Expert: John Newman - 1/7/2011

Question
I built 5 clocks from the plans for the 101 model Emperor clock.I have the oiling sheet from Emperor.At the plant in Fairhope I was told to use Dawn dish detergent to clean the clock.Is this what you would recomend?Do i dip it in the soap,let it dry and oil.I would appreciate your advise.I do not want to take the works apart.The first clock was built in 2003 and is working great.How often shoult it be oiled?
Thank you
Ray Hubley

Answer
Ray, I don't know who told you to clean the clock in a dish detergent, but I would never do that.  I can't believe a responsible person at the Emperor Clock Company would have told anyone that.  I will say that I have used some not clock cleaning solutions in varying steps because of unusual conditions a clock has be subjected to, but the final procedure requires a full breakdown to inspect all parts and surfaces.  Clocks that have been sprayed with a solution such as WD-40 have to receive a special multi-step procedure to remove it before even cleaning in an ultrasonic cleaner because of the contamination.  For the record, I use and recommend WD-40 for many jobs, but NOT clock movements.  If the first clock was built in 2003, that means that the clock is about 17 years old, which is a little past my recommended service time.  I feel 7 to 10 years is normal.  Unless it has been in a harsh environment, I would not attempt to do any extensive cleaning.  To dip a clock movement in any type of liquid is not going to be the best thing to do.  Liquid residue will remain in the tight joints and areas and eventually cause problems.  I would check for excessive black residue (in one class I took they called it crud) around the pivots.  Remove any excess you can.  Rock the chain wheels back and forth and see if any of the pivots have excessive play.  If so, they might need to be rebushed.  If not, use a minute amount of good clock oil to lubricate all the pivots (and any shafts, etc that rotate).  The only teeth you want to oil would be the escapement wheel teeth, and use a very little coating.  Also use a good clock grease to lubricate cams levers and any metal surfaces that slide.  If the clock has a lot of debris or worn pivots, then it would have to receive a full service which would require breaking down, cleaning, inspecting for worn or broken parts, repairing them, reassembling, adjusting and testing.

I hope this helps, and congratulations for building those clocks!

John Newman
THE VILLAGE CLOCKSMITH
Old Prattvillage
Prattville, Alabama