# Anyone know anything about repairing old clocks? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [January 7, 2024, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-know-anything-about-repairing-old-clocks/995744 "2024-01-07T20:22:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![RivkahChaya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rivkahchaya/32/8919_2.png) [@RivkahChaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RivkahChaya)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2024, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-know-anything-about-repairing-old-clocks/995744/1 "2024-01-07T20:22:24Z")
I’ve got this old school clock that my mother bought in the 70s. It’s electric, and the style of the plug suggests it’s from the late 40s or early 50s. The cord was replaced at some point-- probably right after my mother bought it-- but the plug was retained, I’m not sure why. It was in the kitchen nook my whole childhood, and as far as I know, worked when my mother packed it up and moved a lot of the things from the house to storage after my father died. That was in 1999. So, now I have it, but the glass is cracked it, and it isn’t running. It’s not the plug, because I checked it with a multimeter, and current is running through it (albeit, I don’t know if maybe it’s not enough current, but I’m getting “continuity,” which means the meter pegs). The ends are clean and not rusted. The motor doesn’t look as good, and probably needs to be replaced. The glass measures 16" exactly in diameter. The closest glass I can find is on eBay, and it is 15 & 5/16". The rim of the clock that retains the glass is 15", so I don’t know whether it can hold this glass in place or not. Has anyone ever replaced glass like this? is it at all forgiving? can it be rigged, like with foam or cardboard, to fit in place? A for the motor, can I buy a clock motor at a hobby store, and just swap them, or will it not be strong enough? the hand are big, and may be steel. Any advice, even just tangentially related, is appreciated. Oh, and I already sprayed the motor with Liquid Wrench, and let it sit overnight. The hands turn, but then stay in place, so the gears move fine, and the hands are connected; there’s something else wrong. ---
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2024, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-know-anything-about-repairing-old-clocks/995744/2 "2024-01-07T20:31:25Z")
Here is a guy who will cut the glass to the size you want: > **[NEW REPLACEMENT FLAT Round Clock Glass, CUT TO YOUR SIZE 14" to 20" Diameter. ...](https://www.ebay.com/itm/123876082651?hash=item1cd79703db%3Ag%3AvikAAOSwQSBXHMi2&amdata=enc%3AAQAIAAAA0K4GAx7ZxTAlDsdKMEiob9joryeXCnULdmL%2B%2BCe3qWOfscruTYP4euaNzZwEXMidyfnisnjrQOjZ29t90la7tP1ejpY6Zlq1h4NBatfIEpizGPOmUfIrZkTvbddztp%2BuD%2F8usruK6jj2jFmkFMIE20X1%2FKEOmwUXmcseofvQjysGl5k%2BVCmaAhEx0OdT70o3gqZ6SlnnQk5OGH0UQvzUsZIaMEcjNNlwvg5n9IrcVJSYE2JmuMv%2F6aW2RjCFNV%2BDWCyZ2iy2nOGsX3LNThowy9I%3D%7Ctkp%3ABk9SR7qY69mcYw&LH_BIN=1)** > > Of Traverse City Mi.075 to.085" thickness., and also your zip code?. I expect you can find lots of videos on Youtube. ---
**Author:** ![Spiderman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiderman/32/230_2.png) [@Spiderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiderman)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2024, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-know-anything-about-repairing-old-clocks/995744/3 "2024-01-07T21:55:30Z")
I had a clock that would only go **tick**. I took it to the old, German clockmaker, told him what was wrong & asked if he could fix it. He looked at the clock & said, “Vee have vays of making you tock!” ---
**Author:** ![pjd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pjd/32/3009_2.png) [@pjd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pjd)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2024, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-know-anything-about-repairing-old-clocks/995744/4 "2024-01-07T22:15:37Z")
I went to a local glass shop and they cut me a replacement glass for an old school clock (fusee type) in about 20 minutes for less than £10. (I took them the 2 halves of the old one.) ---
**Author:** ![Paintcharge](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/paintcharge/32/7946_2.png) [@Paintcharge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paintcharge)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2024, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-know-anything-about-repairing-old-clocks/995744/5 "2024-01-07T22:41:28Z")
Snerk. And you get a swat with a rolled up newspaper. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2024, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-know-anything-about-repairing-old-clocks/995744/6 "2024-01-08T03:45:31Z")
I haven’t asked my local glad to cut circles (only rectangles) but if be surprised if they couldn’t do it. No idea about the motor, though. ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2024, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-know-anything-about-repairing-old-clocks/995744/7 "2024-01-08T14:39:25Z")
Spend a couple bucks and buy a battery powered quartz movement. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2024, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-know-anything-about-repairing-old-clocks/995744/8 "2024-01-08T15:10:14Z")
This web site has a nice selection of quartz clock movements for various dial thicknesses. I think they’ll be smaller than the old electric motors. Should easily mount in a wall clock. It’s an inexpensive repair for a clock that has sentimental value. Replacing a broken glass or plastic clock face would be more difficult. The fit has to be more precise. Clocks were such an important part of people’s childhoods. There were so many personalized designs that reflected people’s taste. Digital clocks never had that same appeal. [https://www.klockit.com/all-departments/quartz-clock-movements.html](https://www.klockit.com/all-departments/quartz-clock-movements.html) ---
**Author:** ![3AxisCtrl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/3/ecd19e/32.png) [@3AxisCtrl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/3AxisCtrl)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2024, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-know-anything-about-repairing-old-clocks/995744/9 "2024-01-08T15:14:47Z")
> [@RivkahChaya](#): > > I already sprayed the motor with Liquid Wrench … This is not really the optimum scheme for fixing an old electric motor. If it isn’t running properly, your options are: - disassemble / repair / reassemble (may require special skills & tools ) - find a matching replacement (probably difficult - maybe impossible) - take **btwm** ’s advice and obtain a modern replacement (easy, but might not work with the old hands) ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2024, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-know-anything-about-repairing-old-clocks/995744/10 "2024-01-08T17:56:12Z")
Can you post a photo of the motor / mechanism? ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2024, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-know-anything-about-repairing-old-clocks/995744/11 "2024-01-08T19:00:03Z")
If the clock had a mechanical movement and/or was collectible/had sentimental value, I’d see about getting it repaired _a la_ what they do on **The Repair Shop**. Electric motor? I won’t mess with them; no real sentimental value and good luck finding replacement parts. A quartz movement might come with hands which could possibly suffice. ---
**Author:** ![Common\_Tater](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/common_tater/32/13846_2.png) [@Common\_Tater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Common_Tater)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2024, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-know-anything-about-repairing-old-clocks/995744/12 "2024-01-09T15:46:31Z")
A few people collect Telechrons and other electric clocks, I’ve read they often get the original motors to work fine. Something something about drilling a small hole in the case and getting lubricant where it needs to go by storing it upside down for a while. The motor can probably be saved and will work fine is what I’m getting at. A quartz mechanism just won’t do here. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2024, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-know-anything-about-repairing-old-clocks/995744/13 "2024-01-09T15:51:01Z")
Agree with the above. A good cleaning and lube may restore the motor. It’s worth trying. Use compressed air to blow it out and lube the shaft with something like 3in1 oil. If you don’t have any use a drop of Canola oil (it’s highly refined and won’t gum up). ---
**Author:** ![Common\_Tater](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/common_tater/32/13846_2.png) [@Common\_Tater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Common_Tater)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2024, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anyone-know-anything-about-repairing-old-clocks/995744/14 "2024-01-09T19:47:38Z")
I know an old feller clock guy who swears by a combination of Mobil 1 synthetic, and a small amount of Marvel’s Mystery Oil - “just enough to make it pink” he says.