#Seth thomas clock series#

If the clock you are working on is higher grade, including Chelsea clocks, Herschede clocks, Elliott clocks, and French clocks, you should consider installing a friction bushing. Otherwise, replace it with a friction bushing, such as a Bergeon bushing, but a friction bushing of this size will probably have to be custom-made on a lathe. If you encounter one at the bench and you find that it has no visible wear and does not tend to unscrew itself, then you may decide to leave it alone in a production-grade clock.

Furthermore, screw-in bushings are ugly and tend to unscrew themselves if not carefully punched in place. A rough pivot is probably what caused the bushing to wear in the first place. However, if the clock is not taken apart, you cannot polish the pivots. Some repairmen use them because they can be installed without taking the clock apart. Thinner mainsprings should be installed on this clock.Д«elow is an example of a screw-in bushing. Close inspection reveals that brass was pushed to the side, and the edges of the teeth are no longer smooth. The compressed teeth look worn, but you do not see comparable wear on the lantern pinion of the second wheel, so you conclude that compression took place. The other gear in the photo below shows undamaged teeth. The result is that all the torque of the mainspring is applied to a very small area of tooth such that, when the mainspring is fully wound, the teeth become compressed as the yield pressure of the metal is exceeded. Whereas European clocks have mainspring barrels with long teeth for added strength, American clocks with open springs, (no barrel), have short teeth. If you wind the mainsprings too tightly, or if stronger mainsprings are installed than were originally there, the result could be damage to the gear teeth.

Some of these clocks have stopworks to prevent you from winding the mainsprings too tightly, a terrific feature that every clock should have.

#Seth thomas clock series#

Since many clock collectors in the United States prefer American clocks over foreign clocks, every collector should consider having a Seth Thomas clock with an 89 series mechanism in his collection. Potential dollar value is $250 to $500.The Seth Thomas 89 mechanism is one of the best mechanisms among the production-grade American clocks of that era, ca.

Your sewing machine was likely produced during the last quarter of the 19th century. Though the name is not as recognized as Singer is by the public, they are more desirable to collectors. The company continued in business until 1973. On the booklet it says '658 Broadway corner of Bond St in NY Pat pend: 25187.' Do you have any idea of its value? Is it worth more than a Singer?ДЄ: The Wilcox and Gibbs Sewing Machine Company was founded in 1857 by James E.A. I have the original booklet that came with it and some needles. It has been in the family since it was purchased. Q: I have a sewing machine from my aunt, which could be from upstate New York or Pennsylvania, which is where she is from. Potential dollar value is less than $100. Your clock was made between 1900 and World War I. If you look below the 6 on the dial you will likely find in tiny print Seth Thomas Clock Company. The name still appears on some clocks as a trade name. It is one of the most recognized clock names in the United States by the general public. The company was in business from the early 19th century and continued under family control until 1932, when the company became part of the General Time Corporation. Is this by chance enough information to put an approximate date for the manufacture of the clock?ДЄ: Seth Thomas clocks are a specific category of collector interest. If you remove the back and inspect the back of the brass mechanism there is a brass plate cover with a small Seth Thomas 'S T' symbol engraved near the middle of the brass cover plate. There do not appear to be any markings on the back. In doing a little research, I think the clock must have joined the family a little later, but I would like to put a date on it and it seems that this should be possible. It was given to my mother by her grandmother, my great-grandmother who was born sometime in the second half of the 19th century. Q: We have an old Seth Thomas mantle clock in our family that has been passed down through a number of generations.