Smiths clock

[geofy]

Hope this is of interest, this Smiths clock was bought in the fifties and has been in a cupboard for around thirty years. I decided to strip it down to clean it as it was a bit grimy and had paint splashes. The second hand never did work properly, the reason being it is just a friction drive on the motor, despite several attempts I could not get it work, the motor plate revolves but the second hand just slips, so I reassembled the clock and it works fine apart from this. The wood glue was to repair a small piece of the cork plate that broke off.

[Darren-UK]

That's the 'Durban' model, in production prewar to mid 1960's They came in ivory (common), green (less common), red and pale blue (both rare). There was also an 8-day version, now scarce.

The seconds hands on these, which are actually intended as a motor telltale, seldom do work properly. The best course of action is to simply remove it.

[geofy]

Thanks Darren, I didn't know the name of it, I recall seeing a green one. The ivory goes with most decor so must have sold more. It is a nice Art deco design. The second hand acts as a spacer, it should be under slight pressure from the hour hand to make contact with motor, it would have been better to have put an indent pip in the second hand and a matching recess on the motor plate to give a positive drive.

[ppppenguin]

One of those (or something very similar) turned up as a donation on the B&B stall at the NVCF this year. We asked £10 and it was almost grabbed out of our hands. I suspect we underpriced.

[geofy]

Wow, I will have to look after it then, has gone back in the cupboard for now but I would like to get it back on the wall again.

[Darren-UK]

Originally Posted by geofy

Thanks Darren, I didn't know the name of it, I recall seeing a green one. The ivory goes with most decor so must have sold more. It is a nice Art deco design. The second hand acts as a spacer, it should be under slight pressure from the hour hand to make contact with motor, it would have been better to have put an indent pip in the second hand and a matching recess on the motor plate to give a positive drive.

The name was stamped somewhere inside the casing; sometimes it's still visible, sometimes it's been rubbed off (They can get mucky inside the case and cleaning tends to remove the stamp).

I forget exactly how the drive to the seconds hand worked, so unless my brain has a massive flashback I don't know what to suggest further.

On the example mentioned which was snapped up for a tenner, £10 - £20 is the norm for the ivory version. The snag is they use the Bijou movement with 'that' field coil so buying one untested is always a gamble.

[geofy]

I have just noticed a very faint name on the inside rim, it does read Durban. The light blue coloured motor has the SEG make. The second hand drive in the motor is just an outer brass ring that revolves and the second hand pushes down on it, if I put light pressure on it, it does revolve but not when I put the other hands back on. Various things where tries but it could not be made to work. The motor gets slightly warm.

[Darren-UK]

SEC, for 'Smiths English Clocks' although the meaning of the initials in the early years is open to debate.

If the seconds hand will only rotate when the other hands are removed, then perhaps one of the arbors is slightly eccentric and causing some fouling?

The motors do run warm, this is perfectly normal.

[Herald1360]

Originally Posted by Darren-UK

There was also an 8-day version, now scarce.

Clockwork rather than electric?

[Mike Phelan]

The warm motor does mean that the stator coil is intact, fortunately. If it only works with the seconds hand disabled, either that is the fault, or a loss of (mechanical) power elsewhere; a clock motor does not have much torque.

Generally it's just a dismantle / clean / lubricate job.

[geofy]

Originally Posted by Darren-UK

SEC, for 'Smiths English Clocks', then perhaps one of the arbors is slightly eccentric .

I can't seem to get the mulitquote tab working, probably my computer.

The second had doesn't make good enough pressure contact with the motor 'seconds' disc which can be seen turning, it has a part like a thin front plate which could be the arbour which can get in the way of the disc as it moves around, but if this is made concentric the rotating disc can be seen.

When the other hands are pressed on they still can't put enough pressure to push on down on the second hand. If I apply a thin knife blade between them the second hand starts to move but stops as soon as I let go. I don't want to keep taking the hands on and off as they are only a push fit. The clock works ok apart from this so I will just have a stationary red seconds hand.

[geofy]

Originally Posted by Mike Phelan

The warm motor does mean that the stator coil is intact, fortunately.
Generally it's just a dismantle / clean / lubricate job.

Thanks Mike, the clock is working apart from the second hand, as I said to Darren, the second hand part of the motor is working, it is simply the second hand slips on the small rotating disc instead of going round with the motor (the disc can just be seen in the picture, the hour and minute shafts come through the middle of this. If the disc and the end of the second hand had some sort of indexing pin and hole it would work. I don't think the motor can be taken apart, I did give it a tiny drop of Servisol 10.

[steve102]

Originally Posted by ppppenguin

One of those (or something very similar) turned up as a donation on the B&B stall at the NVCF this year. We asked £10 and it was almost grabbed out of our hands. I suspect we underpriced.

I must own up to buying the ivory Smiths clock off the B&B stall! I thought £10 was a fair price as the case is in reasonable condition but I haven't got round to testing it yet. It's the same model as Geof's and I've seen others on Ebay selling for around £10 to £15 depending on condition.
Steve