Tower Clock Restoration
Since 1998 The Clockery has been engaged in partnership
with Ian Pomfret restoring large antique tower clocks, street clocks,
and public clocks in western Connecticut and the mid-Hudson New
York area. Some of the historic clocks we have restored include
those at:
- Yale Divinity School, New Haven, CT
- Scoville Public Library, Salisbury CT
- Plumb Public Library, Shelton CT
- Christ Church, Canaan CT
- First United Methodist Church, Mt. Vernon, NY
- Southport Congregational Church, Southport, CT
- Milford Town Hall, Milford, CT
Tower clock services include:
- Evaluation and condition reports
- Complete detailed restoration
- Fabrication of missing or broken parts
- Design and fabrication of custom winding systems
- Design and installation of custom night silence controls
The Restoration Process
Antique French tower clock before restoration. Note rusted steel,
corrosion and scale due to bird droppings.
First, the frame is stripped of all parts and the entire mechanism is
disassembled right down to the set screws.
Piece by piece, the entire mechanism is ultrasonically cleaned, worn metal
is renewed, and original decorative finishes are restored.
Pivot bearings and all points of moving contact are polished to a
mirror-bright finish. Arbors are spun in the lathe for polishing and
truing.
Restored arbor with polished pivot and matching bushing.
Escapement is restored to original dimensions and pallets are reground.
Note escape wheel on left awaits restoration, verge on right is finished.
Each part is fitted in turn to the next. Original tolerances are restored.
The movement is finally assembled and all functions are tested in our
workshop prior to return to the customer.
The completed clock awaits transportation back to the tower.
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