2013
Buckland Church Clock Project
‘TiCH’ Buckland URC
With grateful thanks to
‘Time Assured’
14th May 2013
The above are pictures of the Clock bed.
The last two are a view of the Electrically
Operated ‘winding system’.
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This is Peter, who hails from Nottingham, and
who has come to inspect and repair our timepiece!
.....and he’s very quickly up ‘aloft!’
The above coupling is the first of three areas
requiring attention due to excess 'slap' in the connection system.
Here to the left is the second area of wear................................................and behind the clock face is the third culprit!
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So it’s back down this hole..............................................................and off to the mobile workshop
..........................after removing some stubborn old bolts and fixings; re-tapping, securing; and then fitting some much
needed tapered pins; realignment of the clocks hands could begin. For some years now all three clock faces have told a
different time ..........the wind of change is on its way............
Above left is the position of the gear wheel which needs to be released before the hands can be altered....and to the right is a
close-up of the said gear wheel. Firstly though; a locking lever at the rear of this gear wheel has to be activated so that
this may be achieved.
The base of the white line indicates the lever to be pressed
(picture taken from the rear of the clock bed.) This has to
be held in all the while repositioning of the hands is taking
place.
This square drive provides a means of turning the hands
of all three clock faces while depressing the release lever
shown in picture to our left.
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Advance and retard adjustment screw is found at the base of the pendulum at the rear of the clock bed.
One complete turn equals 8 minutes!
NB. The pendulum must be kept stock still while making any such adjustments. And great care needs to be taken
as this manoeuvre can bring you very close to the exit hatch!
During the realignment of the three clock faces and the resetting of the time
it was necessary to go up and down to the roadside and observe the progress
being made. Peter made it a policy that only one person should be on the
ladder at any given time.
All of the shafts were oiled during Peter's visit; also the teeth of the
escapement cog and the three gear assemblies at the back of the clock faces.
When oiling the shafts it was pointed out that it is much more effective to oil
from both side of the bearings and then push the shafts 'to and fro' in order
that the oil might not simply be lost down the side plates.
It has been an out and out pleasure to take even a small part in seeing our
'old clock' brought back to life again after at least a decade of inactivity.
Long may she tick, and tell a true story!.......................................tjatrill.
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