Fred's Clock

I had met Fred’s clock before. It is a mass produced clock by Junghans. There had been some previous repairs and some of the pivot bearings had been punched (but not by me!). Last time I think I repaired the main going-train spring, gave it a clean, some oil and I believe I made a new hour hand, that had been lost or broken.

But this time it was a bit more serious. The going train was fine but the strike train was seriously broken. Stripping it down showed the extent of the damage. The second wheel arbor on the strike train was very bent and the pinion teeth had been stripped. Some of the teeth on the spring barrel had had been rounded off a bit but were still serviceable (but see later!). I assumed that a broken spring had caused the damage but when I removed the spring it was still fine. So how the damage came about is a bit of a mystery.

I turned a new abor and repaired the pinion (a lantern pinion). I started reassembling the clock when I found that the teeth on the winding ratchet had been stripped and click work seriously worn. I did not have a spare winding ratchet that I could utilise so this meant cutting a new one that I was not, at the time, “geared up” to do. At last, in September 2009, I re-cut the teeth on the old winding ratchet making it a little smaller but it was easier than using a new blank; and I filed back the click. And it was running for some weeks until the beginning of December (2012) when, again, it stopped. Replacing the spring barrel seemed to cure the problem and I returned the clock to Fred.

However it is not in good shape and not really worth the time and trouble to repair again.

Bit of a bend in the arbour!

- and in the lantern pinion.

A new arbour.

A new lease of life for
the winding ratchet..