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Gut, Cable, Mono-Filament Line ??? "Click" to Login or Register 
Picture of Ken Knight
posted
A customer brought me a 1775 English bracket clock for repair. The works are fuzee driven and the previous "smith" used mono-filament fishing line between the barrel and fuzee. I decided to restore it to its previous state and use gut. Well, after a few months, the gut broke and the clock is back. Someone said use brass cable, rather than the gut. The mono-filament line works, but needless to say is a poor substitute.

What would you folks recommend? This clock is over 200 years old, and these things have worked with gut before. Perhaps there is something I can do with the gut to insure it holds up.

Thanks for your help.
 
Posts: 285 | Location: Springfield, Ohio in the USA | Registered: June 06, 2008
posted
Use Steel cable. Why take a chance on it breaking and doing a lot of damage.

Bob
 
Posts: 130 | Location: Fredericksburg, Texas U.S.A. | Registered: September 25, 2004
posted
GREETINGS KEN, WHAT SIZE GUT DID YOU USE? YOU SHOULD TRY THE UK OR GERMANY FOR GOOD QUALITY GUT. TAKE CARE. EDDIE
 
Posts: 140 | Location: St. Paul, Minnesota in the USA | Registered: June 11, 2008
IHC President
Life Member
Picture of Lindell V. Riddle
posted

Ken, Robert and Eddie,

A disaster caused by the sudden breaking of old-time "gut" stringing which led to the topic "Seth-Thomas Number 2 Case - Help!" caused me to do some reworking of the case and change over to bronze or brass cable. Since it is available in a wide variety of guages to fit practically any application and is even available with a nylon cord core essentially the way modern-day tires are made I feel a whole lot more comfortable.

I do not go with mono-filament because for me the bronze or brass is easier to work with, operates more smoothly and has a somewhat more attractive "original" look particularly on the later Seth-Thomas Number 2 applications where the cable will be partially in view most of the time.

Lindell

Wink
 
Posts: 10553 | Location: Northeastern Ohio in the USA | Registered: November 19, 2002
posted
All

Bronze line should be fine, I've used it for years without trouble. Check that the holes are smooth, my guess is that there may be a sharp section which cut the line.

If you use bronze line you will have to anneal the ends so that you can tie a decent knot etc, just heat it to red heat over a torch and allow it to cool.

Cousins material supplies in the uk stock bronze line (they have a web site)

Hope this helps

Clive
 
Posts: 264 | Location: Westbrook, United Kingdom | Registered: June 15, 2007
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