We have workshops twice a year lasting a whole day for members to learn about various aspects of horology.  The September 2006 workshop dealt with the design and replacement of missing clock parts.  Cold casting is a good option for missing case adornments.  Essentially a clear resin can be filled with powdered brass or other materials and poured into a flexible mould.  Interestingly the brass can be buffed to give highlights.  A bit of experimentation will give you the result you want.

Missing clock mechanical components commonly requires calculations such as pendulum length, missing wheel counts, suspensions, escapements etc.  A sample exercise had us split into teams to work out what was missing from the frontplate of a longcase movement rack striking system and to design the replacements.

Members also brought along some examples of clocks missing parts for discussion and problem solving.                                          Click on the thumbnails for more detail.
 

	Cold casting lesson from Doug Minty		Ingredients		Resin
	Hardner		Brass powder		Rubber mould
	Pour gebtly		Designing parts theory		Calculating pendulum lengths
	Design exercise		Working out what's missing		Not all of the rack strike work is there
	What do you think		Let's do this		Doug seeing how everybody is going
	Presentation of design		Another team's design
	French chimer with missing wheelwork		Worthwhile project
	French silk suspension example		French silk suspension example		French silk suspension example
	French silk suspension example		German table clock with alarm work missing		Another good project
	How to replace missing screws		Dutch clock with missing count wheel lever		What did it look like
	Another missing countwheel lever		The best splice ever seen!
			Scottish longcase		Replacement calendar wheel

Click on the pictures for a larger view.