The winder on the left side looking at the clock is for the strike movement. If it's stuck then I doubt the clock will strike the hour. I have a comprehensive explanation on my video:- Chiming and striking Enfield style clocks pointers on synchronising them and making them work. To find the video subscribe and scroll through the titles there are rather a lot of them. Good luck Simon

at 80+ they are not as they used to be! and Mathew Reid of the Open Clock Club (see videos) insists on them. much of the time I don't wear them as they make the work very difficult but at the end, after cleaning and polishing the movement, its best to wear them and not leave finger prints as they endure for ages!

thank you but there are other problems of course; if the rack tail (erroneously i referred to it as the hammer) falls at any time and fails to strike it remains on the snail without further ado and the clock continues to run without striking but will still stop at about 12.20 as the rack tail jams on the verticle face of the snail. it is a tricky business sorting out striking French clocks - good luck

Thank you for replying with this additional tip! This morning I wound the strike spring after manually releasing all tension by advancing the minute hand through the hours. I set the time for 10:30. At 11:00, the fly activated quite well without help and the clock chimed 11 times. Now, it's a matter of seeing whether or not the clock stops again at 12:15. I will let you know after thorough testing. Of course, after seeing your video I realistically expect the strike spring may very well be tired, as I intermittently had to urge the fly to spin with a gentle nudge as I manually ran the clock down through the hours. I just thought I'd tinker with it since I have the works out of the case, on a makeshift stand. Outside of the recurring 12:15 problem, the clock strikes in synchronization with the hour and half hour and keeps good time. Fingers crossed, as clock repair in my area is expensive! I recently paid $175 for a suspension spring and "Cleaning". Although the works look as dusty as I brought it in in. Thank you again Sir! Doug, from Connecticut, US @@s.spencertenagodus8051

there is another, although linked reason that the clock stops at 12.20 plus or minus and that is often diagnosed by the apparent lack of power in flicking the fly. it could be that the strike spring is "set" or not really up to it. however, from my own very frustrated experience, this could also be caused by the detent lever on the hammer (gong hammer) falling at the strike time on to one of the pins on the ?third? star strike wheel with the hammer lifting pins. if this wheel is one tooth/leaf on the pinion too far advance it will mean that the lifting lever is resting heavily on the star wheel's pin and it the strike train sometimes hasn't got quite enough puff to get the fly going. if the lifting lever/detent is mid way or clear of the star wheel's pin the the fly starts and away you go. it is quite a job to get it right as i tried to explain in the vid. PS you sound quite keen at sorting it out. take your sprit in your hands and fix it yourself. there are plenty of videos out there and i have quite a bundle too on KZbin. its not easy but just take your time and take plenty of photos. that's what i did in 2018 and I'm still going strong. all done with KZbin help - nothing else good luck Simon

I am not sure what you mean. Water marks are not very likely as the movement behind most likely will also be affected by the water and will be rusting up. bad news. more likely to be the hand is scraping the dial and wearing off the silver or leaving a stain. if so the what is the dial made of? if it is silvered on an alloy plate (modern clock) then there is little you can do other than a new plate or done professionally. if it silvered on an old clock with a copper plate silvered the the face can be re-silvered. a skilled job. if it is an enameled or glazed plate then i would use a tissue with a bit of lick on it and rub very gently to clean each area. if the dial has been removed then you can wash the top surface in warm water and mild soap a little spot at a time until you have done the whole face plate gently. good luck simon

Hi I have just seen the video of your stained clock face. It looks like the enamel paint has been damaged and water has indeed penetrated and caused rust and bad stains. I don't know how you can remove the stains. Is the Movement OK? If this is the case then it is a problem I can't help with. Good luck!!

@@s.spencertenagodus8051 I apprciate your help anyway, I let you know when I've completed mine & like yours lot work needs doing to it as was found in barn. Thank you

Reuasam thank you for your very interesting, constructive and essentially correct comments. Under different circumstances you are completely right and I have since read up on the correct procedure confirming your assertions. But in my defence I would explain my thought process. The sherline mill has a very difficult vice process to secure small items. Once lined up it's best left as setup. I centred and lined up the Mill on the original 0.6mm pivot hole using a 0.6mm drill set as best I could away from the additional elongated section. This gave me centre. I then used a 1.5mm drill which I reasoned would drill centrally - which to see from results seemed correct. I then reamed out this hole with a 1.97 reamer but with one pass only and not a full thru and back. So it was a little under size. I admit I worked from the front (wrong) but as soon as the 2.0mm dia bush found centre and settled I drove it home gently tapping onto a smooth staking block with a 2mm domed smooth stake so that it was riveted by expansion and flush with the inside of the "plate" the plate was a removable action some 2.4m and the bush was set into the oil sink so could be only 1.5 mm thick (I could have use a much bigger bush (but that option didn't occur) in the end l reemed out and burnished the pivot hole to suit the 0.6mm pivot and the clock which was stopping intermittently has been running well for the last 3 weeks. Thank you again for your helpful and correct comments but I had two extenuating circumstances. Firstly the circumstances and set up of the Mill. Secondly "pig ignorance" of a novice - but not all that bad under the circumstances. Kind regards Simon trading as Tenagodus.

I don't think the hour hand is out of kilter. It should be stiff as it is on a friction spring clutch on the main arbor's hour wheel and I think that's OK. The clock may be stopping at about ten to the hour perhaps because the warning pin on the strike train is not being released to allow the strike train to run. It may be stuck on the little plate inside the front plate on the wishbone detent. This can happen if the warning pin is too close to this plate to let it get enough momentum or if this little plate is not polished smooth. This is just a thought and where I would look first. These clocks have their own traits to annoy you! Good luck Simon

thank you. As I explained I had great trouble using a first class mainspring winder - Olie Baker style. the barrels were too small (less than 30mm) with problems of sleaves fitting into them and winding the springs too tightly. the simplest way was to do it by hand. I was very apprehensive at first but now I have mastered a technique, as shown. It is still quite stressful at the very start and the end - pushing the last coil thru but does work well. So if faced with the renewing a similar spring have a go but wear tough manurable gloves. Good luck Simon trading as tenagodus

well thanks for the interest. I believe that the main adhesive to adhere the parts together - from my observations on a number of slate clocks is Plaster of Paris. however stone plaster is no doubt the building blocks of the clock (undertops which are solid, for the top pediments to adhere to, and hold the four sides together and ridged) then on top of the stone plaster sections plaster of paris is applied and parts squeezed together (i use weights as best i can). the advantage of plaster of paris is that if you carefully soak the parts you can dismantle the clock. this is not possible if some previous repairs are put together using resins, bitumen or carpenters pearl glue. my video "85 Antique slate clock nightmare to happy day with gilding guide" this video shows how it would not have been possible to remove and clean the columns and the slate behind without dismantling the clock as i did. i did so by inverting it in just the right depth to dissolve/loosen the plaster. I am self taught novice so my advise is my experience. i would not us the stone plaster to stick parts together only to rebuild the case as had been done before. build on this using plaster of paris which if applied successfully will be fine. Wet both surfaces with spray water, get the plaster to consistency of supermarket double cream apply with pallet knife or old steel table knife all over meeting surfaces and apply the slate section. But before doing this dummy run and dry fix and mark the parts for the last stage. the last stage has to be done in seconds. the plaster you put on with have the moisture sucked out of it and then it is too solid to squeeze together. it is very tricky to get right. it its not right take apart, clean off and repeat getting the plaster to the right consistency so it squeezes out and doesn't solidify too soon. good luck! Simon

@@s.spencertenagodus8051 wonderful explanation it will be a great guidance for when required.Right now we have a 15 1/2" x 12 1l2" Tiffany and Co Polished Slate (I think it is) clock which weights and incredible 43.5 lbs. There is a brass footing with two screws holding it on and one of the screws has become loose as the the plaster cement type material has Brocken off at that corner under neath and I would like to rebuild it so screw that holds that end of brass is strong to hold it in place.I haven't found anything with the name Stone Plaster in a small bag but there is a powder they call Hydrocote Plaster which is strong they say which I've narrowed it down to.Its really a small section maybe 1/4 to under 1/2 inch but I'd like to take care of it. What do you think.Thanks

check it out. the "screw" may be held in with a rawlplug or wooden plug set into the plaster of paris which had been allowed to dry hard. I have one similar with brass feet screwed in with a "bolt" not a wood screw type, into a brass fitting of the same thread which is securely held in the palster of paris; but all are different. perhaps, if you have not done so check out the fittings in the other foot and replicate. anyway it sounds like a great clock. good going with the restoration but any screw into plaster as a key holding ground sounds like bad news! kind regards Simon@@merseybeat1963

@@s.spencertenagodus8051 yes it's a brass slotted flat head but I thinking the inserted end may be a non threaded stubb I don't want to retract it to look. Yes the two long flat brass footings are secured into the plaster cement looking stuff which is about 1/2 inch thick next to the stone slab

Well bet my bottom dollar it's set in plaster of Paris. Good quality dries very hard. You have to have courage and take to pieces to see how and then rebuild. I am away for a bit but let me know how you get on. Have faith in plaster of Paris it's pretty much all they had back then in 1890!! PS I have never had tuition all done at home by myself with KZbin. Good fortune yours Simon

Good morning Chris Sorry I can't indicate the maker anything more than on occasions A stands for America amalgamation with often a German concern. But much can be determined by the style of the clock case and the system adopted in the manufacture and style of the Movement. My email address [email protected] send me a few photos of the Movement and the case and I could give you a view of country of origin. But I would only give my opinion which may not necessarily be right😮😮😮 kind regards Simon trading as Tenagodus

Good morning Chris Sorry I can't indicate the maker anything more than on occasions A stands for America amalgamation with often a German concern. But much can be determined by the style of the clock case and the system adopted in the manufacture and style of the Movement. My email address [email protected] send me a few photos of the Movement and the case and I could give you a view of country of origin. But I would only give my opinion which may not necessarily be right😮😮😮 kind regards Simon trading as Tenagodus

Hi Steve thanks for your comment. In the first few minutes I explained that the pillars were assembled as the clock was assembled. That is as the clock was built and cemented together with plaster of Paris the pillars were built into the bottom and top holes prepared for them and they had been assembled to size on their screw threads with top and bottom excess to lock into the plaster in the top and bottom sections of the clock as it was assembled and stuck together. There wasn't any access to the pillars without talking the top section completely apart. This I did. Then cleaned and reassembled as it was built using plaster of Paris. I tried to explain and I am sorry I wasn't clear in my procedure. Good luck and kind regards Simon.

Thanks. I too am retired. It's my hobby. Good luck. Regards Simon

Hi I think you have a problem with the engagement of the pins lifting the Y detent to release the strike train as said at 1.50 mins. As explained in 3.20min if the snail and underlying pin wheel creeps forward then the pins miss these detents and so no lift and no strike. Squeezing the clutch 4.00 min may help but may not cure. Pushing the hands back from the center may also push the snail and lifting pins back to engage with the detents to lift them. Alternatively a 0.2mm or so washer under the Y detents may lift them a fraction to continue to engage with the pins after it has crept forward. Lastly an additional washer between the hour and minute hand may act to prevent the forward creep. This should be lubricated with 6B graphite but if it sticks the clock will stop!!! I am afraid I am not sufficiently experienced to give a definitive answer to this problem. A mix of these has helped me to keep my clocks running continuously. They are really wonderful pieces of mechanics but are full of hidden problems!! good luck

@@s.spencertenagodus8051 hey thank you I figured it out I just had to push the hands further on and it slid the main gear on so the pins would lift the chime

Thanks you are very encouraging. As a self taught KZbin enthusiast you make my efforts worthwhile. Regards Simon

Good to hear from you Johnny and hoping you are fully recovered and that your sickness wasn't too terrible. I'm surprised you have given up car restoration as I believe you can get a very good return on your work. Clocks are all work and out of pocket! But I enjoy it and when you see the results and save a clock it's worth it. This vid shows that. So good fortune, keep well and in touch. Regards Simon

Much appreciated thank you

thanks Ben, yes it is a problem getting all the wheels in place. I start off with them high up above me, I'm on a low stool (seat lowers) with the movement chocked up at eye level with good lighting on a lazy-susan (turn table). when I have most of the wheels and barrels in place with the two lifting/striking (blued arbors) too, I lightly pin the back pillars and then take the movement in hand (wearing a broad apron to catch disasters) and fit the last few pivots - wheels holding the plates/movement in my left hand and coax the pivots into place with my right hand. Difficult but as long as you keep the movement more or less inclined up from the front plate, these pivots already in place tend to stay in place and you can tilt the movement to sight the top holes in the back plate for the remaining few pivots. Don't bother about the strike 3rd wheel as you have removed the access panel on the back plate. just concentrate on getting the fly fixed with the warning pin on the 5th wheel at about 3 o'clock and the rack pallet wheel's pin hard against the detent stop. then I use the spring clip holding the fly in the video. Worry about the time train as and if! once these strike wheels are in place pin all the plates lightly and then position the 3rd hammer lifting wheel so that the hammer is at "rest" - as i have suggest in the video. God willing it will strike as it should! To guide the pivots I use 3mm diam hamburger or sushi sticks with a "v" cut in the end and a hooked "barb" cut in the side adjacent to the v - use a razor blade to cut them. good fortune in your endeavors - the French clocks are wonders of "mass" produced works of the master craftsmen in late 19th early 20th C. regards Simon Spencer Fulham London

Hi Marc, The Smiths Enfield clocks do follow a pattern and are usually quite similar and sometimes parts can be interchangeable, but tread carefully, the plates may be spaced differently, the teeth a different number or the wheels/pinions not exactly the same. in addition there were many other makers particularly "foreign" - Germán hiding identity after the WW1 or later as Germán makes. these are usually really good clocks, with Westminster chimes but parts are not interchangeable and more often than not the sequence of chime/strike are worlds apart in their automotive action. this clock was not a Smith Enfield but quite similar and is a reasonably good example of the principles of a chiming clock. so good luck with the repairs. i started in much the same way buying on eBay. just keep at it. they are not simple, but are simple mechanics, meaning the can be complicated to understand but usually follow logical patterns! kind regards Simon

@@s.spencertenagodus8051 thanks for the quick reply. i'll keep on tinkering and if no joy i'll get intouch with "The Repair Shop" haha

Hi sorry taken so long to reply. the arbor refer to i assume is the main arbor for the three springs. No i think this clock is possibly a Germán one without marks (1920's just after WW1 and we were a bit touchy about German kit then) and the Germans are pretty authentic in their manufacture of clocks so if they see a simple solution they implement it. here the have allowed for the arbor to be removed from the spring (provided they are let down first). this is not always the case. in most Enfield clock you have to take the plates apart to get at the springs to replace them. hope this helps

Frankly I don't know the answer! But the beauty of the french clock in the case is that it can be turned to adjust the beat. in English striking/chiming Enfield clocks this is not possible and the pendulum has to be adjusted or the clock leveled up with shims etc. So, no there is not a locating pin otherwise you would not be able to adjust the beat if the clock is slightly out of level and yes in my experience it is the straps pulling tight that holds the clock in place when winding - that's all! so, they must be tight. but if they are not tight enough then the movement will move out of beat when being wound up. it is very frustrating! However, I have put sections of leather on the case to make the clock fit tight in the case (sometimes an alternative movement has been substituted and doesn't fit tightly - which it must (if too tight then a little candle wax helps to act as a permanent "lubrication" - or graphite). if the movement is a bit too small and isn't snug in its hole then you are on a looser come what may and this could be the fundamental cause of the movement even if the straps are tight! so check the right diam of the clock for the case. it may be a fraction too small! that could be the cause. Good luck regards Simon

@@s.spencertenagodus8051 Hi Simon, thank you so much for your quick reply! I like your suggestion of using leather as a means of improving the fit, so will investigate that further, It is a nice feature that beat can be adjusted by turning the movement, but also annoying as you say as it also runs the risk of putting the clock out of beat if it turns (as this one does) when winding. I will probably look to strengthen the rear frame where the screws pass through, so the mechanism can be held a little more firmly. Thank you again for your very helpful reply - I am very interested in older clocks and their repair, but lack any great experience, so always keen to learn from people like yourself. 🙂

@@harxonvere6412 well there we are - another novice like me! just stick at it and follow the KZbin info! good luck. Simon

@@s.spencertenagodus8051 Will do - thanks Simon. 🙂

Glad to hear from you and that my video was useful