News:

"The phone is a remarkably complex, simple device,
and very rarely ever needs repairs, once you fix them." - Dan/Panther

Main Menu

Standard Electric Time Master/Slave Clock

Started by Doug Rose, July 23, 2022, 02:32:31 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

Doug Rose

I got this at Brimfield as I hoped the copper shine and turn it into a Battery Clock

It cleaned up wonderfully but I got a case of the Candlesticks into lamps guilt, so I stopped.

Anyone have any knowledge on how to get this working without a lot of pain?

This came out much better than expected and it is HEAVY!!..Doug
Kidphone

RDPipes


Doug Rose

Ron...I am done for the day and sipping a Sam's Summer Ale

96 and swordfish on the grille at 5. I should have posted pic of the mechanism.
. My bad.  Rest of the pic tomorrow....Doug
Kidphone

RDPipes

This might be something you want to look at.
It sates most of these clocks the voltage is not marked on them and that they could range from 3 -24 volt DC or up to 110 AC and or both. If yours is not marked it may take sometime to figure out exactly what voltage it does take to work properly without smoking it. I'm not saying it can't be done just that it will take patience and time to get it running and running properly. Standard Electric Time Master

Doug Rose

here are the pics, as I remember these work off of a Master clock in schools etc....Doug
Kidphone

HowardPgh

Reminds me of the clock in my grade school homeroom. When you waited for the end of the day to come (it never seemed to), it would tick ahead one and the seem to tick back three!
Howard

HowardPgh

You might be able to operate it if you provide a pulse to it every minute.  Its possible that the circuit from a battery clock mechanism might do that.
Howard

Doug Rose

thanks Howard, I will give it a shot...Doug
Kidphone


Doug Rose

Kidphone

Doug Rose

I purchased a battery replacement mechanism for this.  I can take out the old without damaging it.  It would be expensive to try to make it work as a Slave Clock and no guarantee that there is not damage to the existing parts.

I need a day or so to summon up my courage. It is a beautiful clock....Doug
Kidphone

ReneRondeau

#11
I wouldn't worry about it. These are very common and the conversion you propose is reversible.

I grew up in Springfield, MA where these were made. All of my classrooms had these clocks, though some had wood cases and some metal cases, painted. About 40 years ago here in California I found a wood-cased one which had been converted to an early type of battery movement. It was very unreliable so I replaced that with a heavy-duty quartz movement. It has been on the wall in my office ever since, and it still runs (and looks) great. (Though when it's opened, it does look odd to have such a tiny movement and nothing else inside!)

About 20 years ago I bought another, with a different style wooden case. That one has the original movement. I ordered a new unit that drives the original slave movement in the same way as a master clock, but it didn't work. It turns out there are a lot of variations among these slave movements. I heard about a collector about an hour from here so I called him. He invited me to bring it by. I couldn't believe his house -- hundreds (literally) of different styles of Standard clocks, all wired to one of several master clocks. He proceeded to take mine apart, determined what electrical parts were needed to operate with my modern battery-powered drive unit, and put it all together -- at no charge. I hung it on the wall and it worked exactly as it should, moving the minute hand forward once a minute. But-- I had forgotten how loud the mechanism is when it fires the slave clock and pushes the hand forward. After a week I decided I couldn't stand that sound in my quiet office. So I pulled the battery and put that clock in the garage, and put my quartz clock back on the wall. It's not authentic inside, but it looks fantastic -- and brings back memories of my youth.

You do need a heavy-duty movement, capable of driving heavy hands. Most common quartz clock movements are designed for short, lightweight hands. You may also need to glue washers to the back of the 'tail' of the hands to help counter-balance them, otherwise when the hands are moving upward from 6 to 12 the weight of the long end of the hands may counter the torque of the movement.

Doug Rose

I took the plunge as Rene said. It was not was easy as I thought. The hole was too deep to accept the battery pack and could not be secured with nut. I had to remove everything from the Slave mechanism as it would not fit through the metal mechanism case. Then I had to the chip a layer of wood away so I could secure it.

I am very happy with the outcome, but I feel like I made a stick into a lamp  :(  ....Doug
Kidphone

FABphones

Quote from: Doug Rose on July 31, 2022, 01:11:02 PM...but I feel like I made a stick into a lamp...

I know the feeling...
http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=25418
...thankfully I managed to restore one of these two sticks which had previously been 'lamped'.

In time you might come across a Master Clock, then you can convert it back.
A collector of  'Monochrome Phones with Sepia Tones'   ...and a Duck!
***********
Vintage Phones - 10% man made, 90% Tribble
*************

Doug Rose

Kidphone