Cuckoo Clock

[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.