Posts Tagged ‘grandfather clock’
Add Traditional Style into a Modern Space
If you live in a big city you don’t have to subscribe to the popular minimalist, contemporary style that so many people adopt. It is not only acceptable, but easily achievable to bring a little country or traditional style into any space. You want to start with a traditional color palette. Think blues, greens, sunshine yellows, and deep reds. You’ll also want to carefully decorate the minimal space you have with traditional accessories.
I always recommend cherry grandfather clocks to incorporate traditional style into a modern space. First off, a grandfather clock is a piece substantial enough to tie a room together, especially with a rich cherry stain. The height of most grandfather clocks is a little over six feet which draws the eye upward, adding dimension to the room. Look for a grandfather clock with great details in the trim and on the clock face. It’s the small details that will really make the piece pop.
Make The Time For Your Kids
Teaching children how to tell the time can be quite a daunting task. In this day and age, almost everything is digitized, and it may be difficult to garner enthusiasm children about the prospects of learning to read analog time. First, they must recognize the numbers. Then they must be able to differentiate the hour hand from the minute hand and second hand.
Encourage kids to tell the time by getting a clock that’s fun to watch. Kids will enjoy learning to read the time with a grandfather cuckoo clock. The cuckoo will sound every hour, and this can guide the kids in learning what time it is. It can get quite tricky, and the kids may get frustrated, but don’t despair. It takes a lot of patience to teach them how to read the time, but it can be rewarding once the kids master it.
“How To” Adjust a Cuckoo Clock
Grandfather and Cuckoo Clocks are wind up clocks. But this “how to” is more for wind up clocks that use a series of oscillating wheels and springs that make the clock run. Adjusting a wind up clock is a simple process that requires understanding how the clock works and determining which wheel to turn to change the clock to the time you want it to read.
First – Check the correct time with a clock that is believed to be the right time in your time zone. Second - Pick up the wind up clock and turn it over. You’ll see two winding knobs. Move one of them and check on the front of the clock to determine if you’re changing the time with the minute hand or with the hour hand. Third - Set the correct time using the correct knobs on the back of the clock. Compare the correct time with the time you’ve set your clock to. Make sure it’s correct. Forth – Remove the back of the wind up clock on some clocks in order to find the wheels that change the time. If you remove the wind up clock’s stand and alarm bells, you can see the inside of the clock, which includes only about 12 moving parts, mainly gears. Fifth – Adjust a wind up clock that doesn’t have visible knobs on the exterior by moving the wheels on the inside of the clock that is the correct wheels to adjust the time. Sixth – Return the back panel on the wind up clock without knobs to its original position. Use the clock as needed.
Adjusting a cuckoo clock or grandfather clock is actually much simpler. With cuckoo clocks unhook the pendulum and slide the pendulum carving up to make your clock run faster and down to make your clock run slower. Then reattach the pendulum to the pendulum leader at the base of the clock. Grandfather clocks typically have a regulating nut under the pendulum bob. Tur the nut to the right to raise the bob and make your clock run faster or turn the nut to the left to lower the bob and make your grandfather clock run slower.
Only minor adjustments should be made each time, waiting about 24 hours between each adjustment.
I’m not yet in France, but today is Wednesday and time for a “How To” article.
As I mentioned yesterday, the verge escapement, is the mechanism in a mechanical clock like a grandfather clock, that controls its rate by advancing the gear train at regular intervals or ‘ticks’. The verge escapement drives a horizontal bar with weights on the ends called the foliot, a primitive type of balance wheel to oscillate back and forth. Here’s how it works ….
The verge escapement consists of a wheel shaped like a crown, with saw tooth-shaped teeth protruding axially to the front. In front of it is a vertical rod, the verge, with two metal plates, the pallets, that engage the teeth at opposite sides of the crown wheel. The balance wheel (or the pendulum of a grandfather clock) is attached to the verge. The pallets are positioned so only one catches the teeth at a time. As the clock’s gears turn the crown wheel, it pushes the first pallet, rotating the verge in one direction, and rotating the second pallet into the path of the teeth, until the tooth pushes past the first pallet. Then a tooth on the wheel’s opposite side catches the second pallet, rotating the verge back the other direction, and the cycle repeats. The result is to change the rotary motion of the wheel to an oscillating motion of the verge. Each stroke of the foliot or pendulum thus advances the wheel train of the clock, moving the hands forward at a constant rate.
The crown wheel must have an odd number of teeth for the escapement to function. The usual angle between the pallets was 90° to 105°, resulting in a foliot or pendulum swing of around 80° to 100°.
More from Italy tomorrow.
No Man is an Island
That may be true, but the Island of Malta is sure a beauty. Our cruise ship has docked in Valletta, and immediately I am made aware of a Maltese clock maker and inventor who was born in Mqabba (Micabba), a small village in the south of Malta. Michelangelo Sapiano (March 19, 1826 – December 2, 1912).
Although Sapiano was born in Mqabba, he went to live in Luqa when he was 21 years of age after he married a girl from Luqa. When he was 14 years of age he opened a watch repair shop and at such a young age he managed to repair the clock found in the Parish Church of Mqabba when other clock makers couldn’t. This paved the way for him to become famous and gave him the courage to start making clocks.
He is most famous for large clocks which were made for churches, convents and sacristies in various towns and villages in Malta and Gozo and also for a large clock he made for the Church of Saint Catherine of Alexandria in Egypt.
His masterpiece is a grandfather clock which till a few years ago could be found in No.11, Pawlu Magri Street, Luqa, the house (which still exists) where Michelangelo Sapiano used to live after he married. The clock can now be found in the Mdina Cathedral Museum. For this clock he was awarded a silver medal in an Industrial Exhibition which was held in 1864. Apart from showing the time, days and date this clock also shows the moonphases and the time in which the sun rises and goes down. This clock also has a mechanism which marks when a year is a leap year.
Off to Italy in the morning.
Longcase Grandfather Clocks
Clock Towers have stood the test of time. At the University of Barcelona (Officially in Universitat de Barcelona), the clock and the iron bell housed in the tower in the Pati de Lletres— the “Patio of thr Arts”— were installed in 1881. The architectural work and the quality of the building’s works of art meant that the historic building was declared a national monument of historic and artistic interest in 1970.
The clock in Barcelona reminds me of one type of Longcase grandfather clock : Comtoise clocks, also known as Morbier clocks or Morez clocks, made in the French region Franche-Comté (whence their name). Production of these clocks began in 1680 and continued for a period of about 230 years. During the peak production years (1850-1890) over 60,000 clocks were made each year. Features distinguishing this style are a curving “potbellied” case and a greater use of curved lines. Often a heavy, elongated, highly ornamented pendulum bob extends up the case.
Many Comtoise clocks can be found in France, but they are also frequently found in Spain, Germany, and other parts of Europe, less in the USA. These clocks were very popular across the generations; they kept the time on farms throughout France. Many Comtoise clocks were also exported to other countries in Europe and even further, to the Ottoman Empire and as far as Thailand. The metal mechanism was usually protected by a wooden sheath.
Next stop, Malta
“How To” : Clean Grandfather Clocks
Keeping grandfather clocks clean is just as important as cleaning your car. The value of clean grandfather clocks will be much higher than grandfather clocks that sit in the corner collecting dust and grime.
Here are 5 easy steps to keep your long case clock running perfectly :
First : Pull your grandfather clock away from the wall without banging it on anything preventing marks and dings. I would suggest an extra person when moving grandfather clocks, to help assure security from falling or getting dings. Second : Use a soft cloth or feather duster when cleaning grandfather clocks to keep from causing scratches. I have found an ostrich feather duster allows minimum pressure to be put on the parts. Continue by dusting the grandfather clocks glass surface. Open the door to the pendulum. Very carefully, dust in the pendulum compartment area, ensuring not to bump the pendulum. Third : Apply the high-quality polish of your choice to a very soft cloth following the polish application guidelines. Starting from the grandfather clocks top, apply the wax to the grandfather clocks surface using small circular motions. Always start from the grandfather clocks top and work your way to the bottom. Fourth : Discard the first cloth used for applying the grandfather clocks polish. Take another clean soft cloth and remove the dried wax in small circular motions working from top to bottom. This process will ensure the beautiful shine for grandfather clocks. Fifth : Using a non-ammonia based glass cleaner, spray the cleaner on the cloth and then clean the grandfather clocks glass surface. Do not spray directly on the grandfather clocks glass ensuring there will not be any spotting on the grandfather clock wood surfaces
Cleaning and dusting your grandfather clock should be done weekly. Wax or polishing your treasure should be every two to three months. Call a professional to clean the clock every 6 to 8 years. Oil and dust buildup will happen within the gears and mechanisms inside the grandfather clock. It requires a professional to disassemble the inner workings, clean them and put them back together.
Cleaning grandfather clocks is not the easiest process, but definitely worth the time.
Where does the term “Grandfather Clock” come from?
Originally known as floor clocks or long case clocks. A song written in 1875 called “The Grandfather’s Clock” told the story of an aging floor clock that stood in the George Hotel in North Yorkshire, England.
The clock began slowly losing time immediately upon the death of one of the two brothers that managed the hotel, and upon the death of the second brother, the floor clock stopped working altogether despite numerous attempts to have the clock repaired. Eventually new management gained control of the George Hotel, but the clock remained in place as a tribute to the two brothers who had faithfully managed the hotel for so many years.
The term grandfather clock caught on quickly after the song became widely known and since then, what were originally known as floor clocks are commonly called Grandfather Clocks and are a cherished part of our culture.
Today a grandfather clock is a statement of excellent taste and firmly rooted tradition. Grandfather clocks are commonly a family heirloom that is passed down through the generations.
Once upon a time … only the wealthy could afford a Grandfather Clock
Truly affordable for everyone! Quality craftsmanship, dependable movements and excellent woodworking all combine to create a beautiful Grandfather Clock for you or your loved ones that will last a lifetime. They are cherished heirlooms, not simply furniture and are not just for figuring out the time. Grandfather clocks are classy adornments for your home.
Over the years there have been numerous improvements to time-keeping devices and grandfather clocks are no exception. In modern times, a grandfather clock is a statement of excellent taste and firmly rooted tradition. Grandfather clocks are commonly a family heirloom that is passed down through the generations. The grandfather clocks come in various models to suit different tastes. Whatever you choose, it will never go out of style. Just ask yourself if you can pass on your laptop or portable players to your grandchildren. You can pass on handcrafted grandfather clocks with pride. These are heirlooms in the making. Your son or daughter will be proud to bequeath these to their children; therefore, a one-time investment goes a long way.
You can be among the “Rich and Famous” …. enhance your home with a gorgeous Grandfather Clock !
The Basics of Pendulum Clocks
Ever since the mid 17th century, pendulum clocks have represented one of the most reliable ways to keep time. Obviously the innovations that have come along in the digital age have replaced many older analog clocks, but no digital clock can match the stately charm found in grandfather clocks. The basic parts of a pendulum clock include its face – complete with the hands and numbers necessary to tell time – the weights and the pendulum.
In the case of a grandfather clock, most of the mechanical parts will be encased in a long box that serves as the clock’s base. Typically the pendulum will swing once ever two seconds, and the mechanism will need to be wound on a regular basis. Winding the clock actually entails pulling on the weight and providing it with potential energy. The clock tells time as this weight unwinds.