Repair the Suspension Spring on a 400 day Anniversary Clock

The first step would be to purchase a good repair manual.  I might suggest the Horoloval 400 day Repair manual. This a very helpful book it has views of the back plates of many different manufactures plus some great repair information. Last time I checked you could find the book on Amazon.com for about $42.00 to $170.00 depending on it being new or used.

Next would be to get a good set of repair tools.  A good place to start looking for right tool and price range is at www.abbeyclock.com this page is for hobbyists and for clockmakers entering the profession. You need tools and the catalogs are filled with more tools than you need or can afford. They begin with inexpensive but necessary tools that you need to start with, and then continue with more expensive and necessary tools you will need to do the job correctly. They are suggesting catalog #23 from Timesavers primarily, because they provide excellent service. . You will need a micrometer to measure the thickness of different springs, a precision screwdriver set and needle nose pliers for replacing springs. Also get a clock hand remover for extracting hands and gears without damage.

The suspension spring is a thin piece of steel in the back that runs the length of the clock. If the spring is bent or missing, the clock will not run. This is the reason most anniversary clocks do not operate properly. There are four pieces to the suspension spring. The first is the spring itself, second, the spring has a brass block on top from which the entire spring hooks and suspends. Third is a brass block on the bottom of the spring to which the balls attach. The fourth piece is a fork attachment in the upper-middle section of the spring that knocks the verge wire back and forth to keep the clock running. Remove the spring and take the blocks and fork off with a screwdriver keep in mind how they are installed so it will be easier to put the new parts back into the clock.

Check the spring’s thickness with your micrometer and order a replacement. If the spring is missing, locate your clock in the repair guide and order the spring listed with it. A good place to get parts is www.norkro.com . If the spring is too thick or thin then the balls will not rotate properly and the clock will not keep proper time. Trim the length of the new spring to match the old one.

Attach the blocks to the new spring it is very important not to kink the new spring. Leave the set screws loose and insert the new spring into the block, be sure not to push the spring too far into the block. Now hold the block steady with needle-nose pliers and tighten the set screws.

Reattach the fork by screwing it to the new spring just as it was screwed to the old one. Hold the spring inside the clock to gauge the position of where the fork should go: from the ideal position, it should be able to knock the verge wire back and forth and should be positioned so it’s sticking straight out of the spring at a 90 degree angle. If placed too high, the clock will run fast.

Install the spring inside the clock and follow your anniversary clock’s operator guide to take a test run. If the test run is not successful, put the clock back in beat by carefully and cautiously adjusting the screw at the very top of the clock that controls the pendulum.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, January 5th, 2010 at 7:18 pm and is filed under Clocks Shop Announcements. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.