Friesan Clock restoration

[Lappa]

i posted in the Clock section wanting a clock restorer. I got no responses so looks like it’s up to me:D

First of all, here’s the clock in question

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The case is in a very poor state as you will see in the upcoming photos.

I found a clock restorer in Tinonee ( small town out from Taree NSW) who was willing to have a look and see if restoration was possible. He has restored similar units in the past.

Visted there today and the upshot was the clock mechanism itself was all there, including weight, pendulum, chain and rollers which were all jammed up inside the front cover. This unit is unusual as it has an hour striker mechanism as well as an alarm mechanism The hour mechanism is only on the high end units. It is well over 100 years old and he’ll know more once he cleans up the mechanism.

He is familiar with the units and had the top hood and lower cover off in seconds:D and the mechanism out a couple of minutes later.

A quick appraisal and the clock mechanism looks like it is missing no parts but is seized and should be able to be restored. The beautiful hand painted dial facia, hands the decorative brass shim just needed careful cleaning and he gave me a rough estimate with a firm quote once he had closer look.

The case was another matter. It was only missing one corner finial but the back board is split, the hood piece broken in places with its leather cover in tatters and the lower cover has loose sections. It also needed complete refinishing. It would cost more to restore than the mechanism and you add them both together and no way I could afford it. Also, he has heaps of antique clocks needing repairs with one grandfather clock case needing case restoration with the ornate base eaten out by borers so another case repair was not really an option.

So, I’m taking on the job of restoring the case.

Here’s what I’ve got ahead of me

The Hood

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The Backboard with main frame

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Pendulum cover with brass section design with glass panels

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This is will be a long restore as I have put no deadline on the mechanism and he said he will need the finished case to fit it to.

He has given me some tips on restoring the brass and finishing so I should be able to restore it to it’s former glory

additional

I was showing the photos to a friend and, if you look at the third last photo showing the split you can see “I J” which were the great grandparents initials, then something I can’t make out yet, then maybe “1829” then something so, if that’s the case, it’s older than we thought.

[auscab]

Lovely piece Peter.
Looks like you have a fair bit of finish that could be revived.
As well as some that is missing and will need re building.

Is that what your thinking of doing with the finish?


Rob

[Lappa]

There some very loose, fragile pieces that will probably need to be fastened before attempting to clean. I’m thinking of using epoxy on the more stressed, hidden sections that have broken. I’ll use hide glue on the areas where the glue has let go. After the clean I’ll be better able to determine the state of the finish.

[Lappa]

I decided to attack the backboard first as it is the main structure that everything else fits and aligns to.
It’s made up from four tongue and groove boards and one of these joints has let go. The reason is fairly obvious, borers have eaten most of the tongue. I only have two entact sections about 100mm long at each end.

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One quick, easy option would be to remove the rotten tongue sections, fill the groove and butt join the timber but there is no strength as the backboard is only 10mm thick. I could reinforce that with another panel over the entire back but it would be lacking it’s originality.

So I have decided to rout a groove in the tongue side where the tongue is missing and fit a spline/tenon. I need to order a 1.6 or 2mm slot cutter.

I was going to dismantle the backboard so I could easily rout the slot but the cross structoe is still very solid with timbers cut into each other and nailed and glued so I would possibly do more damage trying to dismantle it.

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There is enough ”give” in the structure to raise one side with 10mm blocks so I should be able to rout the groove with a non bearing slot cutter. Hopefully they will be here this week so I can see if it’s possible.

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Any other ideas that will not take away from it’s looks would be appreciated.

Cheers

[auscab]

looks like the T&G was there for movement of the back . And that what its been doing . Butt joining or gluing both sides together will restrict the movement and end up looking worse when it cracks with the grain .

Even stranger, if it was glued up, that would mean the maker would have been ok with the back of the carcase moving in and out with changes in humidity. It would have stopped on that false , Veneered back ? and cracked .
doesn't make complete sense to me from what I see . Is there any other back support on the very back side ?like horizontal braces going across ?

Are you thinking of gluing the new tongue in one side only ? Or is there evidence of it having been glued on its other side ? And having some other way of letting it move where it meets the sides ?

And how does the false polished back stay in place ? I can see a groove up both sides . Does it slide up that ? and what holds it up there ?

Interesting piece . Never really looked at them . And only seen English cases . 18th and 19th C ones of those had T&G backs as well . I had to go buy a T&G set for the same job . The set can be taken apart for two or one cutter to be used . Forget where I got it but its painted Red . Used for 10 or 9.5 back boards .

Rob

[Lappa]

A close examination of the backboard shows that my original observation that it was made from four tongue and groove boards was wrong. In fact, 3/4 of the backboard is a single piece with just this one section that is tongue and groove.

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There is is no back bracing at all as you can see. The only sections attached to this backboard is the rest that the hood sits on, the clock mechanism sits on and that the false front slides into. There are two brass pins, one each side, that slide through the sides in the picture below, and into the false front sides to hold it in place

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If the tongue and groove section was allowed to move, there would be nothing stopping the back from falling apart like it is now. The side pins for the false front only fit into a hole and would not hold the backboard together. Also, the top and bottom can move out of alignment as shown below.


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At the moment, the assembly has some inbuilt misalignment so the tongue and groove section sits slightly misaligned as you see above so I feel it needs to be secured to stop it separating wide apart horizontally and misaligning vertically

The false front "may" hold the bottom of the backboard together but every section is loose and ready to fall off so I might have to redo that after I fit a new tongue to the backboard but before I fasten it in any way.

If that doesn't work, I'll have to look at other options.

One way would be to place a lining on the very back but that wouldn't be original so I'm loath to do that.

I can't put any bracing at the front of the backboard even though it would be hidden by the false front because the pendulum swings in there.

Anyway, I've heaps of time so slow and steady does it.

[auscab]

Yep . Then the interesting part is how that false back fits and is held in place. If its just a T&G up each side that doesn't stop the back from spreading apart unless the false back is either pegged , screwed, Or like some Euro stuff . In their own lovely weird and wacky way they had sliding dovetails left and right .
They had special purpose dovetailing planes much more than than you can see in English Woodworkers tool boxes.
Its a nice possibility ?

How is that false back fitted and held?

Rob

[auscab]

A bit of interesting reading about your clock

In the Clock Shop This Month (http://www.steeplechaseclock.com/Intheshop.html)

[Lappa]

Yep . Then the interesting part is how that false back fits and is held in place. If its just a T&G up each side that doesn't stop the back from spreading apart unless the false back is either pegged , screwed, Or like some Euro stuff . In their own lovely weird and wacky way they had sliding dovetails left and right .
They had special purpose dovetailing planes much more than than you can see in English Woodworkers tool boxes.
Its a nice possibility ?

How is that false back fitted and held?

Rob

When you say false back, are you reverting to the piece that slides in front of the backboard ie. this part

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It slides in the grooves in the side frames on the backboard like so ie. tongue and groove so it can’t hold the backboard together.

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It then locks into the side frames with brass pins I mentioned in the post before. I also put pictures showing the hole in the side frames and the front board that covers the pendulum.

You can see the brass pins and chain in this picture

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However, the base section which looks like this, may? hold the lower section of the backboard together but as I said previously, its all loose so it’s not clear whether it will hold the backboard together. I will rebuild this section next.

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[Lappa]

While waiting got the router bit I decided to strip down the false front which had a number of loose sections and actually holds the bottom of the backboard together so security and measurements are critical.

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One problem has been that large extra nails that have been hammered in over time. They have rusted, swollen and split the shaped wood sections or distorted them. On this section below, I removed as much of the nail as I could, filled the cavity with epoxy and clamped it. It is still badly distorted so it will have to have timber removed so it will fit back into place.

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I also repaired a number of splits in panels and repaired the rear arch.

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The lenticle, the thin brass decoration that covers the lower window, is badly damaged with sections missing. I found the exact same one, which only has a few dents, in Holland - free postage👍

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[auscab]

When you say false back, are you reverting to the piece that slides in front of the backboard ie. this part

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Yes.



It slides in the grooves in the side frames on the backboard like so ie. tongue and groove so it can’t hold the backboard together.

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It then locks into the side frames with brass pins I mentioned in the post before. I also put pictures showing the hole in the side frames and the front board that covers the pendulum.

You can see the brass pins and chain in this picture

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Yep I Get that now, That's good . .




However, the base section which looks like this, may? hold the lower section of the backboard together but as I said previously, its all loose so it’s not clear whether it will hold the backboard together. I will rebuild this section next.

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I don't understand how that bottom "may?" hold the back board .

Ill wait and see.

It makes sense that the false back just slides up and is held with the pins .
And that the true back has the T&G to allow for movement .
My next guess is that the thing that the movement sits on that looks like a bridge and goes from the left to right side is the main structural thing holding the lot together. ??

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Another thing I was thinking is , just say the T&G was meant to be glued up, which I doubt . And having shrunk , wouldn't that mean if it was glued up the false back would have to be reduced in width for it to go back in ? It looks like a fairly big gap due to shrinkage .



I like the hanging hole in the back for the hanging on a wall .

That also has me scratching me head . The whole clock hangs from that point . The T&G being loose and not central means the weight is not even . So no wonder the thing is out of alignment maybe .

Maybe its that the back and the T&G is glued as one ??

Its an interesting puzzle worth the fun of sorting out . Just a pity its trying to be done over pictures on the internet.
You see this sort of thing in the antique game all the time . And when the penny drops it always amazes me just how well the old guys who made this stuff were mostly very in tune with the material they worked with . And it all makes sense.

[Lappa]

I have removed the mechanism mount as it had pulled out of the bridge (split the timber :(( ) which is why there is so much movement in the backboard. It has also allowed me to get a bit more movement for routing for a new tongue. When you put that back and fasten it it pulls the top of the backboard together

The backboard also has a short rebate on each side at the lower end
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There is a corresponding rebate on these pieces on the sliding false front.

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So the false front, as well as sliding in the grooves in the bridge, also slides in short rebates at the back of the lower end of the backboard. This also holds the bottom of the backboard together.

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I have everything in bits at the moment so when I have it back together, i’ll post an assembled photo which will make it much clearer.

Meanwhile a rough drawing:D

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Pulling it all apart has shown me how it is actually assembled and what holds what where😀 and it’s quite ingenious.

Unfortunately there have been repairs done previously using nails that are way too big which have split the timber, have rusted and the rust swollen (as it does) and distorted some carefully shaped sections. Lots of fiddly work at the moment so it doesn’t look like progress:(

[Lappa]

All loose bits have been removed, all damaged bits repaired apart from the backboard tongue - still waiting in the router bit, so I’ll probably start reassembling next week.

Now it’s all stripped, there are many areas of the clock case, which are not on show, such as the interior surfaces of the hood, that have no coating/ finish, and the timber is very dry. Do I leave it like that or is it worth using a finish such as an oil, or some coats of shellac etc. to protect /nourish it?

Its easier to do while disassembled.

Cheers

[auscab]

If its covered in dry dusty stuff and needs a clean , a light mix of linseed oil and mineral turps is a good way of cleaning it up . 25 / 75
On raw wood it will look fresh but dry off to almost nothing. Brush it in and wipe it off dry if you want to try that . The small amount of thinned linseed oil left behind will leave it looking old but clean and your not changing anything .

You dont want to go changing it by coating it up in anything heavier than that . A water based wash would do the same but has the potential of changing wood dimensions or water staining things .

Nothing needs nourishing either . Nothing much goes in to far . it just sits on top soaks in a little .

[Lappa]

The slot cutters arrived today. The 1.6mm was 4 cutter but the 3.2mm arrived as a 2 cutter:((

it was difficult to set up as I had to make a special fence due the the backboard unit being in one piece and I could only lift the section 10mm. The fence had to be screwed to the router top as clamps got in the way.

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Be because the tongue side of the backboard was fragile I cut a 1.6mm slot first then followed up with the 3.2mm.

The result was not bad if I say so myself:rolleyes: and you can see the extent of borer damage.

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Fortunately, the damage (loss of the edge you can see) is at the back. The front fits together with no damage showing.:2tsup:

Cut a number of tongues and picked the best fit, shaped it to suit the groove using a number of dry fits, then glued it in.

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[Lappa]

The backboard with the borer eaten tongue and groove has been repaired and twenty coats of shellac applied to the decorative sections. Its gone into storage while I complete the hood and false back/front restorations which are partly done.
Also, the leather for the top of the clock arrived Friday. Really nice, flexible sheep skin in a burgundy colour which is shade or two darker in colour to the rotten leather taken off, but is the closest I could find and suits the clock.

Before:

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After:

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The top clock mechanism mounting board, which pulls the tongue and groove sections tight together, has not been attached as yet.
Progress will be slower now as it’s back to work after two weeks off:((

[Lappa]

deleted

[yvan]

Auscab,

Is your cleaning mix of Linseed oil and mineral turps a general cleaning mix or is it specifically for old dry raw wood?

Boiled LO?

Thanks Yvan

[auscab]

It’s a soloution used by professional restorers Yvan and has a few uses. It’s used a lot as a soloutinn when rubbing Back a finish with a fine paper . You have to have a soloution to keep the paper from clogging . It’s used when rubbing back with steel wool to wash it clean . It leaves the work ready to go on and polish straight away when buffed dry first . It’s also used as a good way of reviving a dusty piece that’s been polished but has gathered dust in the cracks and corners . We used to go over the furniture at an Antique fair after it was delivered and before the doors opened . It’s used on the showroom floor or in the house like this . This is not done on waxed furniture . It would be dissolving the wax off . Hard polished finishes only . It’s good on old dry raw stuff as well . One of my favourite ways of giving something a lovely feel , like inside new drawers , is to rub back the wood with fine paper and o&t . Buff it dry and give it a very quick rubber with thin polish . About 30 seconds worth . You can use Raw or Boiled in the mix .
Don’t use it in metal moving parts like locks unless you really make sure it’s cleaned off . If you leave anything to wet with it , woodwork included , the turps evaporates and the oil dries slowly . It’ll go all sticky .

[Lappa]

Then
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Now

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[Lappa]

The lenticle is a thin pressed brass sheet with a classic design that covers a window in the lower tail section of the clock. You can see the pendulum swinging through it.


455128 This is not my clock - just an example of a lenticle placement.


The one on my clock was badly damaged as they are so thin they are easily torn.
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I cleaned the old one using a clock makers brass cleaning solution and, while it came up a treat, the damage really stood out.


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So I went on a hunt on the WEB and I found a source of second hand ones but they too had some damage. Then I found a place in Holland that makes them from new in the old design. Got an almost exact copy of mine.

This just arrived from Holland :2tsup: Not cheap but worth it.

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Slow but steady and its all coming together.:)

[Lappa]

Slow work at the moment - paid work keeps getting in the way :D

The back arch and brace has now been attached. I was waiting on parts for my new Makita pin nailer. Shot heaps of pins when testing then hit a nail under the surface on the first real go - broke the driver:((
Makita had the wrong parts in the parts packet with the right part number so it took a couple of goes to get the right part.
The top and lower side trims have now been attached as well.

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All the cover needs now is the leather top

I did a quick assembly just to get a quick picture. :D

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Still need to finish the tail cover which is going to be a challenge as the shaped timbers are a little warped and one is broken due to that stress. They were all either loose or detached when I got the clock.

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I’ll look at it tomorrow

[auscab]

Its looking Nice . Im amazed how good a replica that Lenticle is you found . Never heard of a Lenticle before .
Does the company do other brass stuff as well . Do you have a link ? wouldn't mind having a look .

Just something you may want to consider with the leather , you got a pre coloured piece ? It'll work and could well be perfect for the job but You could have gone Vegetable tanned . Which is an older way of tanning . It has a nice yellow / brown more natural look. Same as what was on your clock . Its very absorbent and has to be stained /sealed by you . The softer coulred stuff is from what I know as chrome tanned, the tanning leaves it soft but a grey sort of colour . They have to basically spray paint it and seal it which is why it looks like it does and not like 18th century stuff.
With Veg tanned you can wet it , stretch it out and form it . Tack it on . When it dries it pulls tight . Then you stain and polish same as woodwork . It comes up right looking for the period . When it gets wet it changes from a stiff feel to like a wet flannel . Quite an amazing transformation and very workable. I don't think the sealed Chrome tanned leather will do the same if wet . Sealed veg tanned doesn't work when wet .

[Lappa]

I’ve been in touch with a guy in Holland that restores these clocks and has parts made. He’s the guy I bought the lenticle from. His name is Henri and he’s very knowledgeable and happy to answer questions.
The early clocks used a burlap cover while some of the later ones used leather but most used burlap.
The clockmaker whose repairing my mechanism said he’s seen them restored with tin or aluminium covers (yuk!).

The vegetable tanned hides I looked at were too thick and expensive. I’ll ring my leather supplier next week and have a chat as i’m not happy with the colour now I have the top almost finished.

The original leather on this clock appeared to have no coating/finish - it’s just straight leather, same colour all the way through - no signs of flecks of colour/finish.

As it was tack nailed every 50mm I’m not sure it would have been shrunk tight but I may be wrong - there is no sign of stretch/tear marks at the nail holes and the intact sections where not that tight.

Its all a learning curve for me so thanks for the information.

[Lappa]

Moved on to restoring the lower section of the tail cover. The cover itself has been cleaned, the old lenticle and glass removed and about 40 coats of shellac. The final wet sanding and finishing will be done when the tail cover is complete.

The lower section was in a bad way with the “wings” detached and the inner “frame” had pieces that were warped and had broken. It had been dropped on the tail end a number of times by the look of it but it adds to the patina so will be left as is.

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I decided not not to join the broken section as joining it then trying to straighten it would have broken it again. I would assemble it on the tail cover and adjust as required. Worked out well. The break is in the very corner and you can see the damage the end has received.

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Assembled the frame work then started fitting the “wings”. Interestingly there was no sign of glue between the “wing” and the cover and you would almost thing they were never attached but I was assured by a restorer in Holland that they would have been attached and logic said so as well.

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Next to be attached are the rebated sections that help hold the tail piece to the back cover.

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These will be done next weekend to give the glue plenty of time to dry.

The Makita pin nailer has been invaluable for this section as the pins located all the bits while you get the clamps in place. There are so many shapes on the bottom section that you Need perfect alignment and, as the old nails holes (filled) are still there and visible, I didn’t want any more.

[Lappa]

All the repairs, apart from surface finishing and adding the lenticle and leather hood, are now complete and the unit can be assembled:wink:

After letting the "wings" and their counterparts dry for a week, I assembled the cover to the back unit and attached the tapered stop at the bottom of the cover (far right in the picture).

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With the three attachments in place, the cover can be connected to the backboard. The two "wing" attachments slide over rebates in the back board then the tapered cap fits into an opposing taper on the backboard to alignh and hold all in place.

Back view

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Front view

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When the clock is installed on the wall, there are two brass "keys" that lock the cover to the backboard assembly. One side had been drilled too close to the font of the cover and had actually broken through. I repaired the cover, filled and stained the holes, then re drilled.

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All fits nice and snug:2tsup:

The clock has three "chimneys" that hold gilded figurines. Only one was present and badly damaged so I have remade all three.

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So I now have all the three major sections repairs complete so its now down to some touching up, wet sanding all and applying the final surface finishing. It will not be high gloss but will have a sheen.

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Once all that is done then the glass plate and lenticle will be attached, the leather hood added and brass ornaments attached.

[Lappa]

All three pieces were assembled and minor alignment issues straightened out so it all slides together beautifully.
All touching up was then completed as was the finishing coats of shellac.
I'll let everything sit for about three weeks than fit the lenticle glass and brass lenticle, then the column brass trims.
After that's done it just waiting for the mechanism to be completed.

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[Lappa]

Final touches on the back cover.

Glass puttied in and lenticle fitted.
The puttying was a bit tricky as the glass has to sit very close to the front edge so only a thin putty layer at the front
I chose to use 1 gauge screws rather than brass nails so the lenticle could be removed without damage.

Back view before cleaning 457751 Front view 457750

[Lappa]

Getting close now. The leather top is on and the “chimneys” in place.

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The leather is glued in place, as it was before. Originally it also had cut tacks. I could only salvage two. The ones on the arches are different to the commonly available ones in that they have a larger head - 6mm vs 3.5/4mm - but on both the shanks are the same, 1.4 to 2mm x 9/10mm long).

I finally found some after days of searching so they should be here this week. Like many things these days, the freight was dearer then the items.

All that’s left to do then is drill the chimneys for the figurines (I need to go to work to use a drill press as I don’t have one and accuracy is essential.

Below is the central figurine in relation to the chimney
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Due due to its height, if it’s not dead vertical you will really notice it.

[Potts]

Lovely craftsmanship, absolutely beautiful.

[Lappa]

Cut nails arrived and dutifully installed.

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Only bad news is that I called the clock repairer today and he informs me that two of the gears are damaged. He thinks he has some in his 20’ container - somewhere. If he can’t find them he will have to cut new ones. Doesn’t sound cheap:oo:

[Lappa]

Just had a teaser sent to me by the gentleman restoring my clock mechanism

YouTube (https://youtu.be/9XNn_nRjEfY)

Just some minor adjustments then its back in its metal case. I will then deliver the wooden case so he can mount it and test run it for a week to check clearances for the weights, chains and pendulum.

[Lappa]

Delivered the restored wooden case to the clock repairer on Monday so he could fit the mechanism and carry out alignment of the mechanism, chain, pendulum etc. within the case.
Picked up the clock yesterday. Had a crash course in adjustments and chain winding. Now all mounted (with all the ornaments that go with these clocks :D) and running for the first time in many, many years.

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Darren, the Clock repairer in Tinonee is brilliant. The mechanism purrs as do the hourly and 1/2 hourly chimes.