Lubrication for a time clock? On the Spot.
 

The Timespot is progressing, today the clock is in the spotlight.

It runs but is not "silent" so I have removed it and opened the case.

Knowing that clocks should not be over lubricated I am surprised to find that the first 2 gear trains from the motor pinion and the contrarotator catcher are covered in thick dark brown grease.
I have removed as much as possible and lightly washed the gears with IPA.

I would like advice please as to how to proceed from someone who is used to servicing electric clocks.

Sam.

Re: lubrication for a time clock? On the Spot.
 

I've normally found it best to treat a synchronous clock as what it really is - a motor/gearbox assembly rather than a traditional clock. A drop of 3in1 oil on the rotor bearings will usually magically silence it for the next few years.

Martin.

Re: lubrication for a time clock? On the Spot.
 

Hi Sam,

It's not too critical.

Take everything apart and degrease throroughly including the "pivot holes" where the arbors' pivots (i.e. the ends of the axles) go through the plates - cocktail sticks are good here.

Make sure the rotor doesn't get dropped or contact anything ferromagnetic, and keep it away from swarf etc.

Put a tiny drop of light oil (turret clock oil is good because it doesn't creep and is roughly the right viscocity) on all the pivots, but don't lubricate the teeth of the gear train except the little pinion on the rotor, and the teeth of the fibre wheel with which it meshes - a smear of light grease is needed here.

Good luck,

Nick.

Re: lubrication for a time clock? On the Spot.
 

Mike Phelan's article here tells you all you need to know: https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=...doxH6O7_xQYIur

Re: Lubrication for a time clock? On the Spot.
 

Thanks one and all.

Just finished putting it back together and its working fine.
I got all the thick grease off the gears, left a trace on the motor pinion teeth, added a very small amount of some fine sewing machine oil I had to hand.

The gears are large compared with modern clocks. The motor is huge and open, you can see the rotor inside.
It is making almost no sound now, think I've won.

Progress.

Sam.

Re: Lubrication for a time clock? On the Spot.
 

Yes, good to go for another 70-odd years now.