-OR-‘If women don’t find you handsome, they can sure find you handy.’ -Red Green
So you want to try and repair your battery clock?
In 2013 I posted a link to Klockkit.com, where you can get over 100 different models 0f battery (quartz clocks-the quartz crystal regulates their timekeeping). In thinking about it, I thought it might be a good idea to expand on the post. I should add that I am often amazed at the creative ways that the movements are attached to the clock, so I just will cover the universal features.
The first thing you need to do is get to the dial and hands. I’m sorry, but your on your own for this. There are about as many ways to do this as there are rocks in Lake Superior.
However, lets get started on a quick fix. If the MINUTE hand keeps accurate time, but the HOUR hand stays around 6 o’clock your hour hand is loose. Move the minute hand to 12, aim the HOUR hand at the closest hour, and then push HOUR hand in at the center of the clock, and the set the time by moving the minute hand.
There. Done.
Now lets replace a movement.
If you have a second hand or a little disk that looks like a thumb tack, pull it off.
Now, look at the center of your minute hand. If you have small nut or bolt holding the minute hand on, remove it by turning it counter clockwise, and pull the minute hand and hour hand off. If there is not a nut, pull the minute and hour hand off. Look at the hole in the minute hand. If it has parallel flat sides, it is called an “I shaft”, and you will need to get an I shaft movement. If it is round, I would probably get an I shaft movement with corresponding hands. Sometimes the diameter of the round shaft is slightly different than the original, and then you will be learning a new skill set.
By now, if you see a nut or a round disk with 1 or 2 slots, your in luck. You can use small wrench or a large screwdriver, and unscrew the nut and the movement will slide out. If your lucky. Some manufactures also epoxy the movements to the case, and you might find that they are screwed in, or they use double stick tape…or….if the front of the clock has a threaded shaft, and there is no visible nut, there is a possibility that the movement was screwed on to the case, and then the dial was put on. You can try removing the dial or consider purchasing a new clock.
All you have to do is order a movement with the same length of threaded shaft as the original, and the same outside diameter. If you have room for a C battery movement, I would get it. If your minute hand is longer than 12″, I would consider a high torque movement. If you replace the hands, I would get some that go to the OUTSIDE of the number of the clock dial.
Reverse the procedure, making sure that the hands do not touch, or the clock will stop. Which would be frustrating when you have gone through all of this work trying to comprehend this post.
If you don’t have glass over the dial, it doesn’t matter how long your hand shaft is, and you could trot over to JoAnn Fabrics, Michaels, or another craft store and get a movement there.
There, I have introduced you to quartz clocks, and now you have the opportunity to find out just how frustrating it can be to remove these movements.
Sometimes, I think these movements were instilled by unfulfilled tank designers in their spare time.