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Other Vintage Household Electrical or Electromechanical Items For discussions about other vintage (over 25 years old) electrical and electromechanical household items. See the sticky thread for details. |
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10th Nov 2021, 9:42 pm | #1 |
Diode
Join Date: Nov 2021
Location: London, UK.
Posts: 2
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Smiths street Clock which seems to have a stop/start problem.
Not sure if I’m doing this correctly but here goes. I’ve a doubled sided Smiths street Clock which seems to have a stop/start problem. It’s big & heavy around 36” dia but I’d love to get it back up and running smoothly
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10th Nov 2021, 10:57 pm | #2 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: St. Frajou, l'Isle en Dodon, Haute Garonne, France.(Previously: Ellesmere Port, Cheshire, UK.)
Posts: 3,184
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Re: Smiths street Clock which seems to have a stop/start problem.
Hi,
Some early electric clocks were not self starting. So, when they were powered up, a knob on the back needed a little push and a spin to set it going. Hope this helps. Cheers, Pete.
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11th Nov 2021, 1:13 am | #3 |
Heptode
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Warminster, Wiltshire, UK.
Posts: 682
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Re: Smiths street Clock which seems to have a stop/start problem.
It’s not uncommon for some types of clock to have the the hand time set knob pulled down and let go to start the clock. It was also not uncommon for them to require this done more than once as they could be stubborn. Not sure if this applies to your clock.
If your not technically minded do the motors hum. It could be very quite but it will prove the motors are ok Andy
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11th Nov 2021, 7:49 am | #4 |
Heptode
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: Cornwall, UK.
Posts: 989
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Re: Smiths street Clock which seems to have a stop/start problem.
I’ve never considered this before, but how did they adjust the time on these large wall mounted street clocks? Was is a matter of getting up a ladder and adjusting the hands, or was there some mechanism for adjusting remotely?
Regarding the comments above regarding possible manual starting, then I would imagine that having to restart and adjust a large clock with a ladder would be tiresome! Cheers. SimonT.
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11th Nov 2021, 9:20 am | #5 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Near Leeds, West Yorkshire, UK
Posts: 4,609
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Re: Smiths street Clock which seems to have a stop/start problem.
Hi Steve,
Have you a picture of the open movement? If we see what sort and age it is we can give you much more info. Self-starting clocks only came into being in the 1930's.
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Mike. |
11th Nov 2021, 3:20 pm | #6 | |
Heptode
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Isle of Wight, UK.
Posts: 565
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Re: Smiths street Clock which seems to have a stop/start problem.
Quote:
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12th Nov 2021, 7:51 am | #7 |
Heptode
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: Cornwall, UK.
Posts: 989
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Re: Smiths street Clock which seems to have a stop/start problem.
Thanks Rob, that makes sense. I’m interested to hear more about the OP’s clock now, to see how his unit was adjusted & started.
Thanks. SimonT.
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12th Nov 2021, 10:41 am | #8 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Warnham, West Sussex. 10 miles south of DORKING.
Posts: 9,147
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Re: Smiths street Clock which seems to have a stop/start problem.
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12th Nov 2021, 1:46 pm | #9 |
Diode
Join Date: Nov 2021
Location: London, UK.
Posts: 2
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Re: Smiths street Clock which seems to have a stop/start problem.
Hi everyone thanks so much for your help and positive input much appreciated. as mentioned previously the clock is a 1960/70s double sided street clock around 30" dia it starts to run with a humming sound and then stops perhaps a good mechanism lubrication is all that needed? have pics but can't see how I can add them can someone please advise..?
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12th Nov 2021, 6:01 pm | #11 | |
Heptode
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: Cornwall, UK.
Posts: 989
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Re: Smiths street Clock which seems to have a stop/start problem.
Quote:
( trying to defend my stupidness!) Cheers. SimonT.
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12th Nov 2021, 8:11 pm | #12 |
Dekatron
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Oxford, UK.
Posts: 17,865
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Re: Smiths street Clock which seems to have a stop/start problem.
That's certainly the way our huge 1940s Smiths clock on the front of the school hall was set.
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