Oiling Your Antique Clocks!

You may have a clock, a wall clock, an expensive watch or a grandfather clock that is very precious and dear to you. They may be relatively new or they may be antiques, but they should be properly maintained. Take some time out and clean and polish your prized possessions. A wall clock or a wristwatch is now considered as a fashion statement so take care of them.

Oiling plays a key role in regular cleaning and maintenance. Oil is required to be applied to any part of the clock that rotates or revolves 360 degrees such as the hour hand wheel or minute hand wheel. The type or the choice of oil depends upon the age and pressure point that has to be oiled which further depends upon the load that the part takes.

It is observed that oil tends to thicken in the long run so take care to establish the correct parts that have to be oiled. Never apply oil between contact points, in teeth meshes, between wheels and pinions. Keep in mind that sliding surfaces generally require slight lubrication and so a little oil helps in maintain the lubrication.

The coils of a mainspring, springs pushing levers, click springs and clicks; grandfather clocks with pendulums, French clocks normally need a touch of oil. Keep in mind that you should not oil brass on brass parts in French clocks that have the lifting pieces made up of brass material.

When you apply oil or grease see that you unwind and wind the mainspring a number of times. Unwind the coils of the spring fully and then put a clean spring in the mainspring winder and brush a little bit of oil or grease lightly on the entire surface. Note that oil can soak itself in the clamps or springs but it is not the case with grease so warm up the grease by using a hair dryer or any other appliance but take care not to break the delicate parts.

Usually oil is applied by a brass wire that is hammered at the tip which looks like a small spade. Generally steel is not used as it can scratch the pivot. You can have brass wires in different sizes depending on the size of the clock. People also use delicate needles because the needle holes can hold the lubricants. Be careful while oiling the pivots because they are the most delicate parts in the clock. It is advisable to use eyeglasses while oiling the clocks or watches.

You can also take the help of a toothpick dipped in oil for in some places that require a thin film of oil. A tiny amount of lubricant is needed in warming pallets, contact surfaces and joints. You can apply the oil in any of the mentioned processes but take care to use branded oil. There are a number of oils that are available today which cater to grandfather clocks as well as minute wrist watches. It is advisable to use a costly lubricant as the oiling process is considered the most important job in watch and clock maintenance.