Omar & John's Tower Clock

For Odobey History Click Here

Before

After

Check out VintageTimeWorks.com for clock and watch restoration in the Jackson, MS area.

Click a thumbnail below to expand....

Check out VintageTimeWorks.com for clock and watch restoration in the Jackson, MS area.

Here's a pic of what it should look like when completed. This one listed for about $ 22,000.00 on EBay a few months ago.

Restore it...

Take the damn thing apart: Click a thumbnail to see the picture... Also here are some close-ups of the pin wheel and escapement parts.

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Start with the base...Clean all the gunk, oil, dirt diver nests, and crap. Cleaned with Naphtha then Acetone, followed by denatured alcohol. Painted with gloss enamel black and gold leafed. I used yellow rouge on the brass. Below are some end-of-day pictures.

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As you can see in the photo, the pile of parts is getting smaller. I still have the little stuff to go. Today was just more of the same...cleaning and scrubbing. I manages to complete the 6 main power arbor mounts and bushings. I completed 6 arbors and wheels. Well, one has no wheel and 2 only have pinions; but, you get the idea.

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 The pile shrinks even more...Today I was able to redo the 3 main barrels. One is slightly compressed in the center; there must have been a hell of a weight hanging on it for a long time. Also, I was able to translate and copy some Odobey history, the linked button is at the top of the page. Note to self: Hopefully I will make enough profit from this clock to pay for the surgery necessary to correct the carpal tunnel syndrome the restoration project has given me. Tomorrow I will boil the other parts in my "homemade" clock cleaner. "Shorenuf" guaranteed to strip any brass to a lovely shinny finish. "Bring on the ammonium fumes baby!!!
As always, click the pictures to make them grow (If only we could click everything we wanted to make grow...)

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Okay, so today was spent on the little dull shinny brass crap; and, my making it bright and shinny, shinny crap. I hate the buffing wheel.....And I despise rouge of EVERY COLOR! Anyway, you can see from the photos I concentrated on the time train, which is mounted behind the main plate of the clock, in a smaller plate shaped much like a horseshoe. I also worked on some of the brass for the front and the steel count wheel. Also, the pile of parts is 2 boxes smaller... Also here are some other pictures I found interesting...

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Next, I took a week or so off and then a few days....I let my hands rest, the had a lot of swelling.....Omar said ice would work.....So I iced up a glass of bourbon and soda...well.....several glasses of bourbon and soda....AND vouala!!! The swelling went away. Below are some finished photos.

Check out VintageTimeWorks.com for clock and watch restoration in the Jackson, MS area.

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odobey 005.jpg (171455 bytes) odobey 006.jpg (161820 bytes) odobey 010.jpg (182783 bytes) odobey 007.jpg (134404 bytes)
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Remontoir Video here: Remontoir Number 1 and Remontoir Number 2. For Odobey History Click Here

Check out VintageTimeWorks.com for clock and watch restoration in the Jackson, MS area.