Posted 13 years ago
qmong
(8 items)
...The "schoolhouse clock" is a Waterbury Co. clock.
The rectangle shaped one I've forgotten who the manufacture was...Nothing noted on the face, but I believe some of the paper is still on it's back, and I didn't move it to look.
Both clocks run. The octagon shaped one I purchased from a lady at a steam tractor show in Pa., and she told me she had one back on the farm up in the attic. Long story short: She sold it to me..& I've had it now for almost 50 years...and have been using it here in the office.
The rectangle shaped Regulator one, my father in law found it in an old butcher shop in Pa., and it was coated with thick coats of green paint, and I had to strip it to bring back the wood surface. That one, we've had now for almost 50 years as well.....and it's in the family room....It runs.
I don't have an accurate figure of dates...But believe they {both}, go back to at least the early 20th century. I have another one {Regulator}, roughly the size of these....and I was told by a long deceased relative...{he gave it to me}...that it came from a railroad station in western Pa. It's face area is round as compared to octagan shaped. I have it in storage at this time.
Very nice clocks.
...Thanks for the comment. The 3rd Regulator, that I have, and believe came out of a railroad station {I am a rail fan too}, has been packaged now for several decades. I should get it out and uncovered, and take some photos of it...I don't even remember who the manufacture was....It too, runs.
Very nice restoration on the 2nd one! Thanks for sharing them with us.
....Bruce99...I remember when I brought the "2nd one" to our home, and after I had cleaned the nasty thick green paint off the cabnet...I took it to a known clock professonal to look it over, and he charged me $10.00 just to check it out {and he did polish the brass pendulum and I brought it home, and put it to "work". That was almost 50 years ago.
I love finished wood and hate it when folks paint over it. Ten bucks in '62 wasn't an insignificant fee for just a "look-see". It must have been in pretty good shape mechanically if all he felt he needed to do was polish the brass pendulum weight, smile and say "thank you" as you handed over the money. :) Have you been personally performing the mechanical maintenance on your clock over the last 50 years? Has it needed anything else?
....Bruce99:
That same professonal clock repair / buisiness person {Bill Botkin}, is now retired, but does have a work station {for his profession}, in his home, and 3 or 4 years ago, I took it to him to have the ratchet {for winding}, repaired and he took care of it. I walked in with it and told him he last saw this clock roughly, 45 years ago.....We talked about it, and it brought his memory bact to remember the instance. Repair this time: Believe it was $140 dollars. And in my previous statement, I wasn't complaining re: the $10. Your correct, it was very runable when we first brought it home, and I just wanted it checked out before I started to use it in our home.
Bill must have run a good, professional clock shop or he could never have retired from it. So all you've done is have a click repaired? That's pretty remarkable! Do you periodically lubricate it yourself? This must be a very high-quality clock. At your convenience, please post any manufacturing info when you run across it. Thanks.
Bruce99:
I'm no expert if it's of outstanding quality, but it has served well. That is about all that has been done to it in all of that time. My routine has been to wind it twice a week. Right now, I'm about ready to take it down off the wall and remove it's face and hands, to get to the clock's works. I am going to do some lubricating to all the pivit points and bushings supporting a rotating gear, etc...I don't believe I've ever done that before. So we're going to give it a try.
Bill has a nice home now in a wooded area, and it can't be seen from the county road, but long story short....I found out where he was, and not too far from me, and so we provided it for him to do his magic. He had a business right in the center of the city for years. He was pretty young when we first took it to him....{So was I}, but time marches on. We too are retired now for 18 years...! When I get it down I will try to determine it's manufacture of so many years ago.
Item: Remembering back, when I had to strip the paint from it, I damaged the paper on the back of it, but believe some of the info is still there. I do like to hear it's tick - tock in the family room. It's amazing how one gets used to hearing them, and it's no bother as it seems to be there only when one cares to hear it.
Hey, if you haven't already done so, check with Bill on what type of clock oil to use. The relatively new synthetics are supposed to last longer than the older petro/organics. They are a very nice presence in the house, and like you said, if you have one or two in the room you normally only notice them when you're listening.
.....Thanks, we'll try to get to the precess in the near future. I am thinking I better deal with both of them that are up and been active.
It's amazing....I've had the 3rd one packaged up and not in service for such a long time I should take a look at it one of these days.