I don't seem to be working on clocks quite so much as I used, more on early guns and mechanical antiques generally; but this past weekend I've been working on the above long case clock movement. It's an English thirty hour clock about two hundred and fifty years old. I've had to find a clock rope of the correct size, and splice it. It seems to be running nicely. I then had to dismantle, clean and polish the dial, resilver the chapter ring and, then relacquer the dial. The movement lives in its original oak case, which is under six foot high, but as the dial (original to the case and movement) is only ten inches square (on a taller clock it would be a twelve inch square dial) it is a well proportioned neat little clock which I've know for ten years or so (since I sold it to its present owner in fact). It's been very satisfying to work on.
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5 comments:
It's satisfying to get back to your roots with stuff that really floats your boat.
Hello Crowbard. I can see what you mean, but if you look at the last two items illustrated on my blog, I'd be hard put to decide which of the two I'd prefer to own. However, as a dealer it would be quite easy to decide; it would have to be the gun because they are easy to sell still, and the value of them is still rising, whereas clocks have been falling in value for the past few years.
They are about equally satisfying to work on, though.
So while the market is in a slump buy only the best clocks for restoration and to keep and enjoy; but buy every gun you can add value to, keep the very best and make a living from the rest.
See next entry (for Thursday, 21st January).
P.s. The present owner of the clock says it's nearly, or quite, twenty years since he bought the clock from me. I think he may be right.
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