Auctiva Emporium: cannyscotsman

The following instructions were published in The Boy Mechanic in 1923: How to Clean a Clock [119] It is very simple to clean a clock, which may sound rather absurd. For an amateur it is not always necessary to take the clock to pieces. With a little care and patience and using some benzine, a clean white rag, a sable brush and some oil a clock can be cleaned and put into first-class running order. The benzine should be clean and free from oil. You can test benzine by putting a little on the back of the hand; if it is good it will dry off, leaving the hand quite clean, but if any grease remains on the hand, it is not fit to use. The oil should be of the very best that can be procured. Vegetable oils should never be used. Clock oil can be procured from your druggist or jeweler. All loose dirt should be removed from the works by blowing with bellows, or a fan, or dusting with a dry brush; in the latter case great care should be exercised not to injure any of the parts. Dip the brush in the benzine and clean the spindles and spindle holes, and the teeth of the escapement wheel. After washing a part, wipe the brush on the rag and rinse in the benzine; this should be repeated frequently, until no more dirt is seen. When the clock has dried, oil the spindle holes carefully; this may be done with a toothpick or a sliver of woodcut to a fine point. Oil the tooth of the escapement wheel slightly, using a fine brush. Take a look at my eBay store for many interesting DIY plans and instructions.: http://stores.shop.ebay.com/Books-Plans-and-Prints-4U__W0QQ_armrsZ1