Repairing a vintage German wind-up alarm clock. Broken mainspring replacement
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- Опубликовано: 22 авг 2024
- This cute vintage alarm clock was found in a shed and wasn't working. While most would probably throw it out - I'd much prefer to bring the ol' girl back to life! 😁
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I think I now understand how vintage wind up clocks work. You wind it up tightly and gradually- with every second that goes by, the spring unwinds then you wind it up again. I'm just amazed at what humans can and have come up with.
Exactly CS - the mainspring is like a "motor" which provides power to the clock mechanism 👍
Generally we humans are a pretty clever bunch! 😊
l♈️♈️♈️♈️♈️♈️♈️
I agree with your comments regarding making what was old new again.....I have too many project clocks of which I can't pass up when I see them. I console myself in knowing that with a bit of work they can regain their intended purpose. Any videos you do on these types of clocks I will wholeheartedly watch and give you an enthusiastic thumbs up. Thanks so much.
Thanks Jake! I too am cursed with the "way too many projects" syndrome! And then just yesterday I filled my van with a whole heap more!!! 😱🙄😖🤣🤣
Plain exterior hides a satisfyingly complex mechanism. Great to see it ready for an extended life.
"Satisfyingly complex"! I like that! Thanks BK 😊👍
Nice job Chris, I would have been reluctant pulling that top plate off, well done. I had a very similar clock back in the 60s and 70s, when I got married in the mid 70s my wife made me put it in the wardrobe because of the ticking, kind of defeated the purpose somewhat 😄
Hahaha - they all think they can change us! (Sometimes they do! 😱🤣). Thanks Dave 😊
@@TheUltimateRecycler i bought one at a flea market because i'm decorating in a vintage style and i tried it as it winds and works nut the ticki'g is so loud it keeps me awake and drives me crazy + it looses about 5 minutes a day
I have the exact clock and I was very happy to see what’s inside it in this video. You are very informative! Thanks for the video!
Thanks for watching ECG! 😊👍
Lovely old clock, thanks for repairing and getting it to work.
Thanks for watching! I do enjoy saving stuff! 😊
That would definitely wake me up .. you still impress me with your knowledge thank you TEACH👊🏻
Thanks for watching Seth 👍😊👊
@@TheUltimateRecycler thank you my friend 👊🏻
I really like that old clock. Great repair and a great save.
Thanks AL.. it is a cutie!
Ur a great teacher, thank you.
Thanks mate! 😊👍
Super cool video! Thank you for this! So I just got on ebay a bunch of mechanical Alarm clocks and I'm up to the challenge of trying to fix them and going to give a pocket watch repair a try too. I totally agree with you on bringing them back to life! 😁 it will be satisfying for sure!
Awesome! Good luck with your projects WG! 👍💪
Your video is giving me confidence to clean and service my 1950s Westclox alarm clock.
Old girl till runs but only for a few minutes.
Movement is completely caked in old oil and dust so I'm in for a treat if I have a crack at it aha.
That is awesome! Hope it goes well! 😊
I think I will take my little buddy to a professional... I saw him in a vintage store and fell in love with him. Though the spring isn't broken, he just doesn't start. I think he just needs cleaned and oiled. He was working fine then just stopped, maybe he is over wound. Poor little guy
Probably a wash out with petrol and a careful re-oil will see him ticking happily again Gabi 😊
This is how to start the day .. watching the ultimate recycler👊🏻
.. and I hope it's a great day mate! 👊
@@TheUltimateRecycler thank you sir . And I hope you and yours the same 👊🏻
Thanks much for this video
No worries, thanks for watching! 😊
Nice repair Chris. We had one like this in the kitchen in the 70's. Next digital clocks came and now I wake up to the mobile phone alarm, neither would be easy to repair.
Thanks Nick! 😊
Digital clocks were cool in their own way! Especially the flip clocks! I actually have some of them in my "to do" cupboard!
Glad I ran across your video. I have a old working New Haven wind up clock for a 53 car. Would love to clean and oil, but I’m too intimidated with all the small moving parts. Love that clock you saved.
Thanks Mark, now you can give it a service! 😊👍
This is not the video I was looking for, but MAN THATS A REALLY GOOD CLOCK
Thanks Diana! I appreciate you getting distracted with the incorrect video! 😜🤣
I had same thing on my twin bell clock and bent spring back in place
Yep sometimes you can get away with that! Thanks for watching Mike 😊
@@TheUltimateRecycler you welcome and I can some what fix clocks
Very good and informative video! I found an old Junghans Bivox while dumpster diving and was wondering why it didn't click, turns out both springs inside were broken. Thanks for sharing the process!
Thanks Nico! 😊👍
thank you so much!!! i have a giant novelty "carrot top" (american comedian) alarm clock that I couldn't figure out how to get into!
Thanks Kirk! Good luck with your project! 👍😊
Fantastic recycling. Thanks AV
Thank you AV! Cheers! 😊
Awesome video thank you! Picked up a broken alarm clock in an op shop for a couple bucks and had no idea where to start fixing it! I've got it apart now, time to see if I can get it all back together :)
Thanks for watching Norwell - hope the reassembly goes well! 😊👍
Beautifully done!
Thank you! Cheers! 😊
I opened apart my chinese knock off winding clock and its main spring also broken but the mechanism gears are much less than the real one, although there many gears inside but way less than the real one.
Yeah, and no where near the quality either!
Wish you could fix my brothers clock from uk thankyou for video 😀
Maybe you could have a go Jackie? Thanks for watching 😊👍
Great video - thank you! I've been picking up a few vintage clocks and would love it if at least some of them worked. I opened a Baby Ben today, cleaned it and added a touch of oil, but it still doesn't work. Looks a lot nicer with clean glass, at least. ;-)
Keep trying Jude.. with every attempt you'll learn something! Thanks for watching 😊
@@TheUltimateRecycler I plan on opening it up and try again. I saw your video after my first attempt. Those tiny screws were about to drive me crazy!!
Great old clock Chris. But gee I'd hate to wake up to that alarm!
Thanks Glen. I don't like waking to any alarm!! ⏰😱
Know how you feel mate. Luckily Ive got a reasonably accurate body clock. Though some days the mainspring in it might be broken too!
@@glenhehir3833 Mine's pretty good unless we have a string of late nights - then Coco steps in and wakes me! 🐶🤣
😂😂🐶🐶
Thanks for the encouragement about Having a Go. I have a 1960s Esme clock that's been overwound. Any advice?
Thanks TT. Usually letting the mainspring down and a general lube helps a lot. If the old oil has gummed things up, it will require some dismantle and cleaning.
@@TheUltimateRecycler Thanks for the information. I think I'll have a go at it one quiet Sunday... I love the challenge.
I have same problem with my dadaji's (grandpa's) clock bt I can not repair it😢 alarm is ok tin tin tin tin👍
Unfortunately broken mainsprings is a fairly common problem with old clocks, and it's usually not economical to fix them. But if you've got the time to try - it's worth having a go!
@@TheUltimateRecycler Dear Sir a watchmaker repaired my clock today 👍now I'm very happy.
@@atulji82 That's awesome!! 👍👍
Great video! I bought a clock at a thrift store and my mainspring is broken right in the same place this one was so I need to buy a new one, but I just can't figure out how I'm supposed to measure it to get one the same size? I just don't get it!
It's been a fun little project to clean up, but I really just want it to work haha
The critical dimension is the width of the spring. The length doesn't matter a whole lot really. Also make sure the replacement spring has the same attachment points each end. Thanks for watching and good luck with your project! 😊
@@TheUltimateRecycler thank you so much!
Hi there great video thank you.
Unfortunately my mainspring has broken just like your spring and i couldn't find another mainspring that fits my clock. Can i drill a hole in it? Is it possible? Will it work?
Thank you
Thanks! 😊 You can fix a spring that way - but you don't want it to be too much shorter! So it depends on where the break is..
Interesting video. I have recently bought a Junghans alarm clock and the ticking is really loud. I cant seem to get it open not from lack of trying. It also has a wind similar to this one. Is it going to stop running after a while? It's cool that it works but the ticking is driving me crazy. Hope to hear back!
Thanks Robyn, yeah the clock will certainly stop if you don't wind it! These types can go for 2 or 3 days though, if in good order! You can't do much about the ticking - that's their charm!! You will eventually learn to 'tune out' and not even notice it after awhile..
Do you need to use a mask and? I also have a similar alarm clock, Peter alarm clock, and it's got the same problem with the mainspring.
Thanks
A mask? why? Thanks for watching, hope the video was helpful 😊👍
Great video. Thank you very much.
Just a question. I can into possession of a Swiza solid brass tubular 8 day alarm clock which works perfectly. It has a whisper"tick" and it's just a lovely vintage peice however it only has one winder. Does that mean the clock and alarm are on the same spring or is the movement automatic?. I don't want to strip it down as it works fine. Any ideas?
Thanks JJ.
Funnily enough, I'm actually just doing a job on a Swiza alarm clock! It's currently totally dismantled and being cleaned. The main spring powers both the clock and the alarm. I'll post the video soon.. 😊
@@TheUltimateRecycler cool, can't wait to see it. I love the super quiet tick I have it by my bedside and it does not keep me awake. Swiza clocks are super quality. But so rare to find.
How did you get your springs to grab onto the notches of the shafts?
I’ve got mine all the way back together but as I try to wind it, the spring seems to be “skipping” off the notches…
Well I used a pair of tweezers to squeeze the spring to the shaft and got the notches to grab and was able to wind it up and test it out 😁
But alas, a few minutes into the test run, the main spring decided to undergo spontaneous division 😭
It’s right at the end where it loops around the post so I’m going to look into how I should make a new loop and try it again.
This was the original spring and it was quite rusty so I soaked it in vinegar overnight. It snapped right in the middle of the worst rust pitting. The remainder of the spring looks okay and I’m hoping it won’t break again 😬
Yep, you'll probably have to shorten the spring so that the end is good metal and not pitted. A slightly shorter spring shouldn't make much difference to the run time. Let me know how you go Andrew! Cheers 😊👍
Thankyou for your video do you fix other peoples clocks uk
Thanks for watching. Nope, sorry - I don't even have time to keep up with the projects I find on my own! Sometimes I do a local job if I'm caught at a week moment! 🙄
how do you take the tension out of the tightly coiled springs please?
The springs need to be let-down very carefully as they contain quite a lot of power! If the clock won't run down itself you really need some type of let-down tool. Thanks for watching Paul 😊👍
When you say you learn something....
I realised that I f*cked up
I bet you still learned something! 👍
The old spring looked like it had very little power left in it compared to the new ebay spring. How did you wrestle that new guy back into the mechanism! :)
A steady hand and plenty of patience! Thanks for watching 😊
What type of solvent is good for cleaning the parts?
Anything that dissolves old oil and doesn't leave a residue Rob
Chris did you use a mainspring winder to get the springs back into the mainframe?
Nope, I don't have a winder noel. As they are open springs and not enclosed in a barrel, they go in ok by hand.
I have a question a have a click from Peter⭐⭐⭐ bit I can't deel to het the alarm adjust and the time adjust things out. I've tried to spin the out and to pull Them out bit it doesn't deel to work maybe you can help me? Are there and other ways to het those out?
They always either unscrew or pull off Aaron, but they can be very tight!! Good luck!
What ever happened to this clock? My father had the same one and if you still have it and it's for sale, I would be interested in buying it. Kind regards, Chris
I had sold this sold to a friend, but after awhile it developed a problem with the alarm triggering! It is still in my workshop somewhere to have another look at one day!
@@TheUltimateRecycler I found my Dads clock - also a Chelsea 3. It is badly rusted and also has a broken mainspring. I've ordered a new mainspring (7.5x0.27x830). I have photos of it but can't share on youtube.
If you ever want to sell yours, even if it is not working properly, let me know. Cheers, (also) Chris
Do you know if there any other way to open up the back, if the wind up won’t turn backwards to open it?
The winders need to come off usually - and nearly all of them screw off the opposite way to normal winding. Maybe it has been glued on by someone?
@@TheUltimateRecycler figured it out, just needed more force thank you!
@@emmaantall7611 Excellent! 😊
I have a wind clock that says it's made in West Germany and its in the shape of an old signal light that train drivers and signal man used and mine is running fast and then sometime running slow I know how to adjust it but I don't seem to be able to get it perfect I was wondering if someone could help me and maybe give me more information on the clock I was thinking maybe you could adjust the time and then set the speed once I do it runs fine for abit then I come back and it turns out its running fast or too slow maybe I should leave it for abit and adjust accordingly
Could be the hair spring is either not perfectly balanced, or may even have oil or other contaminants on it which would cause it to oscillate erratically.
I have a German clock it's a smilie face,I think it's from the 70s ,can you fix it for me ?❤
Sorry, I have enough of my own projects to do!
Hi do you still fix clocks do you do repair thankyou for video
I have lots and lots of clocks to do - repair, service & sell! Just not much time for repair videos at the moment! Thanks for watching 😊
I have same problem my alarm clock spring broken. Any idea
It will need replacing unless it's broken close to the end - then you may be able to shorten it.
I want one part for my kienzle alarm clock
You can often find parts on ebay - or at least a non-working clock as a donor. Good luck!
My clock is working but alarm not works
👍
Many thanks! 👍
Good try.,but unfortunately the balance oscillation is not upto the mark. I feel you should take up this a bit more professional help.
Just pulling out the broken spring and replacing it with a new spring does not take more than 3 minutes.
Other aspects are dismantling the whole clock work and cleaning, honing the balance pivots and lubricating thereafter would have given the desired result. Watch some of my videos on the subject may be it will help you.All the best.
Unfortunately these clocks do not warrant all the professional work! They are less than a $50 clock in good going condition, so the value isn't there to go full "professional" on them! Thanks for watching 😊
How did you get the the springs in side of it?
I think I just wound them in. I don't remember now..
I got the springs in to and the clock is working
Thx for the tip to take a foto
@@jari.dejong Fantastic! Well done 👍😃
Good
كل الأماني لكم بالمزيد من التقدم والنجاح
هل هذا المنبه ريبتر الالمانى
عقارب المنبه توحى بذلك
شكرا!
نعم ، منبه ألماني 😊
As a reseller, I highly recommend you do not try to fix one of these types of clocks with the wind up spring. Simply because the spring is too hard to get in place. I got one of these old clocks worth about 50$ online. I’m spending more time on it than it’s worth. Just trying to get it back together without springs to sell as “parts” now. If it doesn’t work- and you know it’s the spring… don’t do it. Let someone else do it.
Quick update, I can’t even get it back together. Literally is taking longer than it’s worth. I’m about to discard it, and feel the satisfaction that comes with throwing useless junk out. It was a pretty cool clock. And I regret listening to this guy telling me to learn. As soon as I opened the thing the pieces went flying everywhere. I didn’t even get a good picture of where the gears go. Mounting the top piece back on (even without the springs) is difficult. Don’t do it. Sell it for parts or use as an antique decoration. Glad I only spent 1$.
@@robindiamondhands6416 I do totally agree with you that the time involved in fixing these things is way more than what they are worth. Same with many things actually - even furniture restoration. It's not about making money, it's about saving things from being thrown out and the huge satisfaction in bringing them back to life. I'm sorry you regret listening to me about "having a go" - but it seems you had the wrong motivation. Fixing things to sell in a viable way is extremely difficult these days - especially expecting to be able to do it first go.
Thanks for watching anyways 😊
Hello sir i request you please you make a video, jayco zeiler, alarm clock watch repairing video please i see it my watch parts is open i dont replace
Hmm.. if i had one, I would do it!
I’m trying to get something working, that wasn’t. Your attitude is not helpful and there will not be a subscription. See ya.
That's your choice I guess. Thanks for letting me know I need to work on my attitude! I'll enroll in classes tonight.. 🤣
@@TheUltimateRecycler Sorry for the sharp comment. I'm just totally frustrated trying to fix an old alarm clock and I snapped.
@@melatomic No worries mate, they are very testing on the patience!