chapter 568

10/6/2020

Clock

money is time

link to clock video

Proud to get this clock music box working. Colleen had seen it at a local consignment shop. Hesitated buying it  over perhaps a 4 week period then splurged and had to have it. It didn't work but the art was beautiful and she leans European. I polished up the hazy front to it's original luster and cleaned the wood frame.

Could not yet find info on the apparent artist, M.A. (Arsa). Apparently created in 1964 in Austria. Don't know what the G.J. stands for. Wedding music is Minuet by Boccherini. 

The time pieces and music mechanisms are labled Konrad Bihl, West Germany, no jewels. Perhaps the original only had a clock and in 1981 Br installed these mechanisms in Austria. The electrical contacts were severly corroded. I sanded some down, replace one and re-soldered and rewired a little bit.

It was a no lose situation as it was non functional to begin with. Couldn't screw it up as long as I didn't break the front glass. To get the clock ticking and adjust the time accuracy had to pry off the hands from the front and unscrew a bezel then found an adjusting screw on the front of the clock mechanism. Had to cut and pry open the clock case a bit as one lead had corroded and disintegrated.

Then had to figure out how the music box cycled by way of a rotating switch. A screw on top of it needed a little tightening to get the right spring tensioning. There seemed to be a three position ratchet effect but I let it go with just a single music cycle not wanting to take it apart or do some irretrievable harm. Could not find much youtube help on this particular variety.

It's enjoyable fixing things and soldering, a skill learned as a kid. Just hope I've inspired grandson when we did a bit of this. Can't remember if I did it with Son. I have more time now to spend on the second generation. That seems to be the way of the world. The immediate family is just busy getting things done on a day to day survival basis with not an abundance of extra time for training. I call it the "no time to live" syndrome. My Dad was Mr. Fixit. Anything. When you see that happen it gives you confidence to DIY.

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