Services

Our belief is that submersion ultrasonic cleaning is the only effective way to thoroughly clean any mechanism in a clock, regardless of its vintage. This excludes any and all quartz battery-powered movements. However, electric-powered clocks have a mechanical drive, and the electric motor only replaces the spring or weights needed for power.

The cleaning process utilizes a tank containing a highly concentrated solution of ammonia and ultrasonic sound waves for deep cleaning. Cleaning times vary from 20 to 60 minutes based on the level of aged dirt, oil, and grease in the mechanism. After the process is complete, the mechanism/movement is dried and cleaned as it was the day it was manufactured, whether that be five or over 200 years ago.

Our position is you cannot completely clean a mechanism on location. We come into your location and remove the mechanism and all the associated hardware for large clocks, Grandfathers, Grandmothers, and antique Tall clocks. We clean them in our facility and advise you of any wear issues that need to be addressed. This is expanded upon further under repairs and services.

We take this position because, without the submersion ultrasonic cleaning, all dirt particles are not removed. Therefore, any clean oils or lubricants applied are going on top of some leftover dirt and aged oil. This mixture then creates a "slurry" mixture of dirt, aged oil, and fresh oil that is rotated among the shafts and gears and accelerates wear. This can lead to unnecessary, costly repairs in the future before they are needed. This method of cleaning is the same process used for precision instruments, watches, and fine jewelry, just on a much larger scale.

We only do submersion ultrasonic cleaning. The recommended frequency for cleaning is five to seven (5-7) years based on the clock's environment. A factor to be considered is the proximity to fireplaces, wood stoves, and the environment. These recommendations apply to mechanical clocks only. However, lubrication should be done for two and a half to 3 years. Quartz (battery-powered) clocks are not as susceptible to the environment.

After viewing, the customer is contacted, advised of the condition, and proposed repairs to the mechanism. We provide this information, presuming several years of trouble-free operation. During this time, costs and options are discussed. If we advise the customer that the only recommended service is cleaning, lubricating, and adjustments, they will still receive a warranty based upon a clock condition. However, floor clocks (Grandfather, Grandmother, and Antique tall-case clocks) have 1-year warranty.