My old mechanical alarm clock stopped ticking yesterday morning

Turns out the mainspring was just gummed up, so I cleaned it with some lighter fluid and got it running again. Anyone have a better fix for old clock oil turning to varnish?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_spencer2mo ago

Lighter fluid works in a pinch, but it can dry out the old bushings. For that varnish, I've had good luck with a soak in naptha. It cuts the gunk without being as harsh. After it dries, a tiny drop of synthetic clock oil on the pivots keeps it from gumming up again for a long time.

amy_bailey862mo ago

That "gumming up again" part is the worst.

ivan8731mo ago

Not sure I quite agree there @the_spencer. In my experience naptha can leave a weird residue if you don't rinse it completely, especially on older clocks where the varnish has soaked in deep. Lighter fluid is fine for a quick cleanup, but I've seen it actually eat away at some cheap shellac finishes if you let it sit too long. That synthetic clock oil trick works great for a while but sometimes it attracts dust over time and makes things worse down the road. I usually just stick with a good quality mineral spirits rinse and a very thin coat of natural oil on the pivots, keeps it running smooth without any surprises.