It can be very dangerous to remove a powerful steel spring from a clock mechanism, so please don’t try to do it yourself without proper tools and training. We have special tools and equipment here in our repair shop for handling all sizes of mainsprings. We then determine if we can clean and lubricate it or if we have to replace it. If we suspect mainspring troubles in your broken clock, the first thing we do is remove the mainspring from the clock movement. Eventually the spring becomes so dry and gummy that is can’t release anymore, or the spring metal becomes worn out and corroded and may break! How do we fix it? These factors cause friction in the movement of the spring coils. Over the years, the grease will become dry and sticky, and the mainspring may become rusty or corroded. The other end hooks onto either the inside of a drum or on the corner post of the clock movement.Ī mainspring must be fairly clean and have a proper lubricant (typically grease) in order to wind and unwind easily (therefore delivering power).
They are on average 7 to 8 feet long! One end of the mainspring hooks on a winding arbor (the thing your key goes onto when you wind it). Over-winding is basically a myth! Let’s take a look at what actually causes a clock to quit running or chiming after winding it up… A clock mainspring is made of spring steel and is about the width of a ruler (but not quite as thick). Luckily, the truth is that you can’t over-wind your clock. But how common is it to really over-wind a clock? What actually happened to your mainspring? So, when the day comes that you wind your clock and it stops or breaks, the first thing you think is that it must your fault! “I think I’ve over-wound my clock!” is the most common thing we hear from customers visiting our clock repair shop. You may have inherited a clock from your parents or grandparents who warned you not to over-wind it. Is it for you? Maybe you have owned a clock for years and have wound it hundreds of times. Many owners of mechanical time pieces find that winding a clock is a special and enjoyable part of their routine.
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