Full Article
How to care for your old / antique clock case.
Antique and old wooden clock cases are not usually protected by a modern surface finish which one treats with a commercial furniture polish.
For old clock casings you could use a high-quality teak oil or other penetrating furniture oils which bring life back to neglected wood.
I came across an old recipe as a reviver of wood finishes and have used if for years. Clocks accumulate often a lot of dirt especially as it settles on the top surfaces and corners. To many people associate antique furniture with dirt and grime and think it is an integral part of the finish. Some advocate vinegar and warm water for cleaning, or worse, caustic soda, but water should not be used on any furniture. It is rare that a clock case is in such a bad condition that it would have to be stripped to the bare wood.
Here the recipe:
Take 50 parts of raw linseed oil, 48 parts of vinegar and 2 parts methylated spirits.
Put the linseed oil into a small bottle, filling only a quarter of it. Add the methylated spirit and shake well. Add the vinegar a little at a time and shake well before adding more. This should form an emulsion with the consistency of cream and the colour of mayonnaise - so label the bottle clearly.
This makes an excellent polish restorer, which will clean off old wax and surface dirt, leaving a bit of a shine. After that, the above-mentioned oils can be applied.
Brass fittings and ornamentations, if not lacquer protected, could be cleaned carefully with a metal polishing paste. Use it very sparingly so that no deposits collect between brass and wood. The cleaning also should not be overdone, so as to keep the original looks. If I restore a case thoroughly, I will remove the brass fittings – often fixed with pins, sometimes with screws. This lets me work on the whole wooden surface and I can clean the brass parts properly as well, leaving no residues and ‘dirty’ corners.
In the course of my work, I usually clean the empty casing, the movement is still awaiting repairs or is on test. If you clean a mantel clock case, make certain that the pendulum is removed or blocked from moving, unless the clock has a balance escapement. A wall clock you can clean in it’s position, but do stop the pendulum and make sure you mark the position on the wall with a vertical pencil line at the bottom next to the case. You will then have no problem with re-aligning and the beat (an even tick-tock is very important to all pendulum clocks). The same goes for a Long Case Clock, so-called Grandfather clock.
I have started this monthly ‘help-clinic’ in order to foster some understanding amongst owners of clocks and to help with the preservation of valuable time pieces. Any advice or queries from clock owners is welcome, I will deal with this in general, slanting my next article towards the questions I receive.
Thomas Niemeyer, master clockmaker
|
Businesses that match your interests:
4 Anything Current Content Feed
|
Lowbed Trailer Hire and Abnormal Load Transport Call 0720345219
Lowbed trailer hire and Abnormal load transport solutions. South Africa and Cross border heavy transport. On site heavy transport up to 1000 Tons.
Truck with lowbed trailer for hire in Johannesburg, Bloemfontein, Pretoria, Durban, Witbank, Polokwane, Upington, Kriel, Klerksdorp, Richards Bay and Port Elizabeth.
We do the accompanying provinces:-
Limpopo
Mpumalanga
Gauteng
North West
Kwa-Zulu Natal
Northern Cape
Eastern Cape
Free State
Western Cape
We do cover the cross border countries such as Zimbabwe, Botswana, Namibia, Zambia, Zaire,etc.
Hire a lowbed for your transport needs. Our lowbed hire service includes long and short term truck and lowbed trailer options. Hire a lowbed.
Call 0720345219
Email: rentals@edentransport.co.za | |
1.6 years agoView Business
|
|
Medanta hospital saves cancer patient with 'Hipec' chemotherapy during surgery
his is one of the first-of-its-kind efforts in the Eastern India to have a patient suffering from a dreaded ailment and she was treated with HIPEC Treatment In India, while carrying out the surgery. Thanks to the competent doctors like Dr. Ashok Vaid based at the state of the art run hospital called medanta hospital that helped in saving the life of a patient who was suffering from ovarian cancer
Visit : https://www.101pressrelease.com/medanta-hospital-saves-cancer-patient-with-hipec-chemotherapy-during-surgery/ 5.2 years agoView Business
|
|
Gastric Balloon Weight Loss May Improve your Health
5.2 years agoView Business
|
|
Servicenow Online Training in Hyderabad by SV Soft Solutions
SV Soft Solutions provides best Servicenow Training in Hyderabad. Training gives trainees online sessions and hands on experience implementing servicenow and covers all real time scenarios with examples.
Schedule and attend free demo here!
http://www.svsoftsolutions.com/courses_servicenow.aspx
USA: : +1-845-915-8712
India: +91-9642373173
Mail: info@svsoftsolutions.com
Website: http://www.svsoftsolutions.com 6.2 years agoView Business
|
|