Here is another finished project,was basically a square case to start with.Movement overhauled,top & bottom crests duplicated from another original clock,reproduction advertising glasses.Thought I would share it with you.Kent

Very good looking!! Great job!!

Hi Kent:
Both of your resto jobs look fantastic.I was just curious,did you do any case refinishing on those two projects.i.e.,Shellac,Lacquer,etc.If so could you take the time to fill us in on your particular procedures for refinishing.Thank you.
Respectfully,Bob Fullerton

Hi Bob,Thanks for the compliment.I really hate to refinish a clock but sometimes it has to be done,nothing special in the refinish.Since I made the top crest and bottom skirt it was much easier to match if stripped.The finish on both clocks was not the typical laquer or shellac but Formby's tung oil.You can buy it almost anywhere,it comes in a low or high gloss,I used one good coat of the high gloss rather than having to apply several coats of the low gloss.Don't get me wrong I love shellac, as it is so easy to blend and revive on an old clock,but is way to glossy for my taste if put on a refinsh job unless you want the extra work to dull it down.Matching the new wood and old wood is fairly easy with practice,there are many ways to acieve an aged look.A few that comes to mind is: not to make your parts to perfect,lay a dull knife across the grain and scrape entire piece with the grain to make imperfections in the wood,add a few dings along the edges etc.,the rest of the clock has been thrown around over the years and is expected to have few bumps.The old oak wood has a tendency to turn an orange color with age and can be matched well buy using a golden oak stain,let dry,then take an orange marker or orange dye and blend to match the color, you may have to repeat the process a couple times but you will get the feel with practice.Don't be afraid to try, worst you would have to do is strip it and start over.There are probably a thousand ways to do a certain task but it all comes down to finding the way to best suit yourself and practice till you achieve it.I'm not an expert by a any meens just a few tips that have worked for me,hope this helps!Kent

Hi Kent:
Thanks for the reply,I appreciate it.The next time you want to use shellac but want a toned down finish try Shellac Flat.It's a flattening agent added to Shellac to flatten out the sheen.It's normally used when you have a lot of areas that would be hard to sand,kinda gives it that already sanded and steel wooled look but you can use it on the whole clockcase if you desire.The stuff works well.Any refinishing supply house would carry it.
I just thought I'd pass this on to you.
Respectfully,Bob Fullerton

Bob,I'll have to give that a try when refinishing a whole clock,for matching new to old I still think it would be best to dull it down a little at a time the old fashioned way.But sounds like it would be alot easier with a case that has "hard to get in" spots.Thanks for the tip.Kent