Repairing an Old Railroad Style Cuckoo Clock for Jon in North Dakota

[@BradfordNeedham]

An index for this video: 0:00 - 0:58 Examining the damage to the case. 0:58 - 1:26 Removing the hand nut and bird. 1:26 - 3:35 Removing and assessing previous repairs to the bellows. 3:35 - 5:25 Removing and assessing the chains. 5:25 - 6:13 Removing the movement from the case. 6:13 - 9:36 An initial check of the pivot holes of the movement before disassembly. 9:36 - 14:36 Showing how the strike lock works and the position of the warning pin (in detail). 14:36 - 19:34 Disassembling the movement. 19:34 - 22:46 Examining the wheels and levers for damage. 22:46 - 26:46 Discovering a void in the cast ratchet, that threatens a tooth; the repaired ratchet. 26:46 - 30:14 Brushing with a mild abrasive and steel wool before ultrasonic cleaning. 30:14 - 30:55 Discovering a loose click on the time great wheel. 30:55 - 32:37 Polishing the pivots (in brief). 32:37 - 33:17 Discovering worn ratchet teeth. 33:17 - 36:01 Checking the pivot holes for wear in the temporarily assembled time and strike trains. 36:01 - 37:05 Showing how to find which side of a pivot hole is worn. 37:05 - 40:11 Planning the bushing of a pivot hole; testing the new bushings. 40:11 - 41:08 Pegging the pivot holes . 41:08 - 44:56 Reassembling the repaired movement. 44:56 - 45:26 Quick check of the assembled movement. 45:26 - 47:20 Detail of lock, warning, and run of the strike train. 47:20 - 48:22 Oiling the movement. 48:22 - 50:20 Assembling the motion works and other external parts. 50:20 - 50:44 Showing the fully assembled movement. 50:44 - 54:00 Repainting the bird. 54:00 - 55:54 Repairing the dial. 55:54 - 56:27 Planning to brush the case interior with boiled linseed oil. 56:27 - 1:01:17 Restoring the bellows tops (in detail). 1:01:17 - 1:05:13 Installing a brass plate to make the clock hang more securely. 1:05:13 - 1:06:08 Testing the finished clock.

[@stevenshanofski6801]

Very nice work. The leather bellows sound so much better.

[@lesterbowman9558]

This is absolutely the best and most practical video I have ever seen on KZbin. Finally I am able to see polishing a pivot in real time, determining which bearings need re-bushing and hands on cleaning of the various bits and pieces. Wonderful video showing so many practical aspects from forming bellows to oiling a clock. The result is beautiful. You SAVED that old clock and gave it a new life in which it will be cherished. Thank you. Very well done indeed !

[@dperry428]

Thank you for the comment. Glad you found the video helpful. That's why I post them.

[@BradfordNeedham]

A fabulous tutorial on older cuckoo clock repair/restoration. I really appreciate how you cover so many topics - in detail - in one video. I'm currently working on an old Hubert Herr cuckoo that has the same movement; your video helped me confirm that I set up the lock and warning properly. Thanks for sharing your considerable expertise!

[@dperry428]

Thank you for the comment and thank you for the indices you've created for these videos. They will be helpful to those looking for specific information.

[@richm9812]

Luv watching your videos.. very informative, not to mention relaxing. I’m new to the for me hobby of fixing old cuckoo clocks and your presentation and easy to understand methods and camera work is outstanding! Especially the hand bushing.

[@dperry428]

Thanks for watching!

[@ΤζουλιεταΜιχιλη]

Thank you very much for your videos.I repaired an old clock mine.

[@julieoliver4956]

You are a wonderful man dperry I would love to own an old cuckoo clock but they are out of my price range keep up your awesome work I love watching all your videos they are very well done thank you so much for all your hard work 💯🇬🇧👏🏻🇬🇧

[@PossumLady8262]

My granddad was a clock jewelry repairman in the 50s before he passed. This brought back a lot of fond memories of me watching him tackle a clock. Except he cursed in German occasionally to not let me hear such language...lol.

[@dperry428]

I work alone in my workshop and edit out of the video those epithets that sometimes fly. Sometimes, things do not go as well as planned. I can also empathize with your granddad when I can't seem to focus my eyes on the close work no matter which pair of glasses or magnifiers i use.

[@PossumLady8262]

@@dperry428 😁😉😄

[@zeninme7980]

That was so interesting..had no idea of the complexity. My mom was from Vienna, Austria. We grew up with those clocks. But I think when they starting having problems my dad would just buy a new one. He does not have patience for such detailed work. Would have been nice to have kept them alive..so to speak. Thank you for your detailed work in restoring such a beautiful clock!!

[@dalefrank1216]

One of my more exciting Saturday evening programs, you amaze me with your talents, thanks for sharing your knowledge with us! I'm hoping to visit you sometime! We're the same age with similar interests! Thanks.

[@dperry428]

Thank you. If you're the same age and want to visit "sometime", I wouldn't wait too long. Time is running out and running out faster than we think.

[@fbicknel]

Thank you for letting us watch over your shoulder.

[@bjf7347]

Nice job ! What kind of critters do you have in the tanks with the purple lights ?

[@dperry428]

I overwinter tropical plants, mosquito fish and box turtles from my backyard pond. The lights are LED grow lights with red, blue and white LEDs. Goldfish, painted turtles and frogs stay outside,

[@elliotazus6258]

Another one of your talents Mr Perry! I have a mechanical mind but now that I see what is involved with one of these cuckoo clocks I wouldn't dare touch one! Merry Christmas!!!

[@dperry428]

There really isn't a whole lot to them. Believe me, if I can figure these things out, just about anyone can. That's why I make these videos.

[@clc7800]

Hello Mr. Perry. Thank you so much for sharing your videos on clock repairs. Very educational!!! I have watched several of your cuckoo clock movement restorations. I'm somewhat of a newbie and at this time I'm trying to assemble a three weight cuckoo. Do you first put all the wheels in place and then set the levers in their respective positions? Thanks, Carlos

[@dperry428]

Generally, yes, as most of the levers either are on posts on the front or go through both plates and are then held in place with an e-clip. However, there are some movements where levers, such as might control holding the cuckoo door open, that have to be put in between the plates before they go together. Sometimes, there might be a lever that has to be put on a short pin inside the movement before the wheels are placed. Same with the levers for the hammer and bellows lift wires. On some movements, the can be put in after the plates are together and sometimes need to be in place before joining the plates. If you have a digital camera, take a photo after removing each piece, print them out, place them in reverse order and you have a step-by-step set of reassembly pictures.

[@juslitor]

Nice work. I personally would have lived with the crack and kept the original numbers.

[@dperry428]

The owner of the clock wanted the crack fixed and I agree with his choice. The crack detracted from the beauty of the clock. The original numbers were celluloid and were so brittle, they were falling apart as I worked just cleaning the clock. There soon would not have been any original numbers to have kept. Thanks for the comments.

[@Time.55]

Очень нравиться ваша работа, а в каком году эти часы были изготовлены?

[@dperry428]

С 1900 по 1910

[@rodolfogomezrodriguez9645]

Excelente video gracias MR. bradford Needham, se lo agradezco de todo corazón por enseñarnos su forma de trabajar con estos relojitos de cucú que para mi es un hobby muy divertido y exacto con un Profesor como usted, felicidades.

[@dperry428]

Mi nombre es Don Perry. El Sr. Needham creó el índice del video.

[@franciscole3039]

How do you ascertain when to actually install a bushing. They seem loose from the factory. Let’s for instance say you can see some play, but the clock runs excellent. How much wear stops these clocks? I’m having trouble understanding that......for example, the escape wheel pivot shows bad wear. The second wheel looks loose but probably could run. How long would you suspect a clock like this would run if left be. Are you taking any cuckoo clocks for repair?

[@dperry428]

Some of the decision comes from experience. I just look for pivots that obviously jump back and forth in the holes. If there is one that is suspect, but I'm not sure, I wait until the plates are apart, put the suspect pivot in its hole, put my finger on the pivot opposite and gently rotate it. The arbor should tilt no more than about 4 to 5 degrees off perpendicular. If it tilts much more than that, the hole needs rebushed. You'll also find lots of repair people who disagree with me. Each person has his own way of evaluating and there is no exact way to do nearly anything. Here's a good example of how repair people can get almost hostile each other when discussing the proper way to do bushing work: mb.nawcc.org/threads/preemptive-bushing-workup.125052/ I'm not currently taking any repairs until I take care of health issues.

[@franciscole3039]

dperry428 thanks a lot Mr. Perry. I have a cuckoo from the 70s. Keeps almost exact time. But I can see a pivot move a little bit on the second wheel. It’s running so well though.

[@dperry428]

Don't fix what ain't broke.

[@franciscole3039]

dperry428 🙏 Thank you for all the help! I figured that the s2 an t2 bushing in my movement was too loose according to the videos. But the clock actually runs like a top.

[@dperry428]

You'll also find that cuckoo clocks, even when brand new, will be looser than other clocks. Other clocks, like French movements and Vienna regulators, have much tighter tolerances and will not run at all with the looseness of a cuckoo clock.

[@richardmoy4793]

Hello Mr. Perry! I really enjoy your videos and I've learned a lot from watching them! I am new to clock restoration and I'm really enjoy it as a hobby as I have recently retired. Currently, I have two clocks with the same movement shown in this video. I've taken them apart, cleaned them, and re-assembled them. They run like crazy on the time side but I'm still trying to get the chime side working properly. But I'll keep trying. By the way, do you know what are the proper weights for this movement? The weights that came with the clocks are 1500 grams which seems excessive. Thanks again!

[@dperry428]

1500 gram weights are for 8 day clocks. These clocks were mostly 1 day clocks and used, as I recall, weights of about 750 grams. To be sure, hook a ziplock plastic bag to the hook of the run side, add weights (fishing weights, nuts and bolts, sand) to the bag until the clock runs reliably. Weigh the bag and order weights of that magnitude.

[@richardmoy4793]

@@dperry428 Thank you!

[@richardmoy4793]

Hello Mr. Perry, I finally have got the two movements running well and learned a number of things along the way. I do have a minor issue though with one of the movements. After the movement locks into the count wheel, the second bellow is in the 'up' position every time. The answer is to correct this is probably right in front of me but I haven't figured this one out yet. I hate to start bending rods, etc if I shouldn't be doing that. Any suggestions? Thanks in advance!

[@dperry428]

The wheel that has the pins on it that lifts the bellows is too far advanced. The bellow lift wire needs to be between pins on the wheel. Likely, the only real solution is to not where the pins need to be when the strike is in stop so the lifts for the bellows is between pins on the lift wheel. You have to loosen the movement screws and advance the pinned wheel until it's in that position. Sorry, there is no easy way to do that.

[@richardmoy4793]

@@dperry428 Got it completed! Thanks so much!!!

[@erikhenrywilhelmhoffmann7662]

Dear Don, hope you are still doing well. Well, the cuckoo clock I'm overhauling has exactly the same movement as the clock in this video. I have cleaned the movement and am now awaiting delivery of the tools from "timesaver" to replace some bushings. I spend the waiting time practicing disassembling and reassembling the movement. Now a problem shows up. When striking, the correct rhythm must be: Dong - cuc - koo. But on the last stroke of a sequence of strokes, the last "koo" is missing because the hook of the lever, which operates the left bellows, stays on one pin of the pin wheel and does not "fall off". (I hope I chose the right terms - I have to translate everything from German). I am sure that you suspect or know the cause. May I ask you again for your advice?

[@dperry428]

The main wheel with the pins needs to be advanced in its movement just enough to release the bellows lever before the striking motion stops. That main gear stops when the lever on the countwheel drops into a slot on the count wheel and the pin on the warning wheel is then stopped by the detent on the brass lever that rides the brass cam. Try loosening the count wheel, which is held on by a screw, and move it clockwise a tooth or two where it engaged the tiny gear. That will keep the countwheel lever from dropping into a slot for just a small amount, but will allow the main gear with the pins to advance a little. Keep moving that count wheel a tooth at a time until the cuckoo levers are released when it stops striking.

[@erikhenrywilhelmhoffmann7662]

@@dperry428 Many thanks. I will try this out tomorrow. All the best!

[@erikhenrywilhelmhoffmann7662]

@@dperry428 Tried that for more than an hour. But it did not work. One can see that moving the main wheel one tooth (of the counting wheel) is enough to make the bellow lever fall, just as you say. I did that moving of the counter wheel (tooth by tooth) while the counter wheel lever was riding on its circumference, not in the slot. (But in desperation I tried it the other way too.) - No success. Can there be another cause? I don't expect you to answer on Sunday ;-) Best regards

[@dperry428]

@@erikhenrywilhelmhoffmann7662 First, look at the exact position of the pins on the main wheel when the bellows wire lifts have both been released in relation to the edge of the plate. You may then need to bend the count wheel lever so that it goes into a slot. Finally, you may have to disassemble to strike side enough to actually move the main wheel to a position where the pins are in the proper position you observed. Place it in that position when the cam, and brass lever are in the stop position. You can adjust the count wheel later to make the lever be in a slot.

[@erikhenrywilhelmhoffmann7662]

@@dperry428 Many thanks. I will do that and then report back.

[@hlphipps6477]

I wonder who the two numbskulls were that gave it a thumbs down. I've searched for weeks for information how to time that warning wheel before I take my clock apart. No one else and I mean no one covers that, like it's a trade secret. Finally a watch or clock maker that has a good camera and wants to teach. Thank you sir, you're the master of cuckoos. I read on another video you were having hip problems. Hopes and prayers are with you sir.

[@dperry428]

It wouldn't matter if I posted the cure for cancer; I would immediately get 2 or 3 thumbs down. These are the numbskulls that were banned from commenting because they couldn't comment without being profane. Just adolescent trolls who seem to get pleasure from insulting others. I pay it no mind as it affects me in no way. Thanks for the comment.

[@ПашаПитецкий]

Це дуже важливо знати

[@art1muz13]

at 26:08 the one that are listening and believ is the camera.

[@dperry428]

????

[@art1muz13]

@@dperry428 I was watching the "DEC 7 2018" video where you repair a older cuckoo, and at the time I marked you say the epoxy is good enough. Yesterday I was watching another cuckoo repair where the click's tooth had less damage and you took it apart and re-worked it. At this juncture in the Dec. video, you tell us "NO NEED". That's why I put the camera is the only one of us listening who believes. I hope you can do these much longer. they are more than enjoyable!

[@dperry428]

I'm still not following exactly what you are saying but, in the other video, I dismantled the gear and replaced a tooth that was so worn as to not positively support the click, taking the chance that the tooth would break off catastrophically, In the video cited, the tooth was completely intact, but had a void under it that might have collapsed. In that case, epoxy filling was substantial enough to give the support needed. In an absolute world, I would have taken it apart and used silver solder to fill the void. That would have required several hours of work to accomplish no better solution than one that took but a few minutes. The two problems were different and allowed different solutions.