In mid Jan. a english Astro regulator came up Eby.It was in a city 120 miles away and the person selling it would not ship do to the size, weight, mecury pend. and did know how to disassembly the clock.Once I placed my bid the emails flooded in from England that if I won the bid if I would resell and ship ,and by the way will pay the amount in pounds for what I paid for in dollars.I emailed the seller to talk about the clock since he had only 2 feed back. Very nice young man was restoring a house for sale. The owners were elderly and had worked in England in the 1950's and 1960's. They did not have a lot of money so as payment gave him the contents of the back building which contained all sorts of odd items plus the regulator.His min. bid was what he had into the house.I won the bid by default....the two other bidders were from England and dropped the bids by email in the last hour of bidding since he would not ship.He was very honest..they had also sent me copies.. so the clock went for the min. bid plus a little extra for ebay to cover the difference in my bid and what the clock went for....On a snowy cold Sunday we picked up the clock..A wonderful English Gothic Astro Regulator...and is it big 101 inches...and is it heavy...good for traction in the snow storm on the way back...AND IS IT DIRTY,FILTHY,GRUNCHY you get the picture. Over the next month I will be restoring the clock and will have weekly updates and pictures.
Made in Wigan England by J.Grounds.Movement is a large astro on a 14 inch dial. The clock was made for a large Manor House or Club in the area and was used in the entrance way to set watches and time the other clocks...most have some house.The case was in fairley good condition with a few small parts missing. Original finish good but dirty. Movement was last cleaned in the mid 1960's.Had the following dates behind dialJ.Odber 1863,R.E.Bold 1878,1890 and 1901,R.1910,and1922,eh(?) 1933 and 1946 and MP. Finnemore 1966.Movement in excellent condition but needs overhaul all the oil was black and someone got carried away with oilcan.No wear on piviots or escapement.Movement is 6inches on bottom ,5 inches on top and 9 inches on top. Plate a little less then one quarter inch. Scape wheel is allmost 2 inches and pulley more then 5 inches. Big British and built for the ages!God bless Victoria! The sun never sets...sorry got carried away. The following pictures will show you what wood worker will be doing ,making the missing pieces and very carefully restoring the finish. The movement will be cleaned. Next week will show the assembly and the new glass in the bezel.

Doug Barr
NAWCC Member 91585
Chapter 185 Member 313

case

Doug Barr
NAWCC Member 91585
Chapter 185 Member 313

case1

Doug Barr
NAWCC Member 91585
Chapter 185 Member 313

more case

Doug Barr
NAWCC Member 91585
Chapter 185 Member 313

repairs

Doug Barr
NAWCC Member 91585
Chapter 185 Member 313

now

Doug Barr
NAWCC Member 91585
Chapter 185 Member 313

big clock

Doug Barr
NAWCC Member 91585
Chapter 185 Member 313

movement

Doug Barr
NAWCC Member 91585
Chapter 185 Member 313

The Pendulum was in very good shape and stored upright. Very important for metal like water,mecury. It was very common for the better clocks to have compensated mecury pends. The way,in theory at least,is when the steel pend. rod shrunk the 10 lbs or so of mecury would do the same and keep the effective pend rod length the same (or balance point). If the metal rod expanded dowm the mecury expanded up or well you get the picture. Was this a marketing ploy or what....hey for 50 more pounds(thats money in England) you can be the only Astro in town...impress the club members ect.Then Invar came along so much for mecury. The pend has over 40 parts very complex very well made. We will see how the movement times in at a latter time. Also not the seat board with a "roller" to keep the weight to side of the case.Plus theweight buffed nicely.

Doug Barr
NAWCC Member 91585
Chapter 185 Member 313

Hi Doug
The case is bigger than my house
Looking forward to seeing you bring it back to life
Very best of luck with the restoration and thanks for sharing it with us.

Ken

Wow!

I will be following this one.Very cool

Worked on clock movement and put on test stand. Assembled pend.(looks great). Went over to the restoration shop to see how the case was going.See picture of replaced background piece. Some problem in finding a piece of mahogany to match the cuban type,very dense and all most black.Clock was very easy to set up and runs fine. Will be timing it in the next couple weeks.Very interesting set up on pend. crutch. Will show that at a different time.

Doug Barr
NAWCC Member 91585
Chapter 185 Member 313

movement on test stand

Doug Barr
NAWCC Member 91585
Chapter 185 Member 313

cleans up nice

Doug Barr
NAWCC Member 91585
Chapter 185 Member 313

Case is being repolished after dirt, grime and smoke were very carefully removed.The orginal finish and patina are in great shape and will be professional re polished. Should have a picture in the next couple days. The movement has been timed in to several seconds a week..will wait till we get it in the case to fine tune it.hands will be reblued yet. The picture shows you the replacement of the background wood. (see post Feb. 9 2004). Also the new glass was put in the bezel. You need a very experienced glass person to do this. You have to bevel single pane glass down to 3/32 to fit the bezel.

Doug Barr
NAWCC Member 91585
Chapter 185 Member 313

bezel

Doug Barr
NAWCC Member 91585
Chapter 185 Member 313

The way you set the beat(once the movement is and case are level) is by two thumbscrews located on the pend. rod. By turning them it is very easy to fine tune the movement.Much easier then bending and twisting the crutch rod.

Doug Barr
NAWCC Member 91585
Chapter 185 Member 313

see post Jan. 31

Doug Barr
NAWCC Member 91585
Chapter 185 Member 313

9 pieces of trim repaired or made

Doug Barr
NAWCC Member 91585
Chapter 185 Member 313

Still need to find key for door to case and repair bezel for locking mech.

Doug Barr
NAWCC Member 91585
Chapter 185 Member 313

Thanks to Randy Minnis,Gilhams Antiques,Rocky River Ohio the only men only antique shop in the midwest for another fine case restoration ,Berea Glass,Berea,Ohio and Mike Paul one of the finest Clockmakers in the NAWCC (yes he still makes his own movements)

Doug Barr
NAWCC Member 91585
Chapter 185 Member 313

an awesome restoration!!!was great to follow your progress...well done indeed!!!Jim C