Connecticut-Birthplace of American Clockmaking

Bristol and Plymouth Connecticut was the center of clockmaking in the 1800's. Eli Terry, Seth Thomas and Silas Hoadley started in Plymouth and expanded to neighboring Bristol. Bristol's attraction was their river and the town was already using water power to run their mills. The clockmakers took advantage of the water power and used it to run their factories.  

Ives and Jerome Brothers, Welch, Hubbell, Brown, Atkins, Boardman, Brewster, Sessions and Ingraham opened shops in Bristol.  Bristol reportedly had about 280 firms that were part of the clock industry.
  
In the beginning clocks were made one at a time by a local clockmaker. This made the early clocks very expensive. Eli Terry ended up producing 4,000 clock movements in 3 years. He used local water power to run machinery and carpenters, Silas Hoadley and Seth Thomas to produce wooden clock parts and Terry came up with interchangeable parts which lead to clocks being mass produced.

Bristol established the Bristol Clock Museum in 1954, now called American Clock and Watch Museum. If you ever get up that way you should stop in to see a part of our history. I have never been there but would love to visit someday.  

Black Forest of Germany

The Black Forest is a region in south-west Germany. It was know to be one the largest clock making areas in the world.  It started as local farmers were looking for some indoor work that could be done during the hard winter months. They took up woodworking and woodcarving. Someone had a wooden clock and from that they came up with the idea to start making clocks.

The early clocks had wooden wheels and  frames, the weight that powered it was a stone on a string. The clocks only ran for 12 hours. Later wood wheels were replaced by brass wheels.  A clock maker needed one week to make one simple clock. They progressed to two people making 10 such clocks in a week. As the years went on the business turned into a large enterprise for the area. They did not start out making cuckoo clocks even though that region is famous for them. They still make cuckoo clocks because the consumer is used to the west German quality and are not interested in cheap imitations.  

If you ever get a chance to visit the Black Forest region of Germany, here is a website that gives the history of their clock making. There you can tour clock museums, clock companies, workshops and studios of clock shield painters. http://www.deutscheuhrenstrasse.de/uhrimschwarzwalden.htm 

This is a place I would love to visit and see where it all started by farmers looking for something to do in the winter.

Daylight Savings Time

Daylight saving has caused controversy since it began and continues today. Many areas of the world do not use daylight saving time. DST's clock shifts have the obvious disadvantage of complexity.  People must remember to change their clocks. This can be time-consuming, particularly for mechanical clocks that cannot be moved backwards safely.

The history of standard time in the United States began November 18, 1883 when United States and Canadian railroads instituted standard time in time zones. Before then, time of day was a local matter, and most cities and towns used some form of  local solar time, maintained by some well-know clock (for example, on a church steeple or in a jeweler's window). The new standard time system was not immediately embraced by all. Use of standard time gradually increased because of its obvious practical advantages for communication and travel. Standard time in time zones was not established in U.S. law until the Act of March 19, 1918, sometimes called the Standard Time Act. The act also established daylight saving time, itself a contentious idea. Daylight saving time was repealed in 1919, but standard time in time zones remained in law. Daylight saving time became a local matter. It was re-established nationally early in WWII, and was continuously observed until the end of the war. After the war its use varied among states and localities.

Here on the east coast we observe DST so Atlantans turn your clocks back Sunday. On your mechanical clocks, stop the pendulum for at least an hour and then start it up again and set the hands to the correct time moving the hands forward only.    

Soldering in Clockmaking

Soldering involves the joining of metal under heat. Solders are commonly divided into two general groups, known as hard and soft solders. The hard solder fuse only at a red heat and the soft solder fuse at lower degrees of heat.

Four general rules for successful soldering are:
1. absolute cleanliness of the parts
2. equal heating of parts being joined
3. a pure flux
4. a solder of the proper alloy

Possible heat sources are propane, natural gas, acetylene, oxy-acetylene, water torch, lamps, and irons.
Solder is made up of alloys of two or more metals and there is a wide variety. Soft solder is made up mostly of lead and tin. Generally the higher the percentage of tin the lower the melting point. For soft soldering, where temperatures of around 500 degrees F will be required, electric soldering irons will usually do the job. The major drawback of  a soldering iron in clock repair is that they must be brought into direct contact with the parts to be joined. This is sometimes difficult without dislocating the parts.

A soldering flux is a liquid, solid or gaseous material, which when heated is capable of promoting or accelerating the wetting of metal with solder.

There are some basic principles of soldering in Clockmaking.
1. Solder is not a cure-all and should never be used as a filler. Careful fitting, leaving as little area as possible to be filled by solder will produce the strongest joint.
2. Clean surfaces
3. Support each part so they will not move before the solder flows and cools.
4. Always apply flux
5. Never apply heat directly to the solder, heat should be directed to the parts to be joined.
6. Use as little solder as possible, all that is necessary to fill the joint.
7. Allow solder to cool before moving.
8. Remove excess solder

Soldering is an art, so practice makes perfect. I do not do a lot of soldering which is good in clock work but it also means I have not perfected the art of soldering.  

  

Carriage Clocks

A carriage clock is a small, spring-driven clock designed for traveling. The case is usually rectangular glass with a carrying handle on the top, installed for easy transportation. A feature of carriage clocks is the platform escapement, sometimes visible through the top of the case.

Traveling clocks were being made as early as the 15th century. But the first authentic carriage clock was made in Paris by Abraham-Louis Breguet in the 1800's. It was fashionable to own a carriage clock in the 1800's. During that period the wealthy were traveling more and wanting to know the time. The clock's revolutionary lever escapement and their sturdy leather traveling case, helped it to stand up to the rigors of traveling by carriage-hence their name-carriage clock. Based on historical legend carriage clocks are also know in France as an "officer's clock". It is said that Napoleon, having almost lost a battle because one of his officers was late, ordered his military chiefs to carry a carriage clock with them at all times.

Carriage clocks faded from popularity around 1930 but are still produced today. You can purchase them in a variety of styles. They range from inexpensive to thousands of dollars.

     

Webster-Whitcomb Lathe

Even though I am a clockmaker and don't repair watches, I have a watchmaker's lathe. I use a Webster-Whitcomb lathe to polish the pivots on clock wheels.

The WW lathes are steeped in American history. The American Watch Tool Company started in New England in the 1800's and made over 5000 lathes which were in high demand. Ambrose Webster designed a lathe know as the "Webster-Whitcomb" and it was a superior tool then and still is today.

I bought mine several years ago for $225.00 but originally they sold back in the 1800's for $60.00-$30.00. This lathe has stood the test of time and is still sought after as a fine piece of machinery.

Here is a picture of my lathe.

Pendulette Clocks

If you ever thought about collecting clocks and thought, "I don’t have the space or could not stand to hear them chiming". Well, I have the perfect solution for you. They are called pendulette clocks made by Lux. In 1914 Paul Lux, with wife Caroline and sons Fred and Herman started their own clock business after Paul was employed by Waterbury Clock Company. 

They are delightful little clocks that do not make any sounds except, tick tock. They are only 5-7 inches in size. They were built from the 1930’s to the 1950’s and sold as children’s novelty clocks. Produced in mass quantities and very inexpensive, selling originally for $2.00 to $3.00. Now some of the rare ones in mint condition can go for $2,000.-$3,000.  But many can be found on EBAY for a reasonable price. Many of the pendulette clock faces are made of a mixture of fine sawdust and resin and poured into a mold.

I own two “Cuckoo Style” which are pretty common but they made many varieties. The clock faces have flowers, horses, birds, shmoo, cats, dogs, cottages, and woody woodpecker.  

You can go to this link and see a full collection of these clocks. http://www.nawcc.org/museum/nwcm/galleries/lux/luxclocks.htm 

I hope you enjoy looking at them as much as I do.

  

J.P. Stevens

Did you know that J.P. Stevens Engraving of Atlanta was started by a watchmaker, inventor and clockmaker?

J.P. Stevens worked as a horologist in Atlanta in the late 1800's.  He had a jewelry house and opened his own watch factory.

In his retirement years, in the 1920's he made a half a dozen longcase clocks. The clocks were made in a workshop in the basement of his home on 10th street in Atlanta. He gave his clocks away to family members and friends. Stevens being an accomplished engraver, created some beautifully engraved dials for his clocks.

His biggest accomplishment and most profitable endeavor was the engraving company. Stevens built, patented, and operated a steel die embossing press, revolutionizing the industry.

J.P. Stevens died in 1929 at age 77 and is buried in West View Cemetery.

 J.P. Stevens in workshop

Wooden Movements

Many clocks made before 1840 have movements made almost entirely of wood. Clock making came to America in the colonial period. By the mid 18th century numerous clockmakers were making small numbers of tall case or later called "grandfather" clocks. Brass and other materials commonly used in clock making were heavily taxed or just not available in the colonies, so these early clocks were generally made entirely of wood and powered by iron weights. The wooden movement plates were made of oak, the wheels of cherry, and the arbors and pinions of laurel. Other woods were used including mahogany, walnut and apple. These woods were plentiful in the forests of the eastern seaboard, the region in which most of the clockmaking occurred in early America. There were parts in these clocks that were made of metal. The pivots of most wheel arbors, the strike wires and release levers, the pendulum suspension wire, the crutch lever, click springs, hand setting tension springs, bells, and gongs were made of soft or semi-hardened steel or cast iron. The verge or pallet was made of hard steel and the escape wheel suspension was made of brass. It is very essential that the escapement involve a brass to steel junction for good wearing qualities and a minimum loss of power.

Repairs on these movements require different types of wood. Plate repairs should be made using oak, replacing the wood with the grain running in the same direction as in the original plate. Bushings should be replaced in the same fashion as for brass bushing replacement. Wheel teeth can be replaced using cherry, dovetailing the wood, using a strong glue or epoxy. The teeth are then carefully cut, using a jewelers coping saw, followed by a fine cut file. The wood is cleaned with a mixture of boiled linseed oil and turpentine.

Here is a picture of an old wooden clock movement.  If you have one you now know its from the early 1800's.

Radium Dial Clocks and Watches

Radium dial painting began in 1917. It was used on watches and clocks for many years until it was banned in the 1960's. The widest use for radium paint could be found in the luminous dial industry. World War I promoted both a new kind of timepiece and the need for luminous instrument faces. Soldiers needed to be able to synchronize movements in the dark. The military used radium paint on instrument dials in tanks, ships, planes, and other machines while those at home found domestic uses for luminous paint, such as glow-in-the-dark numbers for houses or theater seats and luminous lamp pulls.

Over 2000 young women ranging from mid-teens to their 20's were employed as dial painters. The dial painters were taught the tasks of preparing and applying the paint. They were shown how to mix a small quantity of fine yellow powder, which contained the radium. They frequently stirred the material to keep it in suspension and applied the paint to the numerals and the hour and minute hands of watches using the tip of a very fine small brush. Workers were required to place the tip of the brush between their lips to bring the paint brushes to a point. This was called "lip-pointing". It was the best way to accomplish this very precise work. In 1925 radium was discovered to be deadly for the dial painters. Sometime around 1926 & 1927 the technique of pointing the paint brush between the lips ended. Most of the dial painters died of early deaths due to radium poisoning.

If you would like to know more about this topic you can read the books, Radium Girls by Claudia Clark or Deadly Glow by Ross Mullner.

Gustav Becker

I am currently working on a Gustav Becker regulator wall clock from 1885. Its a time and strike clock run by weights with a deadbeat escapement.

Gustav was one of the better German clockmakers. Gustav Becker was born 1819 and trained in Germany and Austria. Gustav started clock making in 1850 in Freiberg. In 1852 he won a gold medal for his designs. This brought a small unknown clockmaker into the spotlight which made his reputation and business take off.  Becker's workshop produced more than 400 varieties of clocks. There is evidence that he developed a 400- day clock as early as 1875. It was not patented because the German patent system was not in existence yet. It was later patented by others so Gustav did not get credit.

Gustav Becker died in 1885 but clocks bore his trademark until 1935 as his company was absorbed by the Junghans Company.

Today Gustav Becker clocks are still in demand and the clocks range from $500 to $5,000.

Emperor Clocks

If you purchased an Emperor grandfather clock back in the 1970's and its not running, I can help. I have seen many due to the popularity with do-it-yourself kits. The movements in the clocks are usually worn out and can not be overhauled. A new movement  has to be installed. Back in the '70's Emperor put in a Jauch movement but those are no longer available. So a new Hermle movement is installed. The Hermle movement does not fit the dial holes exactly so I have to make some changes and adjustments. I can get your Emperor clock  up and running again starting at $290.00 depending on the bells and whistles on the clock. I actually have one for sale, pictured here that I replaced the movement. It comes with a 2 year warranty. The clock has a moon dial and chimes every quarter. I will deliver and set it up for $479.00. You can see more pictures on Craigslist.

         

Quartz Clocks

Quartz clocks are clocks that run on batteries. The movements are usually very inexpensive. The wheels are made of plastic and wear out very easily. I have done many replacements. The advantages are that you can make a clock out of something that is not a clock. You could create a personalized gift for someone. If  you have an electric clock that no longer runs and can not find a new motor then you could have it converted to quartz and be able to enjoy it again. They make some very sophisticated quartz movements, with or without pendulums and with chimes.  You can get ones that play Westminster, Whittington, Bim Bam, and Ave Maria. There is also one movement that plays 6 different melodies, Ave Maria, Over the Rainbow, Try to Remember, Happy Birthday, Rudolph, and Westminster.
So if you have a clock that you  love and you have been told it can not be fixed, call me to see if I can put a quartz movement in it.
   

How Does My Clock Run?

Mechanical clocks have a series of wheels and they are called "trains". A clock that only tells time has one train. A clock that tells time and strikes at the hour, has two trains. And a clock that tells time, strikes at the hour, and chimes every quarter has three trains. For each train you need power.

Clocks that have weights are powered by them. Clocks that are wound with a key and have no weights are powered by strong springs. Weights provide a more even distribution of power than do mainsprings. Mainsprings have a tendency to lose running time due to their age and if they are dirty. The drawback of weights is their lack of portability. Use soft cotton gloves or a cloth to handle the weights. The oils in our hands can tarnish brass weights.

If your clock is running a few minutes too slow or two fast you can adjust the speed by moving the pendulum bob up or down.  If too slow you turn the pendulum adjuster(screw at bottom of pendulum) to the right(clockwise) to raise the bob and the clock will run faster. If the clock is running too fast then you want to lower the bob, turning the adjuster to the left(counter-clockwise). You want to do this in small increments and wait a day before adjusting again.

Some early clock makers were Seth Thomas, Waterbury, Ansonia, New Haven, Gilbert, Welch, Ingraham, and Sessions to name a few. Many people in the Atlanta area have these clocks. So dust off those clocks you have been wanting to get working again and give me a call. You can be enjoying it again in no time.  

Top 5 Tips to Keep Your Clock Running on Time

Thank you for visiting Clockmaker-Laura Shepherd's new blog! We are an Atlanta-based clock repair, and restoration business specializing in grandfather clocks, spring-wound clocks and quartz clocks.

Join us each week, as we bring you tips and tricks to better care for your most precious timepieces. Whether it's an heirloom or a new purchase, we care about the longevity and restoration of your clocks. Here are the top five tips to better care for the clock in your home or office and keep it running on time.

1.Check the level of your clock. Most often, when people make the big move to a new home, their antique or heirloom timepiece needs to be set-up properly. This includes finding a level place where you can proudly display your clock. Because clocks have moving parts, any shift or tipping will cause it not keep time properly.

2. Never turn the clock hands counterclockwise. There is a reason that they call it "counter clockwise." By turning the hands in the opposite direction, you could damage the internal workings.

3. Never use anything on your clock to clean it other than approved products. One mistake clock owners often make is to spray internal parts with a silicon-based product such as WD-40. Instead, use approved products such as clock oil.

4. Know how to properly wind your clock. One of the biggest myths is that you can over wind your clock. Always fully wind your clock until it stops. Broken springs have nothing to do with how tight its wound, but with the age of the spring itself.

5. Cover your clock if renovations are happening in your home. If you plan on having renovations or any kind of construction, be sure to either remove your clock from that area or wrap it so that dust and debris to not get inside the clock workings.