Thursday, August 29, 2013

When the Clock Hands Are Free, Take ‘em…!


Most of the clock movements we offer include a FREE CHOICE of multiple sets of hour and minute hands. It's your choice,. Just tell us what you want! For some reason, some customers think the hands that they currently have in their possession are going to fit a different clock movement. Rarely happens. If it does, buy a lottery ticket that day.

There is no "standardization" of the mounting holes in clock hands. It's that simple. The mounting holes in clock hands are measured to within a few thousandths of an inch, and there are dozens of possibilities.. Put your ruler away.  Unless you have good calipers or a micrometer, you are not going measure the mounting holes in clock hands. We primarily use the American "I" shaft system, but it is only popular here, and only some imported movements use it. Almost  all of our movements use the "I" shaft. The best feature of the American "I" shaft is that it uses a small round nut to lock the minute hand in place. It's very secure.

In all of our categories of clock hands, at the top of the first page on the web site, we  show an excellent profile drawing of the actual mounting hole sizes for the clock hands listed in that section. We also are sure to link every clock movement we sell with the clock hands that can be used with that movement. Just go to any movement page and click on "clock hands" at the bottom of the movement page to see our selection..

Friday, August 2, 2013

Pendulum Movements

Choosing and installing a pendulum movement requires a couple of simple, extra measurements. You need to measure the hand shaft as you normally would. (Link to First Time Clock Repair) you also need to measure the pendulum length by installing the pendulum on the movement, then measuring from the bottom of the pendulum to the center of the clock face. Also note the diameter of the pendulum bob (the round disc). Please see the drawing below:

If you are replacing an old mechanical movement with a modern battery operated quartz pendulum movement, please remember that the pendulums for mechanical movements are usually too heavy to be operated by a modern battery operated quartz movement. As long as your pendulum measures 16" or less, our adjustable pendulums will work on your clock. All you have to do is choose what size pendulum bob (the disc at the bottom of a pendulum) you would like. They are available in 2-1/8", 2-3/4" or 3-1/2" diameters. You choose what’s best for you!

If you have pendulum that you want to use, and it weighs more than 2-1/2 ounces, then you should consider the following pendulum drive units:

http://www.clockparts.com/clock-part/pd200-heavy-duty-pendulum-drive/

Or

http://www.clockparts.com/clock-part/heavy-duty-pendulum-drive/

As always, your choice of pendulum movements also includes your choice of over 50 styles of clock hands in gold or black. Just pick what you would like.

We stock two lines of time only pendulum movements. Our American made AA battery powered line:

http://www.clockparts.com/clock-part/mini-quartz-pendulum-movements/

And our C cell powered line of pendulum movements:

http://www.clockparts.com/clock-part/standard-size-quartz-pendulum-movements/

Both lines of pendulum movements can be used for a variety of applications. The "C" cell versions can operate clock hands up to 6" long and offer longer battery life. The AA battery versions operate hands less than 5" and offer compact size and lower price. Both come with a choice of pendulums and clock hands.

There's also a wide variety of chiming movements. Please see: Choosing a Chime Movement. Some movements chime every 15 minutes, some on the hour and half hour, and some just on the hour only. There are also a wide variety of shaft lengths and different models to choose from:

http://www.clockparts.com/clock-parts/chiming-clock-movements/

On some of our more expensive chime movements, they may only be available in a longer shaft. This is normally not a problem as if the hand shaft is to long, it can normally be "shimmed" back in your case, pulling the hand shaft back, by using some washers over the shaft before installation. Standard fender washers from your local hardware store work very well.

Come to clockparts.com for the best selection of pendulum movements.