suggestions?
Well, thanks again for the info. God bless and take care, Danny

[willofiam]

Danny, keep doin what your doin …what I mean is item by item check, test and study what is happening. I always test run for awhile before putting into the case, manually moving the hands and watching for anything that may need adjusting….never fails that something is wrong if you put it in the case too soon 🙄 … for the first few movements you work on invest the time to really understand why and how it functions…it will pay off in the end. If you get stuck at a certain point try to explain to us exactly what is happening and we can help better…OH and by the way if your thinking of bending or tweaking something….think it thru several times over before doing so…it is easy to chase your tail making adjustments….Have a great day, William

[disciple_dan]

William, that is great advice. As I am just starting out in the clock repair business, you know I have to do things in the beginning that only experience can teach. With this network of people and their experiences that can be found here on this forum, it makes your experience available to even the least of the inexperienced.(Like me!) I thank God for you all and your willingness to spend your time helping others. Loving your neighbor, that is what we are all supposed to be doing. All of you here on TASCIONE WATCH & CLOCK REPAIR DISCUSSION are doing just that. May God bless you richly.

Well, as for the Schatz, I took it out of the case and put it back on the stand. It appears it was a problem with one of the below levers. I’m not sure which one because when I took the retainer off them, they just kind of just tumbled out. I put them all back in and it’s working fine. So, it was the below levers or it could be a warped bird cage.(Clock Case) I can’t be sure until I put it back in.

My new problem is, it won’t stay running. I’m sure it’s in beat enough to run. It sounds good. I’m thinking I haven’t done a good enough repair on it. I cleaned it and bushed 4 bearing holes. I am using one of those clamp on cast steel bushing tools and the KWM reamers.
At the time I did these plates, I didn’t have one of the centering tools they make for that system. I think I was pretty close finding the center with the cross hairs and the reamer. I can’t afford a bushing machine and I didn’t understand the elongated hole method. I still don’t see how that could work. I guess I practice it on an old clock plate that is disposable. While in the future I want to get them dead on, what is an acceptable tolerance?

I found one of the centering heads for the KWM system at MileHigh Clock Supply but it won’t work with my clamp on bushing tool. It doesn’t fit through the hole in the tool so if you get it clamped onto the plate you are unable to get it out of the tool. I’m going to turn it down to the right size as soon as I learn how to use my Grizzly 8688 lathe. I’ve got to get busy!
The verge is visibly worn also. I didn’t know what if anything I can do with that. I don’t believe parts are readily available for these clocks. Can I fix that verge?
Well, before I disassemble the clock again and find info on recentering the bearings, are there any other possible causes I can investigate?
Ok, I don’t want to wear out your kindness with just one post so I’ll say thank you again for all your generous help and God bless, take care, Danny

[bernie weishapl]

Thanks Danny. Danny I am retired electronic engineer so we downsized and have one vehicle. A 2014 Chevy Silverado. It had over $8000 in damage and ya just have to laugh my appointment to get it fixed is May 1st 2017. 😆 😆 They said they will have to replace my shop roof (24 X 40) which is 24 ga steel. It got pounded pretty bad and some places I am surprised it didn’t go thru. It came close but didn’t. Anyway the siding is ordered, windows ordered, and waiting on the roofing contractor for both the house and shop. Be interesting to see how long it will be before they can start.

[disciple_dan]

Hello, Bernie, I hope you can get back to normal soon. I was in the construction business most of my adult life and I know how hard it can be to get it all lined up and put back together. You seem like the kind of guy who knows how to get things done. What about the truck? Are you supposed to drive around in a beat-up truck until they get time to fix it? What about a loaner? Good luck with it.

While I got you on the line, Can I ask you a question? I have a cuckoo clock that I got all back together on a stand. It seems to be working fine as far as the cuckoo part goes but it won’t stay running but a couple minutes. I got it in beat but it seems to have a tickety tock sound. I think I might be hearing the pendulum rod banging on the crutch, though. Sometimes I can be watching it and the verge will get hung on the top of a tooth and just stop. Other times, it just stops.
It must have too much friction somewhere. Maybe I didn’t get my bushings centered. Have you got any ideas for me to look into? I would really appreciate it.
Ok, hope you get things worked out, God bless, take care, Danny

[willofiam]

Hey Danny, thought I would jump in here just in case Bernie is out pounding nails… @disciple_dan wrote:

Maybe I didn’t get my bushings centered.

Yes…that is what it sounds like. A photo of the movement will help, @disciple_dan wrote:

I can be watching it and the verge will get hung on the top of a tooth and just stop

though I am guessing…you may be able to make a adjustment for that. You have to have what is called “drop”…meaning clearance for unhindered motion of the escape wheel and anchor. Difficult to measure in degrees though it is obvious there is not enough drop when it hangs up. William

[disciple_dan]

Hey, Thanks for your help, William. I will learn how to post pics and get some up some soon. It’s a Shcatz 50 cuckoo clock.
Do you know where to find the best info on recentering those bearings? I guess I just go to the next larger bush for so doing that too???
So, by “drop” is that measured as the distance between the pallets? Maybe these are too close together? Man, I’ve got a lot to learn. I have seen on Mile High clock supply, he has a Hulsey’s Verge Gauge for checking the angle of the pallets. How do you guy’s do that?
Ok, well, I going to look for info on finding the true center and have a go at that. Thanks again for all you help.
Do I need to start another topic? We seem to be getting far from Cleaning Solution.
God bless you all, take care, Danny

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