Mainspring:

[ralberto2001]

Hey everyone does this mainspring look bad?
If I need better pictures let me know?
Thanks, Richard
pic. size edited

[chris mabbott]

Yes this spring is set. The power of a spring is in it’s ability to unwind with a certain amount of force once compressed against itself. Whereas this spring would offer some resistance, it would Not provide the full power that it was designed for.

[willofiam]

Hey Richard, it is always best to error on the side of replacement, as long as you can find the right one. For the cost of most new mainsprings it is well worth it. What are you working on? William

[bernie weishapl]

Richard I agree with the others if it has rust or can’t be cleaned. What does it measure across the spring when laying like it is? Is that spring just dirty or is that rust I see on it? What clock is it out of? Make sure you check the spring for cracks all along the spring, at the hook end and on the inner coil. If it can be cleaned with no rust then I probably would use it. A set mainspring in my years of doing clocks would be one that when unwound like that one would be only 3 to 5 inches across. That one looks to me to be 8 to 10 inches across so would still have a fair amount of power. If you can clean it really well and it will run the clock at least 8 to 9 days I would not replace it if it were me. I just did a old Seth Thomas black mantle clock. The springs both measured about 8 to 9 inches across when totally let down. I cleaned them extremely well with 0000 steel wool, then in the ultrasonic and then lubed it really well with keystone mainsping lube. It ran for 9 days on a winding and keeps decent time.

I have a hook on my bench that I hook the mainspring to. I hook it on and start working my way with the steel wool down the length of the spring. When I get to the inner circle which might be 5 coils I take it off the hook and I work the steel wool with a popsicle stick into these coils and get it as clean as possible. The key is a smooth, clean surface and lubed well.

[ralberto2001]

Hey Everyone!
I should have cleaned the mainspring before sending you the pictures, and I will from now on.
That was the only picture I had at the time and last night sunday 10/12 I just learned how to attach pictures
Bernie told me how, and My brother who I go to when I give up on my computer, sized my avatar picture.
I am working on an ingraham movement that came out of my gingerbread clock. When I got it at an estate sale
It smelled like WD40. Well when I took the movement out of the case I thought it would be dirtier than it was, but
it was still plenty dirty. I gave it a bath in brake cleaner, and then washed it real good, then dried with hairdryer
then I started the ultrasonic cleaning, then rinsed them, then gave acohol bath, then dryed.
I know lot’s of (then’s) sorry.
I will get plenty of more pictures up but I am going to try and reduce them alittle more.
I am so excited because I finally got my tool’s and a place to work and I can start working on my clocks.
This is my first movement so I may have plenty of questions. I am still not happy with the cleanliness of the parts so
I will probably clean again. After the first cleaning in ultrasonic cleaner, I emptied solution out of cleaner and threw it
away. it was dirty. I am using historic timekeepers cleaner from Timesaver’s and I probably left parts in alittle long.
The ultrasonic cleaner has a 30 minute timer on it, but I was aware when cleaning from What Bob said in his video’s, but I kept glancing in
and movement was still dirty.
Anyway! enough book wrighting for now. I will get plenty of more pictures uploaded when I get home from work.
Thanks, Richard.

[ralberto2001]

Howdy Everyone!
I got sometime at work so I am going to send more
Pictures of my i graham movement.
The last picture was the mainspring on the time
Side and now I will have a picture of the mainspring
On the chime side. I tried to reduce the pictures a little
this time. Well here it goes! Thanks Richard.

[ralberto2001]

Sorry Everyone! I told you I was working on an ingraham movement.
It clearly say’s Gilbert! my Bad!
Have a good day! Richard

[ralberto2001]

These are pictures before cleaning! I will get pictures for you after cleaning before
I consider cleaning again. I will have to get back up to my shop, If you can call it that.
My Wife has a Buisness and she is letting me have a very small place to work.
I will also try and get some pictures of that soon! Then I will post them in the new shop part of forum.
Goodday! Richard

[Bob Tascione]

Hi Ralberto,
Looks like you need to go with smaller sizes. I’m trying to keep up with you by editing the sizes but takes me awhile to download, resize and put them back up there for you. . Might try a software program that others have mentioned. File sizes are too large when you put large pics up and also messes up browser window on mobile devices such as iPad.
Thanks,
Bob

[ralberto2001]

Sorry Bob! I will try to make my pictures smaller!
Can I just see what size you made it, and look for a program that will make it that size?
I will try and find a program that will do that!

Thanks for letting me know! Sorry again! Richard

[Bob Tascione]

No problem Ralberto ,
The reason they are different sizes is because I downloaded all of them and did a batch convert in PhotoShop. It constrained your orginal proportions so nothing would come out distorted but in the process came up with different sizes. To give an example of a good size though would be the last photo. That photo is 640 x 480 pixs.
Hope that helps,
Bob

[ralberto2001]

Hey all! This is a test. I am trying to get these pictures
The right size

[chris mabbott]

You’re getting there Richard, the file size is great, but the physical size is a tad too small to see any detail.. Keep on testing and we’ll let you know

[ralberto2001]

Thanks, Chris! I will keep trying.

[ralberto2001]

Trying again!

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