When should you consider a C cell clock movement? The primary reason to use a C cell clock movement is longer battery life. Changing a common battery in your clock every couple of years is usually not a problem. But, when it’s in a hard to reach clock high up on a wall, or inside a case that’s hard to open or access, it can become a solvable problem. These larger C cell batteries simply store more electricity, so they last longer. A C cell movement is larger than a AA battery powered movement. It has to be to hold the larger battery. If you have room for it in your case, you can double the length of time between battery changes, especially if you use fresh Alkaline C cell batteries. We offer standard C cell time only, time and pendulum, time and chime as well a high torque movements. We even offer a continuous sweep high torque C cell movement. We simply have the best C cell movement selection anywhere. When using mini quartz (AA battery) or standard quartz (C battery) time, or time and pendulum movements, there is a difference between the torque (or turning power) of C cell movements and the smaller AA battery versions. In this case the C cell movements will drive slightly larger hands easily. That’s why we offer optional hands in the 5” to 6” range in gold or black for use with our C cell standard movements. The C cell pendulum movements have a 3-1/2 once capacity, which is more than the AA movements. If you are using hands under 6-1/2” (measured from the center of the mounting hole to the tip), […]
Category: Clock Repair
How to Determine What Size Clock Hands to Use
by clockpartsLots of people think whatever clock hands they have will fit a new clock movement. This is not usually true. The mounting holes are not well standardized. So, if you already have the clock hands, you can just choose a similar length and style from us. If you do not have hands, then a few simple rules should be followed so you can correctly choose what you need from us. This simple step is often overlooked, but it does make a difference. It all starts with tape measure or ruler, and measuring the diameter of the clock face, or clock dial. Take a look at this clock dial. Normally you would select hands that would come to about the middle of the numbers, but if you have these 2 parallel lines, also known as a time ring or chapter ring, then the minute hand should end right between the two parallel lines. To get an exact length to end in the middle of the time ring, it’s perfectly normal to trim the minute and hour hand to fit your clock face. Our black hands are aluminum and easy to trim with a good pair of scissors. Our gold hands are a brass plated steel, so a pair of tin snips or wire cutters works well. A lot of clock dials do not use this formal design, so the rules for hand length are more relaxed. This is especially true when unusual markers or indicators are used to indicate the hours. These indicators could be adhesive backed numbers, buttons, wood toy wheels, nuts & washers, dried flowers, upholstery tacks, poker chips or dice, seashells, stones, bottle caps, photos, almost any small […]
How to remove clock hands from Battery Clock Movements
by clockpartsIf you want to replace your battery operated quartz clock movement, you have to be able to remove your clock hands. It’s really not that hard. Get yourself a small pair of needle nosed pliers and small cup to hold little parts. If you need reading glasses, then get them now as you are going to need them. Always work in a well-lighted area. Most clock repair starts with getting the clock hands off of the clock mechanism. Virtually all clocks have an hour hand (the short one) and a minute hand (the long one). Many clocks have a third hand, which would normally be a second hand. It rotates quickly (once every minute). If you have a second hand, grab it where it attaches to the clock motor and pull up, or away from the clock movement. It should come loose. If not, carefully place your small needle nosed pliers under the second hand. Each arm of the pliers should be on either side of the small brass bushing holding the second hand to the clock motor. Give the pliers a firm upward pull. If this has not removed your second hand, then you are just going to rip it or cut it off as it has to be removed. The worst that happens is that you damage the clock motor that you are going to replace anyway. Not a big deal. Now, if you don’t have a second hand, then let’s remove the minute hand. There are 2 possibilities. The minute hand either just presses on, or it is held in place with a small round nut. This is called an “I” shaft, which most of our movements […]
First Time Clock Repair
by clockpartsFirst Time Clock Repair Basic battery operated clock repair can be relatively easy if you just remember two things; clock parts are not as standardized as you would think, and many clock movements look alike, as they a just a small, normally about 2-1/8″ square black box.. Trying to cross reference any part numbers that may be on the back of the movement can also be a problem because there is no cross referencing guide and some companies that export into the U.S. actually put the same part number on several versions of the same clock movement, which can further confuse the issue. The good news is that as long as you can measure to within a sixteenth of an inch (1/16″) then you can replace a clock movement. The primary consideration is the length of the hand shaft, which contains the hour, minute and second hand shafts, and you need to know how thick the clock dial material is on your clock case when measured at the center hole of the clock dial. You can put a pencil through this hole, mark the front and the back, then pull it out and measure with a ruler to get the clock dial thickness. Get the right ruler: Please reference the two rulers shown below (Drawing A). If the ruler you have has a “lip” at the end, it will not give you accurate measurements. You need to use a ruler with a “zero point” at the end. Most AA Powered Clock Movements Look About The Same (Drawing B): Most AA battery powered clock movements basically look about the same from the back. Most of these AA battery powered movements are […]