Fusee Dial Restoration Project
This clock is a personal project, that J A Alcock & Son are under taking, to show that even though some clocks do look to be well beyond repair this is often not the case. This clock has had a hard life and has a large number of missing and damaged components, all of which will have to be remade or replaced. This will be a time consuming and lengthy project as it will be undertaken when work load permits; but every development will be updated on this page, so please keep checking back for the latest postings.
The close up image was taken using a watch maker's eyeglass over the lens of the camera to give the same view that a horologist would have whilst inspecting a component. This was taken to show the corrosion on the steel components and the amount of damage that it has caused.
Although this damage is not repairable, J A Alcock & Son do have the skills to calculate, design and make the replacements to the same style as the originals.
The movement looks as if it has been kept in a very damp place at some time, with all the steel components being corroded beyond recognition and use. All these will need to be replaced as the restoration process goes on.
The brass parts of the clock have also become heavily corroded but are at least in a salvageable state given some work. The biggest problem are the missing components, which runs to some 30 individual items.
The image to the left is showing the fusee, the centre wheel and the third wheel arbor. Both the arbors need to be replaced because the pinions have become damaged beyond repair.
Now that this clock has been disassembled and the extent of the work has been assesed, the next part of the project is to work out the module of the pinions that need to be replaced. The module is the ratios that form the tooth shape of the wheels and pinions. This has to be calculated before anything else can be undertaken because this will not only give the size of blank diameters of the pinions to be cut, but will also give the module for all the other missing wheels and pinions.
This part of the project does involve a lot of maths and measuring, and is well worth taking time over to ensure that it is done correctly, as mistakes at this stage will cause no end of headaches later on when things do not fit together and work properly.