Expert: Kenneth Saunders - 3/22/2007

Question
I have a small "grandfather" like clock from the 1960's that has a broken minute hand and I've another clock I just purchased on ebay with a good minute hand -- both minute hands are identical. The movement has J Hauser stamped on it, it is a wind up pendulum clock in a 7.5" wooden case.  The clock face is marked Germany.  The minute hand appears to me to be pressed on. When I try to pull it off, nothing budges, but I'm concerned about damaging the internal clock movement if I pull too hard.  Any suggestions on how to do this (or what tool i need) would be greatly appreciated.

The face and wood case on the clock with the good hand are not the same as my clock and I don't simply want to just use the clock with the good hands.  I know the clock is of little value, but I'm trying to fix it for my sister.  It was hers as a small girl.

Answer
Put some light oil (penetrating or such) and come back the next morning and try again. I do not think pulling on the min. hand will bother anything internal. Do I understand that you have not been able to get the min. hand off EITHER clock at this point? Anyway  there is my plan of attack. Pushing down on the center shaft(not the hand) whilst prying up on the underside of the hand is the procedure. How you do it is variable. Is there something protruding from the center of the hand? Pliers--two pair? one from each side- putting something in the center to put one side of the pliers on whislt the other on the underside? Do the Ebay one first. Good luck