NFR Vintage wall clocks
- Thread starter mark wlker
- Start date
Non-fishing related
I don't think this is what the OP had in mind when talking about vintage wall clocks, but it surely is "vintage" Fifty years ago, in March of 1976, I started my career with the Federal Government. The clock was on the office wall. Shortly after that the office moved and the supervisor said I could have the clock. It has survived 6 permanent change of station (PCS) moves and now hangs proudly in my basement shop. It is a 110-volt powered unit (can't find those anymore) and still keeps perfect time.
The best horologist here is around $230 per hour and at least 2.5 months wait.
Fortunately, he's worth it.
The first place we had our clocks serviced was like that; a retailer - repair shop in a large mall, and IIRC expensive. Wait times of weeks rather than months though. We didn't get that with Benjamin & Sons.
I occasionally do volunteer maintenance at a now unmanned - mostly automated USAF ground radio station that my wife was assigned to when I met her in the late 1970s
. There is an analog 120V 24 hour wall clock with a second hand in the radio room that no longer works. Those clocks were not accurate enough for maintaining the station logs so they did a "Zulu time hack" with it from WWV at the start of each shift to reference for each message's log entry. The station still belongs to a "Unit" she was assigned to and the clock face has the Unit Crest on it. This thread reminds me that I have thought about finding a battery - powered analog quartz 24 hr movement to get it working again. I need to get the measurements of the clock the next time I'm there to get a movement that will fit with minimal modification to the case and face.
Most likely a simple and inexpensive retrofit with the ubiquitous square battery quartz movements. The “trick” to it could be switching the hands over. Might have to do a little fabrication. I’d say try hard to use the original hands as replacements usually look cheap and “off.”The first place we had our clocks serviced was like that; a retailer - repair shop in a large mall, and IIRC expensive. Wait times of weeks rather than months though. We didn't get that with Benjamin & Sons.
I occasionally do volunteer maintenance at a now unmanned - mostly automated USAF ground radio station that my wife was assigned to when I met her in the late 1970s
This is good to know. It means my half-assed horology rate is right around $115/hr.The best horologist here is around $230 per hour and at least 2.5 months wait.
Fortunately, he's worth it.
Interesting thread. My mother's oldest sister born before the turn of the 20th century was a clock fanatic. Her homes in Alabama were awash with clocks, all functional in every room. My aunt got me started showing interest in having a few interesting clocks about. After a decade of more overseas, we managed to add a few interesting timepieces from Europe and Asia. Today, everything is decorative as trying to keep them working is an unwanted challenge. That said, there is one clock that we picked up in Alabama in the 1970s that would be a real challenge to get running even if we wanted to. It looks great on the wall.
Not sure where I could find a safe, reliable source of 12V direct current to hook up to this depression era clock.
Not sure where I could find a safe, reliable source of 12V direct current to hook up to this depression era clock.
IBM! Pretty cool. Never seen one of those. The dial looks great! Case, too.
(Could do a Quartz conversion, but…nah…)
With a career spent in IT, "International Business Machines" made me curious so I looked into this. IBM had impulse clock "systems" for commercial buildings with a "master" that sent out pulses to "slaves" to either move the hands or keep all the clocks synchronized with the "correct" time.
Synchronizing Dad’s Antique Impulse Clocks using LabVIEW FPGA
Synchronizing Dad’s Antique Impulse Clocks using LabVIEW FPGA A Dabbling in Building Automation In 1972, the University of Tennessee, Knoxville updated their campus clock system to a new Simplex brand sweep-second-hand synchronized system. A student at the time, my dad, Rick Kuhlman Jr...
An inexpensive 2 wire 2-3 amp (24-36 Watt) 12VDC wall wart power supply connected to the motor's primary windings might get it to run though it may lack automatic time correction to keep it accurate. I think you would have to figure out which terminals are the "common", "normal", and "59 minute" (sync) and see if - how well it would run with just common and normal connected.
BTW, I am running about the house tonight "springing forward". It's easy in the spring but in the fall, Tim from Benjamin told me I can turn back the mantel clock but I must pause the cuckoo for one hour or spend 5+ minutes going ahead 11 hours and pausing at every hour (12) and half-hour (6) mark to let the bird fully finish its calling or music. Ignoring the chime and rushing past can damage the internal timing mechanism.
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wanderingrichard
Life of the Party
I remember one just like it in my elementary school hallway in the 60's. That school district never threw anything away.
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