Slightly Destroyed

[chris mabbott]

Well, so much for my first venture into the clock world. I thought this was going to be a wind and enjoy, followed by a spa day lol
Instead it seems that I have a complete rebuild to do, nothing like being thrown in the deep end!
The good news is that the glass is intact and it seems that the case simply fell apart in transit as there are no damages to the box it came in, so in effect, zero broken wood, just apart.

Although I’m no newbie to wood work, Jesus the carpenter I ain’t LOL so any tips from my more seasoned manipulators of natures Co2 filters would as always…. , be taken under serious consideration 😆

[arutha]

Nothing to worry about there Chris, just put the bits back together to check when it is glued you won’t have any unsightly gaps. I am not so good on American clocks but I know a lot of the old English clocks were held together with animal glue, bit smelly but a great glue. If you are not that fussy and just want it back together then PVA glue is fine. Sash clamps will come in quite handy. Dont touch the original finish of the wood, there are plenty of finish restorers out there that do a great job. I have a great recipe for one, I will dig it out.
The minute hand looks like it was much too long and has been bent to fit the dial. Do a bit of research on google images and see what the original hands should have looked like. If you can’t find a pair in the supply houses then someone here might have a spair pair.
You can buy paper dials to go over the original if you want to go that way but I would leave it original. There is nothing worse I feel than a brand new looking antique.
Once you get to the movement start taking pics and don’t forget you must let down any power from the mainspring(just like in a watch) before you start taking it apart.
Hope that helps,
Paul.

[chris mabbott]

Thanks Paul, ill definitely take you up on your cocktail recipe:-)

The hands are original, but the minute hand smashed against the side when the weight of the movement pulled apart the center dial, that’s how it got bent. I can straighten that out ok. The dial, I agree, part of the charm is that aged paper, luvly lol
From what I saw of the movement it’s black so I’m looking forward to cleaning it, unfortunately I won’t be able to do anything until my mill is back together, I hope sometime next week when the welders show up!!

[david pierce]

Chris, Paul,
Animal glues are great for applications where you may want to take the joint apart at a later time. All you have to do is heat the joint and the glue will soften. The down side is, certain types of bacteria will attack the glue and eventualy cause the joint to separate. Modern glues like TITEBOND hold up better over time and are much stronger. I would avoid any kind of foaming glue such as GORILLA GLUE because I have found that it does not give a strong joint. My favorite wood glue, and the strongest wood glue I ever found, is a construction glue called PL PREMIUM. I have glued many cabinet doors and drawers together with that stuff and never had a joint fail or come loose.
david

[tmac1956]

Chris:

Hide glue (animal glue) is eaten by bacteria over time, so joints often just come apart. I’ve seen this alot in old guitars.

David pretty much summed up a good glue. I used to be a arm chair luthier, but I do know several guys who are into it heavy. Hide glue is creepy – those poor horses.

Later,
Tom

[bobpat]

I use TITEBOND all the time in my shop. The waterproof type dries brown.. Has a good set time in case you need time to adjust

[chris mabbott]

Thanks for the recommendations guys, I’ll try to find some TiteBond on eBay, my only ray of sunlight in a normally bleak shopping environment

[arutha]

the recipe;
30% Methylated Spirit
30% Pure Turpentine (Not the synthetic stuff)
30% Boiled Linseed Oil
10% White Vinegar (its clear but they call it white?)
This mixture is especially good for re doing varnish when it has that crackle finish from age/heat damage, apply it with something mildly abrasive like the green scotchbrite. You then polish it off and then polish with your favourite wax polish This stuff works wonders!
Paul.

[chris mabbott]

Fantastic Paul, thanks buddy, ill give that a shot on the inside of the case where there is crackling!

You wouldn’t happen to have a permanent, non-destructive hair removing formula as well would you

[bobpat]

Chris, Not sure about the hair remover. I would suggest you continue to use the one you’ve been using, It appears to be working great.

[bernie weishapl]

Chris I had a project somewhat like that. Just take your time and go piece by piece. I use Titebond II when I repair cases. It is a good strong glue and holds well. Look forward to seeing what you do with it.

[david pierce]

Chris,
Two more thoughts on the glue. Titebond glue is activated by moisture and I lightly dampen the joints with water before applying glue to the joint. Also, make sure that all of the old stuff is removed from the contact surfaces before applying fresh glue.
As far as an efficient and low cost hair remover, I heard that gasoline and a match will get the job done although I have never tried it myself.
david

[chris mabbott]

Yes, yes, very funny boyz, go ahead and pick on the poor bald guy 😆

David, if you could test that for me and let me know how it works out, I’ll give it a shot, but I’m talking about those other annoying hairs, ya know, the ones that suddenly shoot out of ones ears 😆 The head hair I can control and is under marshal law

I’ll update this as soon as I have my space free from mill parts and cleaning stuff, it pains me to have to wait for other people before I can complete something, so I hope the welders call me this week, I mean, this aint rocket science, only four wheels and a frame = 3 hrs..

[chris mabbott]

HAPPY HAPPY JOY JOY woohoo Titebond is available in the UK eBay store, so I’m in bitnis

[brianw]

I’ve only ever used a PVA based glue for wood but am always interested in trying new things.
I checked out titebond on ebay and there are a number of different types which has left me somewhat confused.
There is Titebond original, Titebond 11 original, titebond 111 ultimate, titebond 111 ultimate waterproof and titebond liquid hide glue.
Any suggestions on which is best or what is most appropriate for what?

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