Tips on How to Take Good Care of Your Antique Pendulum and Grandfather Clocks

11 March 2021

Your treasured antique pendulum and grandfather clocks need special care and attention. With a little time and effort, you can keep them in excellent working condition and looking as beautiful as ever. Your clocks should be kept free of dust, and they will most likely need some general maintenance over time. Yet in the meantime, you can give them an annual cleaning to maintain their elegant wood, metal and glass exteriors. 

If you are not experienced at cleaning older pendulum style or grandfather clocks, you may want to seek professional advice before your first clock cleaning project. By consulting our experts at Ken Ross Jewellers in Ashburton, Victoria, you can gain excellent professional advice concerning the best methods of cleaning and maintaining your antique clocks. 

Essential Tips on Best Methods of Caring For Your Antique Pendulum and Grandfather Clocks

Major steps from professionals concerning the best methods for taking excellent care of your antique pendulum and grandfather clocks are are follows:

1. Remove Pendulum and Weights. First, carefully remove your clock’s pendulum and weights, putting them in a secure location. Then place the movement in another safe spot while being careful to avoid tangling the chains. Although these clock components are sturdy, you should take care to avoid dropping them to ensure the continuous good operation of each part when reassembled. 

2. Distance Clock from Wall. If your antique clock is positioned near a wall, move it away from the wall before beginning the cleaning process. Take care to keep the clock steady until you remove its movement. You can use a soft duster for cleaning the clock’s back and the timekeeper base.   

3. Wipe Clock Surfaces. To clean the clock’s glass panels, wipe them with a soft cloth sprayed with a cleaner that is free of ammonia. Never spray the cleaner directly on the glass since this may cause streaking. Take time to fully open your clock and clean both sides of the glass panels.  

4. Wax Wooden Surfaces. Using a soft cloth and a fine-calibre wax, polish the wooden surfaces of your clock. Be sure to polish both interior and exterior surfaces thoroughly while taking care to keep the wax away from all glass panelling. 

5. Dust Clock Parts. Carefully dust your clock’s pendulum, weights, batons and face with a soft cloth. Refrain from applying any polish to these components especially any that are lacquered. 

6. Replace All Parts. After returning your pendulum or grandfather clock to its usual place on a shelf, table or mantelpiece, replace the movement. Then place the pendulum and weights back in their normal position inside the clock. 

7. Reset Your Clock.To reset your clock, turn the batons in the clockwise direction. If the clock does not have a lever or tab for performing chime disengagement, let the timekeeper chime every half or quarter-hour until it succeeds at resetting itself.   

With proper cleaning and care, your antique grandfather and pendulum clocks will continue to have a long-term ticking and chiming life. As treasured items of great beauty and charm, they are also excellent timekeepers to be enjoyed by multiple generations in your family.

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