winding an alarm clock mainspring

[chaplin37]

Good morning everyone,

I have a big ben alarm clock that needs to be cleaned and my question is when i remove the mainspring to clean and oil how will i wind the mainspring? Do i do it by hand and then slide the clamp onto it? I’ve searched for a mainspring winder for alarm clocks but have not had any success.

Thanks everyone

[arutha]

I use zip ties or cable ties, put it around the spring and tighten it bit by bit as you wind the spring by hand. Sometimes you can put the arbor in the spring and hook it over the pillar but with most of the mainspring outside of the movement, as you wind it up it will move into its proper position. The only thing you have to watch are the steel pegs put into the plates that stop the mainspring opening out into the gear train, if one of the coils is around one of these pegs it wont work for obvious reasons. Other than that you would be looking at buying a mainspring winder.
Paul.

[bernie weishapl]

Paul gave you pretty much the advice I would have given. When I first started and before a mainspring winder I would put the spring on the arbor put in the clock and assemble. Make sure the majority of the spring is outside the clock. Once assembled it can be wound as normal. It can be a pain but with no winder not much choice as Paul said.

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