Cuckoo Clock

[julieb]

Is there anybody out there who repairs or has experience servicing a German cuckoo clock? I think there may be some corrosion on the chains. WD40?

[Tink]

WD40 is a great rust prohibitive, but a terrible lubricant. It actually washes away any oil that may be where it is needed. If you have access to the works, just use a q tip and some 30 wt oil and dab the gear hub axle points, or get a bottle of "tri-flow" lubricant with the little straw to aid in placing each drop.

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[TomK]

Tink,

That is so helpful! Nothing to do with cuckoo clocks, but I tried to quieten a squeaky fan using WD40 and it worked just great for 10 minutes or so, and then got worse. I had no idea that WD40 wasn't such a good idea, but now I have a new plan.

Thank you!

[Tink]

No problem at all Tom, thanks!

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[terracore]

WD-40 stands for water displacement, 40th formula. It was designed to prevent corrosion by displacing water. It's also good for getting rusty things unstuck after a good soaking, but I've never thought of it as a lubricant.

In the old dot matrix printer days we used to spray WD-40 on the print ribbons to get more ink out of them. Not sure how it worked (probably bled the ink from the unused part of the ribbon) but it was a useful hack back in the day.

[dmbwest]

WD will also bring out the "hidden luster" in faded paint jobs.

+ 1 Tri-Flow ! Squeeze bottle only available at Hilo Bike Hub that I remember on this side. Don't think Mid Pacific Has. ... Can get spray @ Ace.

aloha,
pog

P.S. Don't let them talk you into Boeshield either ... Save and just get WD-40.
P.P.S. Tink, forget about White Lightning or any wax types for here. N.G. Stay w/ TriFlow.

[Tink]

Thanks for the heads up on where to get it Pog. You never think about where you can find it until you run out. Tri flow seems to be the only light oil type lubricant I seem to use, replacing the old can of 3 in 1 oil I grew up with. It keeps the 70 plus year old oscillating fan on the workbench running just fine!

I didn't want to get into the "technical" part of WD40, but one of it's "many uses" is "melt" the oil waxes that have built up around the oil point, giving a temporary "oiled" sound, leaving a dry oil point in the end. WD40 also works well as a "rust proofing" of metal if you heat the metal up and spray or drench it in WD40.

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[julieb]

I'm bumping because I'm still looking for help with my clock. What can I use to wipe off the chains?

[shockwave rider]

Talk to the people at Brian Booth Antiques, they will either know what to use or refer you to someone who will know.

[Jeffhale]

quote:

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Originally posted by julieb

I'm bumping because I'm still looking for help with my clock. What can I use to wipe off the chains?

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White Vinegar is a very light acid which you can dip your chains into and clean the rust. Oleic acid also good but slightly stronger, both will eat away rust. Yeah WD40, it cleans well but it dries and whatever residue left over just hardens, so you could use it but it means you'll be servicing what you are trying to lube more and more. In most cases where WD40 is used, it loosens up dirt and rust so it'll work well until it dries and the dirt or rust it loosened hardens. However WD40 can be used to clean, but, after you'll need to flush it off, most any dish soap will dissolve WD40, and then coat with machine oil.

Rubbing alcohol is a great metal cleaner, won't remove rust but otherwise it'll, clean metal and hardened oils that have turned into varnish in no time, plus evaporates.

After you've cleaned the rust off the chain, rub it down with light sewing machine oil, 3-in 1 or most any low cost household oil like 3 in 1 then lightly dry, so you're not getting oil on ya but lightly coating it. . Dab a bit of machine oil onto the pivoting points of the gears of the clock works and any place where things are making contact and then lightly wipe to remove excess. Light acids can remove some metallic coatings or plating so, it's a good idea to test an end section of the chain 1st. if either do, then, just give the chain a good scrubbing with dish soap and plastic brush and ignore the rust, just keep a very thin coating of oil, soaked and wiped dry annually. Metals loves oils, it keeps humidity out and it'll soak into rust, prevent further oxidation.

Cuckoo clocks are basically very simple mechanisms, no where close to a precise timer and for the most part, all they need is an annual light oiling.

There are plenty do-it-your self videos and sites with instructions for maintaining your cuckoo.

IDK if they'd do as I, but, I've always used what I learned the hard way, or what's availed in the junk drawer.