Seth Thomas Under Glass | ||
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Posted 13 years ago
glkd
(2 items)
Can anyone identify this Seth Thomas clock? There are no markings on the face. On the back is marked Seth Thomas Sons & Co on one line and Thomaston, CT below it. It is numbered P4410. It is wound with a key and has a single chime.
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Seth Thomas' Sons & Company numbered most all of their clocks and statuettes. Looks like a "No. 5001" (11" in height). If so, it's from circa 1872. Search on that Seth Thomas model number and you'll get some hits. They've recently sold at auction for somewhere around $225 give or take $50.
Nice clock. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks, Bruce99. I forgot to include the overall height - it is 11". It has been in our family for many years but by now anyone who would know it's origin is long gone. I believe it belonged to my Great Grandmother who moved from Mass. to Colo in the late 1800's, before Colo. was a state. It will be nice to pin down the year so I will check using the "No. 5001" info. The glass has been repaired, so I would like to find a new glass.
Bruce99, you are correct. I looked up the No. 5001 and that is the clock. Thanks again. Fortunately the crack in the glass doesn't show too much. Otherwise the clock is in excellent condition. I now need to get it running as it will only keep going for about a minute.
You're welcome glkd! If the glass isn't too bad, I would stay with the original. Finding replacement glass for your clock is probably going to be difficult and expensive since your dome is oblong. You could check with the folks at Timesavers in Scottsdale Arizona. I didn't see anything that might work on their website but you could call or e-mail with your glass dimensions and ask. They have a toll free number 800-552-1520, or since that is their order line, it might be better to contact them via e-mail at info@timesavers.com. If you need the glass and they can't help you let me know and I'll give you some other leads. There are a couple of clock glass specialist down in Florida. One of them might be able to help. Again, I think your best bet is to stay with the original glass.
As far as you clock only running for about a minute, these mechanical clocks have a lot of moving parts so they do need periodic oiling and maintenance. Try the following to see if you can get it to run:
Gently nudge the pendulum bob to start up your clock. The sound of the clock should be a very evenly spaced “tick….tick….tick….tick” or “tick….tock….tick….tock” sound. When the sounds are evenly spaced a pendulum clock is said to be “In Beat”. This is very important to the proper operation of your clock. Most movements will tolerate a certain degree of “Beat Error” but if your clock gets too far out of beat, it will eventually stop, usually within a few minutes. Even if it does run, it won’t keep time as accurately or run as long on a single wind as it would if it were running in beat. If your clock runs with a tick-tock…….tick-tock…….tick-tock…… sound you need to make some adjustments to get it running in beat. Double check the clock’s level and listen carefully. If possible, allow your clock to run for a minute or two before attempting to put it in beat. With the glass off and the clock running, carefully listen to the beat as you slowly lift the left side of the clock. If the beat becomes more even, place the “spacers” (coins work well) under the left feet until the beat is as even as you can make it. If the beat becomes more uneven, then you will need to try lifting and using spacers on the right side instead. Once you have it set from left to right, you need to check the working level from front to back. Usually it’s pretty close and you only need to place a spacer to keep it from rocking. If you decide to oil your clock, look up "how to" webpages and be sure to use the right kind of oil. Eventually, it will need maintenance but these "under glass" clocks run in a very clean environment. Enjoy your family heirloom.
Bruce 99 (and anyone else who might be interested), here is a quick update on the clock. I took it over to a respected local clock repair person today. He showed me, with the aid of a microscope, how badly worn most of the bearings were and demonstrated that this was the problem.
He trues all the shaft ends and then adds bushings to all of the oblong shaft bores in the front and rear plates. I guess this sort of wear isn't unusual for a 140 year old clock. After looking at all the work in his well equipped shop and talking with him for a while, I had full confidence in his abilities and left the unit in his care for a complete rebuild. He is busy enough that I won't see it back until the first part of June but it will be worth the wait to have it running again.
I enjoyed your explanation on how to even the "beat" as I had gone through this with my Grandfathers clock without knowing that this was a common problem with clocks with pendulums. I was able to shim between the "works" mounting board and the clock case to get a very even beat. After playing with the pendulum length, the clock now stays on time for the week between windings. I will put up some pictures of it as it is another "mystery" unit and maybe someone will recognize the manufacturer.
Hi. I'm glad that you took your clock in for servicing. The end of June is actually pretty fast. Please keep us updated and please do post your tall case clock when you have the time.
Regards,
Bruce