Expert: William J Perkins - 2/17/2009

Question
I have a 31 Day Waltham wall clock Tempus Fugit.  It has been sitting quiet for a couple of years since my husband passed away.  I decided to crank the old girl up and it seems to run fine but when it chimes, it has an additional labored...or rusty...or dry sound.....Am I supposed to be oiling anything or is there something else I'm supposed to do??  Thanks

Answer
A clock does need a bit of lubricant now and then, and a good cleaning every few years.  The frequency for cleaning is highly dependent upon the environment in which the clock operates.  As a general rule a clock should be inspected for cleaning and adjustment every 5 years.  As to lubrication, that should be done about once a year.  There are kits available on line, you can purchase, that provide the material and instructions you would need to do it yourself.  Here is the Internet address for one of these sources,
<howtorepairclocks.com/clock~oil.html>   Regards WJP