# Scumpup is goddamned genius. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 13, 2015, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scumpup-is-goddamned-genius/719979 "2015-05-13T23:10:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2015, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scumpup-is-goddamned-genius/719979/1 "2015-05-13T23:10:12Z")
I’ve had a Revere mantel clock for some time now that I accumulated from one dead relative or another. It didn’t run when it got dumped on me and the little sticker inside it indicated it had left the jewelry store in 1948. The little blanks for the jeweler to initial after servicing it were all blank. Anyhow, looking at it today pissed me off and I decided it would ether run or go in the trash. Drank a couple beers…busted out the screwdrivers…took it apart. Like lots of electric clocks the movement is very simple and, on this one, mainly concrErned with chiming. I pulled the motor, placed it on top of a lit 60 watt bulb, and dosed it with Rem Oil. Soaked it right up, it did. Some varnishy shit bubbled out in the process. Had another beer. Put it back together. Sumbitch is actually running. ---
**Author:** ![kopek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kopek/32/337_2.png) [@kopek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kopek)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2015, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scumpup-is-goddamned-genius/719979/2 "2015-05-14T00:44:07Z")
Two things 1. The title would have carried more weight if someone else had written it. Hey - it could happen. 2. I’m also flashing on that old horror show where someone starts an old clock and finds out that when it stops again, they die. If that happens to be the case here, can I have your motorcycle? ---
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2015, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scumpup-is-goddamned-genius/719979/3 "2015-05-14T00:55:16Z")
You’ll have to knife fight my daughter for it. She’ll cut a bitch over way less than that. Good luck! ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2015, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scumpup-is-goddamned-genius/719979/4 "2015-05-14T02:06:29Z")
> [@kopek](#): > > Two things > > 1. The title would have carried more weight if someone else had written it. Hey - it could happen. > > . . . The title would have carried more weight if it said he was “a” GD genius. 😉 ---
**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:** [May 14, 2015, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scumpup-is-goddamned-genius/719979/5 "2015-05-14T02:57:26Z")
How many beers, & is it running forward or backward? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![kopek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kopek/32/337_2.png) [@kopek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kopek)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2015, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scumpup-is-goddamned-genius/719979/6 "2015-05-14T03:45:02Z")
Some people go to state licensed schools and classes to learn a trade or skill. What I like about **Scumpup** is he goes to state licensed beer shops and package stores and comes up with a skill. Genius may be too extreme of a word but this is, at least, something to be admired. ---
**Author:** ![chappachula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d2c977/32.png) [@chappachula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chappachula)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2015, 8:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scumpup-is-goddamned-genius/719979/7 "2015-05-14T08:01:00Z")
> [@Scumpup](#): > > I pulled the motor, placed it on top of a lit 60 watt bulb, and dosed it with oil. Now, me…I don’t know nuttin’ 'bout fixing clocks. But damn, I sure admire somebody who still has a genuine 60 watt incandescent bulb… ---
**Author:** ![BubbaDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bubbadog/32/333_2.png) [@BubbaDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BubbaDog)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2015, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scumpup-is-goddamned-genius/719979/8 "2015-05-14T14:01:00Z")
It’s pretty obvious that ANY doper with a canine reference within their user name is a goddamned genius. ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2015, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scumpup-is-goddamned-genius/719979/9 "2015-05-14T14:03:35Z")
Cut to part II. “The heat from the bulb set the oil on fire. It fell on the floor and the drapes caught on fire. Next thing I knew the whole house was in flames.” 😉 ---
**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:** [May 14, 2015, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scumpup-is-goddamned-genius/719979/10 "2015-05-14T14:05:54Z")
Modesty forbids. ---
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2015, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scumpup-is-goddamned-genius/719979/11 "2015-05-14T14:10:11Z")
It’s running a little loud and hasn’t been chiming. I believe I will tear it apart again this evening and give it some more oil; I was a bit parsimonious yesterday. I’ll look over the chiming mechanism while I have it apart as well. The simple solution here would be to just buy a rebuilt telechron rotor. They are, alas, about $100 + your old rotor from the couple guys who rebuild them. If oiling that bad boy up some more doesn’t set it completely right, the clock may still go in the trash. The clock has no sentimental value to me…I don’t even remember which relative owned it. It certainly isn’t worth putting any money at all into it as far as I am concerned. And, yes, there is a definite and well known connection between canine usernames and goddamned genius. ---
**Author:** ![kopek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kopek/32/337_2.png) [@kopek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kopek)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2015, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scumpup-is-goddamned-genius/719979/12 "2015-05-14T16:06:57Z")
Ours was a wind-up we found in the garage attic all corroded fast but ---------- at the suggestion of a friend I soaked it good in penetrating oil (Nuts-Off to be exact), let it dry overnight, and then gave it a light spray with vegetable oil and it ran fine for ages before I broke down and had a pro go over it. That or just drink several more beers. ---
**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:** [May 14, 2015, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scumpup-is-goddamned-genius/719979/13 "2015-05-14T16:26:58Z")
If you really like the case or the faceplate, you could get a quartz movement and install it (hopefully, the hands fit). They used to be $10 but Hector used to be a pup. That or just drink several more beers. ---
**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2015, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scumpup-is-goddamned-genius/719979/14 "2015-05-14T16:46:09Z")
> [@TruCelt](#): > > The title would have carried more weight if it said he was “a” GD genius. 😉 I don’t think I’ve ever seen Scumpup “genius” anything in Great Debates. 😕 ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2015, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scumpup-is-goddamned-genius/719979/15 "2015-05-14T16:51:58Z")
> [@Scumpup](#): > > It’s running a little loud and hasn’t been chiming. I believe I will tear it apart again this evening and give it some more oil; I was a bit parsimonious yesterday. I’ll look over the chiming mechanism while I have it apart as well. The simple solution here would be to just buy a rebuilt telechron rotor. They are, alas, about $100 + your old rotor from the couple guys who rebuild them. If oiling that bad boy up some more doesn’t set it completely right, the clock may still go in the trash. The clock has no sentimental value to me…I don’t even remember which relative owned it. It certainly isn’t worth putting any money at all into it as far as I am concerned. > And, yes, there is a definite and well known connection between canine usernames and goddamned genius. More beer. ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2015, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scumpup-is-goddamned-genius/719979/16 "2015-05-14T16:58:28Z")
> [@Scumpup](#): > > It’s running a little loud and hasn’t been chiming. . . Needs more cowbell? d&r ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2015, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scumpup-is-goddamned-genius/719979/17 "2015-05-14T17:11:52Z")
> [@Spiderman](#): > > How many beers, & is it running forward or backward? 😉 _The British are going, the British are going!_ ---
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2015, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scumpup-is-goddamned-genius/719979/18 "2015-05-14T17:16:09Z")
It looks [like this](http://digichar.com/imgs/a/b/w/p/y/vintage_revere_telechron_westminster_chimes_mantel_clock_416_1_thumb2_lgw.jpg). It was not a very expensive clock in its day and isn’t worth very much now. In its favor, the chimes are very nice when they are working. There are little mechanically driven mallets that tap metal metal bars to sound the notes. It chimes on the quarter hour and counts the hours. It is for the chimes that I want to get it sorted out at all. I figure tonight, like last night, should be a 90 minute/3 beer process. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2015, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scumpup-is-goddamned-genius/719979/19 "2015-05-14T19:35:15Z")
> [@Chimera](#): > > Cut to part II. > > “The heat from the bulb set the oil on fire. It fell on the floor and the drapes caught on fire. Next thing I knew the whole house was in flames.” > > 😉 I was expecting something like: The cool oil dripped onto the bulb’s hot glass then the glass shattered and I got a shard in my eye. The oil ended up on the white hot filament, burst into flame and … ---
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2015, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scumpup-is-goddamned-genius/719979/20 "2015-05-14T21:32:53Z")
Two hours, three beers. Running nearly silently. Not sure if I have fixed the chimes for real-real. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/scumpup-is-goddamned-genius/719979.md?page=2)