Clockworks Clock Supply Welcome

Clockworks Clock Supply Welcome, Clockworks.com is in the back woods of New England, we are a ethical family of clock enthusiasts. All our business with clock parts is conducted through shipping products and repairs rather than running a "walk in" retail establishment. We offer a variety of clock parts, movements, clock hands, clock tools and anything else you can think of clocks.

We are located in Huntington, MA, in the USA. This is old clock country, here as Huntington, and not far from the retired factories of Seth Thomas, New Haven, Waterbury, Ansonia, Westfield Watch, Chelsea Clock Co, and more. This region is where the great clock manufacturers produced countless quality clocks that are sought after even a century later.

We ship out every business day from MA USA with both UPS and USPS. Everything is gone and shipped by 1 or 2pm each day, so if you order in the afternoon your item will not go out until the next business day. Email is always the best form of communicating, we can exchange pictures and information to help you with your clock.

- - The content of this web page and web site was written and copyright by James Stoudenmire of Clockworks.com - It may not be used commercially without permission. - -

Clockworks Clock Supply Origin

Clockworks Clock Supply Origin started out as Nepaug Clockworks in the mid 1940’s by Robert Tonkin from a section called Nepaug in New Hartford, CT. He was doing his clock repair out of his house in Nepaug and then also a Jewelers that was across from the old Seth Thomas factory in Thomaston, CT.

In 1991 his nephew (me) James Stoudenmire took an interest in what he was doing and started to follow suite, joining NAWCC in 1994 and was in full swing with clocks. With his experience and knowledge backing up the clock ventures, I learned everything I could about clock repair and the clock industry. I took up a clock repair internship at Goldsmith Jewelers, owned by Ludwig Goldsmith in Wilbraham, MA. There I would work for free learning about more about clocks and repairing them. We would go to all the NAWCC shows that happened within a about 200 miles of us. At the shows we would watch the experts explain various details about special clocks and how to re pivot and all this. I would meet other clockmakers and get there opinions on certain problem units and so forth.

Then came the internet in 1995, and Ebay to soon follow. I had a lot of clock parts and watch parts by then from all the places I been. I would buy up things here and there and had a good stock pile of things clock related that I really did not need.  I started selling here and there on Ebay with the user name of clockworks. It stuck and we got pretty busy with it. I would buy up retired clockmakers parts and supplies and keep selling them online. So the next step was to get a website. I was stuck with theclockman.com because clockworks.com was taken, but finally in 1998, I found out who owned the name and I was able to buy it from him. Now, here we are, clockworks.com! After some time there were more people involved with both the clockworks website and the clock repair aspect, and now here we are, over 20 years later with that same Clockworks.com

These days we have a full stack clock repair center, industrial clock cleaning machines, several lathe setups, both Bergeron and KWM bushing setups, Gear cutters and a mountain of old clock movements separated by maker. At the same time we have the retail side of offering everything from moon gears to quartz clock hands and mainsprings to full blown tubular bell clock kits. We stock all the German made units and also the more economical India made units and battery operated.

• If we need a part, we go to the next section of the building and get it, from either our retail supply or our antique supply.
• If we need to cut a gear or pivot something, we go to another room and do it.

When someone calls and has a clock issue, if we can't solve their issue, it's most likely not solvable.

- - The content of this web page and web site was written and copyright by James Stoudenmire of Clockworks.com - It may not be used commercially without permission. - -

Mechanical Clock Cleaning Service

Our Mechanical Clock Cleaning Service is the first step of a movement restoration. The movement needs to have the old oil removed in order to determine where bushings are needed. We shake the gear train up and down to test the movement for potential bushings . A mark is then placed where we find a bushing is needed. If the movement is gummed up with old oil the gears will not move up and down like they should. Therefore a cleaning is always the first step of getting a movement overhauled.

If you choose to send it in for a cleaning and inspection, we will assess what the movement needs and quote you for what further work should be done, if any. If you do not want to have any more work done on the movement despite our recommendations, or if it does not need any, we will oil it and send it back.

Why Clockworks.com?

Clockworks has the best tooling, cleaning equipment, and cleaning solutions. There is no expense spared by us when it comes to having the best equipment. With this factor and 3 generations of clock repair expertise, you can rest assure your movement will be in the best hands it can possibly be in.

What we need

We only need the movement. That is all, nothing else. Remove the clock movement from the case and ship it to us. We do not need the clock case, pendulum, weights, chime block, or hands. We need none of these things from you because we have everything in our stock that is required. The best way to pack the movement is to wrap it, with the handshaft facing up, tightly in a box. Make sure it cannot bounce around in there. Also, NEVER let packing peanuts get inside the movement! Then you want to pack that box into another box. Packing it in this manner will ensure safe delivery of your movement.

Mechanical Clock Cleaning Service - Pricing

We will take the movement in, unpack it, and then clean it and inspect it for $150. If it passes inspection, we will oil it and test it. If this is all that is needed then the final cost is the $150 plus the shipping back to you. The initial $150 is non refundable and is the fee for the cleaning, inspection, oiling and testing. If it does not pass inspection, we will contact you and let you know what else is going on with the movement and how much it will cost to fix it. Then it is purely up to you how you would like to proceed.

- - The content of this web page and web site was written and copyright by James Stoudenmire of Clockworks.com - It may not be used commercially without permission. - -

Mechanical Clock - Movement Removal

Mechanical Clock - Removing Movement is organized by the type of clock. This is a basic guideline. It is not intended for every clock out there. There are numerous clock makers and each have their own style. Anyone could have built your clock and mounted it in their own way. They all have the same basic steps for removal, but sometimes a clock maker puts their own twist on these things.

Modern post WW2 Floor clocks

Remove weights and pendulum - Unhook the weights and set them aside. Do the same with the pendulum. Be sure to handle these items with a rag or use gloves. This goes for the dial as well as any other shiny metal item on your clock. If touched directly, the acid from your hands and sweat will cause the metal to tarnish. It will not be immediately evident, but over time you would see dark finger prints in these areas.

Remove the hands - Take off the hands by holding the minute hand and turning the minute hand nut to the left. Once this nut is off, the minute hand will come off. To get the hour hand off, twist it and pull it toward you. This is a friction fit and will come right off. If you have a second hand bit, use the same method as the hour hand. It is also a friction fit so twist and pull towards you.

Dial Removal - Next we are ready to get the dial out of the way. Usually the first step is to take off the trim that surrounds the clock dial. This is held in place with only two or four Phillip screws. Unscrew them and remove the trim. Most dials on floor clocks are the moon phase style with the hump on the top. These are typically locked into the movement with four posts. These posts stick out the back of the clock dial itself. They go into the front plate of the movement and are secured by levers within the movement. If you have the levers, use your fingers and push them out of the way on each dial post. The dial will then fall off the front of the movement.

Sometimes the posts will have small holes in the ends. This is for a tapered pin. These pins are used to keep the dial attached to the front plate. Use needle nose pliers to grab the tapered pin and yank it out. Ideally you will have side access panels so you can get to these levers, or pins. This would be the easiest way to unlock the dial from the side of the clock case. One other method for the dial is for it to be attached to the wood case instead of the movement. If this is the situation the dial already came off with the wood trim.

Movement removal - Take the screws out that hold the movement in place. In grandfather clocks, these would be on the bottom of the movement going up into the movement's pillar or arbors that hold the plates together. In other words, stick your head inside the clock case where the weights are and look straight up. You will see two screws holding the movement in place. Take those screws out and the movement will come right out the front where the dial was. If the clock is chain driven, you may need to remove the ends of the chains first. This means taking off the weight hook and ring on the chain itself. This is easy to do. Use two needle nose pliers to twist open the link that is holding the hook or ring. If it cannot twist open you may have to snap the link.

Wall and Mantle

These are even more simple than the GF clocks above. Take the hands off as described above, remove the pendulum and the dial. Now you are left with only the movement which is mounted to the wood case. Remove the four screws, or nuts, that hold it in place and your done.

Mechanical Clock - Movement Removal Conclusion

Removal of the clock movement is fast and easy. Now that you have the movement outside of the clock case, you can swap it out for the new one. It can also be sent in for cleaning and restoration. Installation is, of course, in the reverse of the Mechanical Clock - Removing Movement text.

- - The content of this web page and web site was written and copyright by James Stoudenmire of Clockworks.com - It may not be used commercially without permission. - -

Sending A Clock for Repair

Sending A Clock for Repair is easy to do. Only the movement needs to be sent in. We get clock repairs shipped to us from all over USA and Canada. There is never a problem doing this as long as the movements are double boxed and well protected. Here are some guidelines on how to ship the movement and also what to expect.

Packing The Movement

The first thing to know is we only need the clock movement, nothing else. We do not need the pendulum, hands, weights, dial, or chime block. None of these things are needed, just the movement alone. The reason being we already have the parts here. We are well versed in what parts are needed for the various movements and simply pull them from our stock. Unfortunately, if you send your parts they may get mixed up with ours, or worse, damaged in shipping. So the easiest and safest thing to do is just send the movement.

Undoubtedly, the safest way to pack the movement is to box it up nice and tight with the handshaft facing up. This is very important! Make sure the movement cannot bounce around inside the box. The next step is to pack that box inside another box. If you send it like this, there will be no problem getting it to us. It does not even have to be put together. You can send us a bag of parts and the movement plates. It does not matter as long as it's all there. Don't laugh, we have had this happen many times! We know how to put it back together, so don't worry.

When packing up the movement, take special care to protect the hand shaft as this is hard to correct if it gets bent. This is the shaft that the hands go on to tell the time. You should pack the movement up well with newspaper and bubble wrap. If you are using packing peanuts make sure to put the movement inside a plastic bag first! Please DO NOT let the movement get peanuts all up inside of it.

Again, when placing the movement inside the box make sure you place it in with the hand shaft pointing up. Once you have the movement packed really well in a box, pack it again in another box with more packing material. The movement should not be able to bounce around inside the first box. Double boxing provides extra cushion for the movement as it travels to minimize the possibility of damage.

If you have a UPS account, or have access to ship it via UPS, just send it along after you fill out the form. If it is a problem getting it shipped out, let us know the weight and dimensions of the box and we can email you a UPS label for a low price. Shipping centers are unreasonably expensive when it comes to packing and shipping something for you. If you box it up as described and ship it to us with the label we give you, it will be substantially less cost than a place like Mailboxes, etc to pack and ship. Please email us at clockworks@clockworks.com with the weight and dimensions of the box if this sounds better for you. Of course, you can go priority mail as well, if you so choose.

After you have the movement packed up, please send it to: CLOCKWORKS 124 Goss Hill Rd, PO Box 339, Huntington, MA 01050. If you fill out the following form, we will get notification that your clock is coming. You will receive an email confirmation of your form submission.

• Clockworks
• PO Box 339
• 124 Goss Hill Rd
• Huntington MA 01050
• 800-381-7458
• clockworks@clockworks.com

- - The content of this web page and web site was written and copyright by James Stoudenmire of Clockworks.com - It may not be used commercially without permission. - -