These electromechanical neon display clocks do need regular maintenance to keep on running. Here is a short video to show you how to do it.
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- Music by Fran Blanche -
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Fran's Science Blog - http://www.frantone.com/designwritings/design_writings.html
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I had one of those. I loved it! Totally takes me back to the 1970's. Thanks.
Deoxit sells a needle drip version of their red cleaner. I find it much more useful in the stupid spray cans.
Those switches are like miniature versions of the stepper assemblies in electromechanical pinball machines. According to Joe's Classic Videogames and their cool pinball repair videos, a little dialectric grease may keep those contacts working after the next cleaning. Maybe it's time to disassemble all the way down to the wipers and the contacts and address them directly, and hopefully not have to take it apart again for a decade or two. Those of you who watch Ron's channel over there will know his brother Joe could diagnose that clock in seconds: "It's broke!". Come on, people! No really, you should try the dialectric grease.
My Lumitime had blackened neon lamps and looked quite bad and uneven.
I replaced them all and they all died within 30 days. I was so disappointed.
You may like to try a fine point soldering iron and melt a hole through plastic to save me cringing whilst watching you drill the access hole. Groovy clock and vidio. Love from cornwall UK.👍
It's a lovely clock, I do like how things where made before the solid-state components took over.
For oiling/cleaning difficult places I use syringes with a selection of different diameter needles.
Regarding the self tapping screws, have you thought about replacing them with heat set threaded inserts, you could then use small machine screws
There is a way to get rid of the yellowing of the plastic. I've seen restorers clean yellowed plastic appliances.
It would be so cool to make a metal housing for it if the plastic someday gets a big crack
I don't use contact cleaner by itself any more, I use it first to clean the contacts, then flush it with isopropanol. If it's a closed assembly like a pot or switch I blow dry it with compressed air. Then if it's a thing that slides a lot, like pots or switches, I lubricate them with silicone oil spray. Except relays, contactors and switches for high voltage, leave those dry.
Those are awesome. I like digital clocks, but I don't like the cheap LED displays most of them have. I have some with VFDs but those are normally pretty small. Having one of those would be really cool, annoyingly the prices of them are astronomical.
I love the seconds indicator around the swirly bit.
How did they make the encoders transition smoothly?
I imagine tons of flicker between the switch states.
Beautiful clock! I've never seen anything like it before. Good to see you take good care of it.