Expert: Martin Meyer - 4/3/2008

Question
My beehive clock with sweep second hand is 110ac operated and bears a plaque on the inside of the read door that reads, in part: "Plymouth Clock Division of the Seth Thomas Clock Co. Thomaston Conn. U.S.A. To start-turn upper knob the the right & release..." After decades of constant operation, the clock stopped running. It will start by turning the knob as described above, but soon stops. I want to clean the mechanism and/or install a replacement quartz movement but there is no nut holding the hands on the spindle and I am unable to remove them. How are the hands removed?

Answer
Hi Anthony,
     The hands on your clock are simply press-fitted onto the handshafts. They can be quite tight on older clocks and can be difficult to remove. Hand removers are available in a couple different designs from clock supply houses. To remove the hands without a hand remover, first place a piece of soft plastic on the dial to protect it (I use a piece cut from a plastic milk carton), then put a very small block of wood next to the hands. Use a long screwdriver, placed on the wood block, to lever up the hand. Alternate the pressure on one side of the hand, then the other, a little bit at a time, so that you don't bend the handshaft.
    A/C electric clocks usually stop due to motor failure. Some motors, rotors and coils are available from clock supply houses, but others are obsolete. If you can't get the needed parts, replacement with a quartz/battery movement is a good option, and usually not hard to do.