Anniversary clock well gummed up, cleaning

[Lloyd 1985]

I did wonder if it was a typo myself at first, as I'd seen both mentioned in this thread! I'll buy myself a tin of Horolene, probably got a few clocks that could benefit from a proper clean in it.

Another thought, clock oils, I use Windles clock oils, but did buy some branded 'Anchor' once, I didn't have a good experience with it, I found it dried out and turned to a sticky gloop a bit like old solder flux! I even struggled to get the lid off the bottle as it had congealed in the threads, has anyone else tried it and had any problems with it? I ended up having to strip down a clock that had been oiled with it and clean it all off and re-oil it with Windles. I've not used it again since.

Regards,
Lloyd

[Mike Phelan]

Horogrene is as Malcolm says. I've used it but decided go to back to Horolene but only on dirty movements.
Please don't use WD40 as apart from leaving a residue it makes brass bright green when using an ammoniated cleaning fluid like Horolene.
White spirit, petrol and IPA are OK but not diesel or cellulose thinners.
Meadows and Passmore correct supply oils - clock oil isn't the same as other lubricants as they are made to stay put, not to 'creep'. A bottle of oil will last for about a few hundred clocks!

[cheerfulcharlie]

You can often get Acetone in the supermarket under the guise of 'nail varnish remover'

another easy available is from Halfords or motor stores is 'brake cleaner' which of course does not affect any rubbery based materials and 'carburettor cleaner' which removes any carbon based materials.

[Malcolm G6ANZ]

I also use clock oil for lubricating radio dial drive pulleys and concentric pot shafts.

[Mad Mal]

I got a small bottle of extremely thin oil, even thinner than sewing machine oil, with a pair of hair clippers once. I've used that on all sorts of delicate equipment. My pet hate is that weird grease used on plastic parts in a lot of Japanese stuff. I clear it out with Lighter Fluid and use bearing grease (Lithium based) for bicycle bearings instead. never seems to dry out or to gunge up. Not that it would be of any use here I would imagine. WD40 is OK for most things providing you remove it afterwards and use a suitable reliable lubricant. As for that effect on Brass...Never seen that happen before? Wonder if the brass had been treated with a reactive cleaner first, or Brasso and the resultant action of the two have caused rapid oxidization.(I have had that issue before). Acetone (Non Oily Nail Varnish remover, is the same stuff that's used to soften Superglue (Cyanoacrylate)

[Mike Phelan]

Originally Posted by Mad Mal

WD40 is OK for most things providing you remove it afterwards

By washing it off completely. So, why use it at all?

and use a suitable reliable lubricant. As for that effect on brass...Never seen that happen before?

Note that I was talking about when you use an ammoniated cleaner like Horolene.

All things considered, there is no reason to use WD40 on a clock!

As for oil on a 400 day (annivarsary) clock, 'normal' clock oil is OK for pivots and pallets but you need something thicker on the mainspring, even engine oil.

These clocks are definitely not something for a first project, either!