02-14-2019, 01:16 PM
(02-14-2019, 12:01 PM)Vinny Wrote: Yeah, and sitting in a garage no less. Just cleaning how? Ultrasonic bath is the common way, but I don't have one big enough to put the whole movement in and a clock shop wants WAYYYY to much to do it.
Yeah, tell me about it. ($$$)
But then I found out WHY it costs so much. It's because the "right" way to do it is to disassemble the entire movement and clean, inspect, and burnish each part individually. And that takes a lot of time and work to accomplish. Putting the entire movement in an ultrasonic bath will clean the outer portion of the parts, but inside the bushings and around the pivots - not so much. That is where the most wear occurs due to dried out oil and dirt creating a black slurry that is very abrasive.
I tried cleaning my mom's cuckoo clock movement as a whole in my ultrasonic cleaner, but later discovered after completely disassembling the entire movement that the inside of the bushings were still filthy. That clock was never cleaned or oiled the entire time she owned it, and 75% of the pivots and bushings were worn/wallowed out and had to be replaced.
You can see the telltale black rings around the small holes in this side plate that is the abrasive goo that needs to be cleaned out, and then any wear between the parts addressed.
Willie