The Ford Barn

John Duden · 02-04-2013, 10:02 AM

How hard is it to rebuild a Westclox dash mounted clock? i have on that does not tick but it winds. maybe a spring broke?

Steve Plucker · 02-04-2013, 10:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by John Duden

How hard is it to rebuild a Westclox dash mounted clock? i have on that does not tick but it winds. maybe a spring broke?

Sounds like a great restoration article for MARC or MAFCA if in fact it can be rebuilt!

Pluck

MikeK · 02-04-2013, 10:31 AM

I guess that depends on how many wind-up clocks you took apart as a kid and successfully reassembled.

Clocks, as opposed to watches, are somewhat open and collect internal dirt and grime. Unless the escapement spring or main spring has snapped, all they usually need is cleaning and lube. You do not have to fully disassemble to do this.

Plenty of how-to links and vids on the net.

luckyal · 02-04-2013, 11:03 AM

Even though not electrical I have had very good luck by spraying with electrical cleaner. I aslo sprayed one with brake parts cleaner and both are still working more than 3 years later. I only did very basic, minor disassembly so I could direct the spray inside !!.

Tom Wesenberg · 02-04-2013, 12:11 PM

You'd have to find a good watchmaker that can fix pocket watches, and when you find him let me know.

Somewhere I have a pocket watch that needs to be cleaned and lubed, and I'm sure your Westclox would be about the same. Years ago I read that whale oil was used to lubricate clocks and watches. I don't know what they would use today, and I don't feel confident to work on anything as small as a pocket watch.

John Butts in CT · 02-04-2013, 02:55 PM

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The guts of a Westclox dash mounted clock are, I believe, the same as a Westclox "Baby Ben." If you're fortunate enough to have a competent local jeweler, let him or her have a go.

Craig Lewis · 02-05-2013, 12:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by John Butts in CT

The guts of a Westclox dash mounted clock are, I believe, the same as a Westclox "Baby Ben." If you're fortunate enough to have a competent local jeweler, let him or her have a go.

This is correct & Baby Ben's can be found on ebay.
A BIG caution to be carefull cleaning the workings with any kind of aerosol spray without some carefull testing first or unless the face is removed . I sprayed carb cleaner and it crept right around the face in about 4 seconds. I watched in horror as the numerals melted ...we're talking a total face wash.
(That's how I discovered the Baby Ben's on ebay)

Bob Johnson · 02-05-2013, 12:56 AM

I have worked on several New Haven Auto clocks. They are similar to the Wesclock clocks. When I first tried to get them to work I took them apart, cleaned all the gears and pivots, then oiled all the pivot points. When I put the first one back together it still would not run for more than a few seconds. The problem was the oil. Now I just clean them and DO NOT use any oil. IMHO the oil does not work because the parts are very tiny and the oil actually prevents the gears from moving.

Bob

John Duden · 02-06-2013, 10:19 PM

I took it apart tonight, (took out the four screws around the rim and took Gun scrubber and sparayed it out, never touched any thing and it started to tick on it's own, i cleaned the faceplate and glass and reassembled it and now it is still working an hour later
John

Rowdy · 02-06-2013, 11:59 PM

A good friend of mine does watch repairs for several of the local jewelry stores. I had him work on my Model A era clock and other than the fact he lacked the tool to replace the gear for changing the time he did a real nice job. Rod

Art Bjornestad · 02-07-2013, 12:01 AM

A lot of car clocks are well worn but were kept running be the car's vibration, when they finally grind to a halt a major overhaul may be needed.

Many car clocks were the same size as cheap era pocket watches so swaps can be made. The tricky part is getting the hands off of the old movement. Sometimes a little candle wax after a warm up with a soldering iron will do the trick.

John Duden · 03-20-2013, 10:15 PM

Alright fellas, I Got her totally Fixed!!!
i sprayed it out with Gun Scrubber, and disassembled it so i could clean every thing really good. next i took the main spring and pulled it apark and cleaned it with a qtip and then oiled it with gun oil and duluted it with a little gun scrubber, NOW IT WON"T STOP!!
I am thinking of doing an article for the Marc news, but i don't want to look like an idoit, incase it don't work for other people
John

Tom Wesenberg · 03-20-2013, 10:34 PM

John's clock shop!
I've got a few pocket watches that need to be cleaned and oiled.

Are you up to small gears, or are you going bigger with tranny gears?

02-04-2013, 10:02 AM	#1
John Duden Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2010 Posts: 1,854	Westclox dash clock How hard is it to rebuild a Westclox dash mounted clock? i have on that does not tick but it winds. maybe a spring broke?

02-04-2013, 10:31 AM	#3
MikeK Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Windy City Posts: 2,919	Re: Westclox dash clock I guess that depends on how many wind-up clocks you took apart as a kid and successfully reassembled. Clocks, as opposed to watches, are somewhat open and collect internal dirt and grime. Unless the escapement spring or main spring has snapped, all they usually need is cleaning and lube. You do not have to fully disassemble to do this. Plenty of how-to links and vids on the net.

02-04-2013, 11:03 AM	#4
luckyal Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2013 Location: wherever I am today, whatzit matter Posts: 431	Re: Westclox dash clock Even though not electrical I have had very good luck by spraying with electrical cleaner. I aslo sprayed one with brake parts cleaner and both are still working more than 3 years later. I only did very basic, minor disassembly so I could direct the spray inside !!.

02-04-2013, 12:11 PM	#5
Tom Wesenberg Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Mpls, MN Posts: 27,582	Re: Westclox dash clock You'd have to find a good watchmaker that can fix pocket watches, and when you find him let me know. Somewhere I have a pocket watch that needs to be cleaned and lubed, and I'm sure your Westclox would be about the same. Years ago I read that whale oil was used to lubricate clocks and watches. I don't know what they would use today, and I don't feel confident to work on anything as small as a pocket watch.

02-04-2013, 02:55 PM	#6
John Butts in CT Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Southeastern Connecticut Posts: 464	Re: Westclox dash clock Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements) The guts of a Westclox dash mounted clock are, I believe, the same as a Westclox "Baby Ben." If you're fortunate enough to have a competent local jeweler, let him or her have a go.

02-05-2013, 12:56 AM	#8
Bob Johnson Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: California Posts: 981	Re: Westclox dash clock I have worked on several New Haven Auto clocks. They are similar to the Wesclock clocks. When I first tried to get them to work I took them apart, cleaned all the gears and pivots, then oiled all the pivot points. When I put the first one back together it still would not run for more than a few seconds. The problem was the oil. Now I just clean them and DO NOT use any oil. IMHO the oil does not work because the parts are very tiny and the oil actually prevents the gears from moving. Bob

02-06-2013, 10:19 PM	#9
John Duden Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2010 Posts: 1,854	Re: Westclox dash clock I took it apart tonight, (took out the four screws around the rim and took Gun scrubber and sparayed it out, never touched any thing and it started to tick on it's own, i cleaned the faceplate and glass and reassembled it and now it is still working an hour later John

02-06-2013, 11:59 PM	#10
Rowdy BANNED Join Date: May 2010 Location: Gothenburg Nebraska Just off I-80 Posts: 4,893	Re: Westclox dash clock A good friend of mine does watch repairs for several of the local jewelry stores. I had him work on my Model A era clock and other than the fact he lacked the tool to replace the gear for changing the time he did a real nice job. Rod __________________ Do the RIGHT thing - Support the H.A.M.B. Alliance!!!!

02-07-2013, 12:01 AM	#11
Art Bjornestad Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Westlake Village, CA Posts: 477	Re: Westclox dash clock A lot of car clocks are well worn but were kept running be the car's vibration, when they finally grind to a halt a major overhaul may be needed. Many car clocks were the same size as cheap era pocket watches so swaps can be made. The tricky part is getting the hands off of the old movement. Sometimes a little candle wax after a warm up with a soldering iron will do the trick.

03-20-2013, 10:15 PM	#12
John Duden Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2010 Posts: 1,854	Re: Westclox dash clock Alright fellas, I Got her totally Fixed!!! i sprayed it out with Gun Scrubber, and disassembled it so i could clean every thing really good. next i took the main spring and pulled it apark and cleaned it with a qtip and then oiled it with gun oil and duluted it with a little gun scrubber, NOW IT WON"T STOP!! I am thinking of doing an article for the Marc news, but i don't want to look like an idoit, incase it don't work for other people John

03-20-2013, 10:34 PM	#13
Tom Wesenberg Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Mpls, MN Posts: 27,582	Re: Westclox dash clock John's clock shop! I've got a few pocket watches that need to be cleaned and oiled. Are you up to small gears, or are you going bigger with tranny gears?