Lots 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 […]
Category: Hands
Do I need to get new clock hands?
by clockpartsAssume yes. Most of our clock movements (or motors) include a FREE choice of clock hands for a good reason. The high torque movements are the exception, as the large hands vary in price. The problem is that the mounting holes in clock hands are not well standardized, and the holes are hard to measure. The tolerance is plus or minus 0.002”. The drawings of the hole shapes and sizes are listed at the top of every opening page to a group of clock hands. We want you to have this information. If your old hands actually fit our movements, then buy a lottery ticket, as it’s your lucky day. Clock hand size and style are an important consideration. Please remember that most styles of clock hands are easy to trim to a shorter length. Our black color hands are made of aluminum, so they can normally be trimmed with a good pair of scissors. Gold color hands are actually a brass clad steel, so trimming may require a pair of tin snips. Clock hands are measured by the minute hand only (the long one), from the center of the mounting hole to the tip. Ornate styles like the Serpentine below cannot be trimmed much at all. The more plain rectangular or Spade styles are easy to trim to shorter length. See the hands below: Serpentine Spade Rectangle Repairing an old clock does not have to be difficult at all. Just have all the parts handy, and a good ruler, and give us a call at 1-888-827-3787, ext.#300 with any questions you may have.
Choosing Clock Hands For A Replacement Movement
by clockpartsThis simple step is often overlooked. Lot’s of people think whatever clock hands they have, will fit a new movement. Not usually true. The mounting holes are not 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. It all starts with measuring the diameter of the clock face, or clock dial: Take a look at this clock dial. If yours looks similar, then measure to between the 2 parallel lines outside of the 3:00 and 9:00 positions, and divide in half. Or you can measure from the center of the clock dial, To in between these 2 parallel lines, and now you know the length of your minute hand. You do not have to be exact, but be within a ¼”. It is also possible to trim hands to a shorter length. You only measure the minute hand from the mounting to the tip, so do not be concerned about the length of the hour hand, as it is typically 2/3 of the length of the minute hand. All of our hour and minute hands are sold by the pair. You can also use press on numbers to make your clock dial. See the set of 4 digits below (12, 3, 6 &9) Normally you would select hands that would come to about the middle of the numbers, but there is no set rule. You can also use almost anything you want to act as “numbers” or “indicators”. Try our Gold Roman or Arabic (regular) […]
When the Clock Hands Are Free, Take ‘em…!
by clockpartsMost of the clock movements we offer include a FREE CHOICE of multiple sets of hour and minute hands. It’s your choice,. Just tell us what you want! For some reason, some customers think the hands that they currently have in their possession are going to fit a different clock movement. Rarely happens. If it does, buy a lottery ticket that day. There is no “standardization” of the mounting holes in clock hands. It’s that simple. The mounting holes in clock hands are measured to within a few thousandths of an inch, and there are dozens of possibilities.. Put your ruler away. Unless you have good calipers or a micrometer, you are not going measure the mounting holes in clock hands. We primarily use the American “I” shaft system, but it is only popular here, and only some imported movements use it. Almost all of our movements use the “I” shaft. The best feature of the American “I” shaft is that it uses a small round nut to lock the minute hand in place. It’s very secure. In all of our categories of clock hands, at the top of the first page on the web site, we show an excellent profile drawing of the actual mounting hole sizes for the clock hands listed in that section. We also are sure to link every clock movement we sell with the clock hands that can be used with that movement. Just go to any movement page and click on “clock hands” at the bottom of the movement page to see our selection..