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 Restoration of a Smiths electric clock
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 Return to top of page · Post #: 1 · Written at 6:51:55 PM on 29 September 2013.
Brad's avatar
 Administrator
 Location: Naremburn, NSW
 Member since 15 November 2005
 Member #: 1
 Postcount: 7290

This is a short article about an electric clock I bought on Ebay that underwent a quick restoration this afternoon.

Last week I took delivery of a Smiths 'Sectric' electric clock made by Acelec of Sydney, NSW. It was in good condition to begin with and was in working order. However, it had been repainted at some stage in its life, covering up the original charcoal hammertone paint with a fairly amateurish coat of gold spraypaint. No effort was made to stop the paint getting on the glass and the end result really didn't look all that good.

Smiths Sectric Electric Clock


The seller commented that the second sweep hand had scratched off a portion of the clock face calibrations however quite the opposite had happened. The second hand had been collecting the most minute sample of paint from the numerals and had spread this around 2/3 of the face. This was the first thing to clean up and this was done as best could be, without scratching off any of the legitimate markings.

Once this was done, the clockface was given a general wipe over with warm water and a Chux cloth, again being careful not to rub out any of the numerals or calibrations. The back cover was removed from the mechanism and everything was inspected to ensure there would be no mechanical or electrical issues to worry about. The British generally over-engineered most of what they made at the time so there was no real concern about wear and tear. The gold paint was then scrubbed off the control knob and shaft and from around the edge of the glass. These items were then put to one side whilst the paint was removed from the pressed steel bezel.

A spray can of charcoal hammertone paint was purchased from the local hardware store. This was a perfect match for the original colour. Three coats of this were applied over a period of about five hours and the end result is quite good. One of Steve Savell's radio grommets replaced the original which was cracked and hardened with age. The clock was then reassembled and hung in its place on the wall in my dining room where it has bee put into active service. It will be looked at over the next few days to make sure it is keeping accurate time though there should be no problems in this regard - these clocks have a good reputation for keeping better time than modern battery-powered quartz jobs.

Smiths Sectric Electric Clock


I am not going to become a big collector of clocks but I do think I have found something to add to the variety of working vintage items that I do have. Somehow, radios, telephones and lamps just don't cut it without a clock or two in the mix.


‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾
A valve a day keeps the transistor away...

 
 Return to top of page · Post #: 2 · Written at 9:07:23 PM on 29 September 2013.
Maven's Gravatar
 Location: Canberra, ACT
 Member since 23 August 2012
 Member #: 1208
 Postcount: 584

Nice restoration job. It will remind you when to turn your radios on and off for your favourite programs.

Maven


 
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