Elgin Starburst Clock
I just bought my first starburst clock on eBay. It is an Elgin with alternating wood spokes and brass rods/balls. The seller noted that the movement does not work. For those mid-century clock experts out there, I have a few questions:
1. Is there a website that provides a little more info about this Elgin company? I have read that the starburst Elgin clocks were made in Germany, but there are Elgin Clock, Elgin Watch, and Elgin Clock repair companies in nearby Elgin, IL that keep popping up in Google searches. This particular design seems to be somewhat popular as many examples pop up in searches. However, background info is scarce.
2. I see fairly inexpensive movement replacement kits on eBay. Is this the best approach, or can someone recommend a better option for this type of clock?
3. Any other thoughts or recommendations? Although I have never attempted clock repair, I consider myself fairly handy on doing things like this.
The attached image is from the listing. I have not yet received the clock for firsthand inspection.
Thanks.
cdsilva....
I replaced the original working movement in my Elgin starburst clock to a silent mechanism.
I bought a good quality one with a Japanese movement at a cost of $6. It took about 10 minutes to install, was very easy to do and keeps exceptionally good time. These clocks do not require any more expensive or complicated inner workings.
Very nice clock btw...
added: if you decide to do it yourself, make sure the hands will fit on the new mechanism properly, there are a few different varieties. I had no issues with the Elgin clock, but I did have trouble when replacing the works on another starburst clock....I ended up having to replace the hands altogether.
cdsilva...
The original movement was a ticking one that drove me bananas, which is why I opted to replace it for a silent (smooth) mechanism....
You should have no trouble sourcing the clock works locally: craft stores, etc...you could even go to a thrift store, buy a clock that works and take the mechanism out of it, but they are so inexpensive you might as well buy new.
I live yonder Canada way and bought mine at Lee Valley.
I received the Elgin clock,...
I received the Elgin clock, and disassembled the spokes last night for cleaning. There is a decent amount of rust on the brass parts that I would like to clean. I believe they are brass-plated, as a magnet sticks to them. I am not looking to revert the look back to new, but rather reduce/clean up the rust, and then treat the metal in the proper way to minimize future deterioration.
I have read that using a brass cleaner on rusty brass plate might end up removing the brass layer itself, which I do not want to do.
Has anyone done a similar cleaning job, and can they recommend on how best to proceed? Thanks.
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