Expert: William J Perkins - 7/21/2008

Question
i have been a collector of bakelite and art-deco for some years and have come across several electric mantle clocks. my question is that the most common fault seems to be that the motor and thus the clock runs and keeps time but only for a few or several hours.  i wonder if this is because of mechanical wear& tear, or deterioration of the electrical component?? either way, is this fault repairable?

Answer
The most common failure I have noted for electric clock is that the lubricant in the rotor coagulates to a viscosity so thick the power can no longer cause the rotor to spin.  The solution is to replace or repair, parts to do so are available through various clock parts supply houses.  To name a few; Merritt's Antiques, Ronell Clocks, and TimeSavers.  All of these firms sell to the public and have on-line catalogs.  Regards WJP