The 2017 Restoration
Despite a dedicated Clock Winding Committee and the best of intentions, the clock once again began to fall into disrepair. In retrospect, this shouldn’t have been a surprise. No one on the Clock Winding Committee was an experienced horologist. Detailed written instructions on how to maintain the clock did not exist. The clock engine was located in a dirty, dusty attic. After 16 years, a critical amount of foreign matter had accumulated within its gearing. All of this contributed to a number of significant problems with the clock:
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The striking train was loose, with a critical arbor held in place by a black binder clip. If this arbor shifted, the striking train would either jam or strike in excess of the hour.
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The clock engine was running fast and could no longer be slowed down. The knob to perform this adjustment was already turned as far as it would go.
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The clock face was out of sync with the clock’s setting dial. Attempts to correct this were rare and usually unsuccessful since the only known procedure involved hanging out a window in the belfry.
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The pendulum’s arc was very small. On occasion the pendulum would simply stop, even when the weights driving the clock were still suspended.
Binder clip holding an arbor
Per professional horologists, a tower clock should be taken apart, thoroughly cleaned, lubricated and re-assembled every 10-15 years. Cranbury’s historic clock was overdue. Thankfully, Richard Kallan, a member of the Clock Winding Committee at the time, had foreseen this need and had persuaded the Township Committee to allocate money in the budget for clock maintenance.
In March of 2017, the Clock Winding Committee began searching for a company to restore the clock. Ten companies were contacted and were quickly narrowed to two, the most promising being Connecticut Timekeepers of Stratford, CT. In April, two of their technicians drove to Cranbury to perform an onsite inspection. It took only a few minutes for them to reach a shocking conclusion: the clock should be shut down immediately. The dirt in the gears was causing excessive wear on some of the teeth and each revolution of the clock was damaging them further. Worse, the extremely small arc of the pendulum was creating a problem with the escapement, whereby the teeth on the escape wheel were just barely being engaged by the anchor. Further deterioration could cause the anchor to fail to engage completely, causing permanent damage to the escape wheel (which is fairly expensive). In accordance with their recommendation, the clock was stopped that evening. A few days later Connecticut Timekeepers submitted the lowest bid and was awarded the contract.
The clock striking 13
The Connecticut Timekeepers team
On June 1, 2017, a team from Connecticut Timekeepers drove to Cranbury and dismantled the clock engine, the motion work and the hands of the clock. Everything was carefully wrapped, loaded into their truck and taken back to their shop in Connecticut. On July 18, they returned with all of the restored components and re-installed everything in Town Hall.
The clock being restored in Connecticut
In an effort to maximize the benefits of this latest restoration and to protect the clock as much as possible from the ravages of time, a number of additional actions were taken.
Tower Clock Maintenance Manual
With the assistance of Connecticut Timekeepers, a procedures manual was created covering basic clock winding activities such as winding the clock and striking mechanisms, adjusting the time, and regulating the speed of the clock. The manual also covers more advanced topics such as the lubrication of the clock, bell, leading off work and motion work; and adjusting the hands of the clock.
Proper Oiling and Greasing
The level of contamination of the the gears of the clock indicated to Connecticut Timekeepers that the wrong type of oil and grease had been used for many years. They recommended the use of J.D. Windles Turret Oil, a heavy viscosity oil needed to lubricate larger clocks. Where a light film of grease is needed, they recommended the use of Amalie Blue Hi-Temp grease. Following the general consensus of horologists experienced with the care of tower clocks, the Clock Winding Committee adopted a strict 90-day lubrication schedule .
Plexiglass Cover
With minimal assistance, Richard Kallan of the Clock Winding Committee designed, built and installed a plexiglass cover that is suspended above the clock. While it will not protect the clock from all of the dirt and dust floating around the attic, it will provide a degree of protection from debris and moisture falling down from the attic rafters and into the gears of the clock.
Membership in the NAWCC
The National Association of Watch and Clock Collectors (NAWCC) is an international organization of over 13,000 members. Of particular interest, they operate a Message Board dedicated to Tower Clocks, giving the Clock Winding Committee the ability to receive information and assistance from experts in the field.
WiFi Motion Detection Camera
A WiFi Camera was installed to provide clockwinders with the ability to remotely monitor the status of the tower clock. Its motion detection capabilities provide a time-stamped record of every strike and send a notification to a general purpose Clock Winding Committee email account. In this manner, clockwinders are provided with early awareness of anomalies with the clock as well as a simple and accurate way of determining the clock's accuracy.
