Horace Whitlock Clock Oil Kit

Just what I needed Good instructions on the website

Works great for the dyi person that prefers to work on there own clocks.

Muy buen producto

This kit contains everything you need to lubricate a mechanical clock. I had the movement of my 1920's German grandfather clock rebuilt around 2012. The process was more expensive than the value of the clock. It kept excellent time before it started to slow down and then finally stopped running in April 2024. The clockmaker had retired, so I was stuck. After a little bit if Internet research, I discovered that the process isn't terribly difficult if all the clock needs is cleaning and lubrication. Make sure you mark the weights. They can vary depending on their purpose. Set the time to 12:00 so it is easy to put the hands back on correctly. I removed the pendulum and weights and removed the movement from the case. Once I had the movement on a bench, I removed the remaining pendulum mechanism and the clock hands and face. This exposed all of the pivot points on the movement. Each point needed cleaning by scraping the remaining oil / dirt off with the provided wooden tool. It comes off looking a bit like graphite. You need to get all of it out if possible. I then added a TINY amount of oil to each point with the oiling pins. I added a thin coat of grease to the hands mechanism. I was able to hand operate the chiming movement, but the clock movement still seemed frozen. I reassembled the face, hands, and pendulum movement, reinstalled it in the clock and put the weights back on the chains. The movement came back to life almost instantly, but it was rough sounding. I let it run without the pendulum and re-leveled the clock. The movement started sounding regular. I added the pendulum and adjusted the hammers for the chimes. The entire process took less than an hour. About a month later, the movement is about 2 minutes fast. I'll take that any day from a 100 year old mechanism. The process is a bit intimidating. There are plenty of videos online that may help you understand the process, but your experience can greatly vary depending on your clock. I was lucky since my clock was built during the German Great Depression. The only complication on the movement is the chimes. Based on my consumption of the oil and grease, the kit contains enough product to provide many services. I put the box it came in in the bottom of my clock for next time. Based on my research, make sure you get genuine clock oil. Do not use WD-40, 3 in one, sewing machine oil, gun oil, synthetic motor oil, or any other light oil on your mechanism. There is a chance it will be damaged. This oil is extremely thin. Also, it is better to use a tiny amount of oil and add additional if needed. Otherwise, you have to dissemble the movement to clean the movement to remove the excess oil. The oil with dust / grime in it acts like fine sandpaper on the soft brass. The holes can distort over time and then you have to rebuild the movement with bushings in order to get the hole back on center. If this sounds too intimidating, you should consider finding a clock maker if possible.

I have a Seth Thomas mantle clock that was my grandmother's and it is well over 100 years old. It had reached the point where it needed attention. I ordered this after viewing a video showing how to clean and lubricate an antique clock that included a link to this product. It appears to be well made and the packaging included clear directions. I am not sure what it would have cost to take my clock somewhere to have it done, but I am sure it would have been much more than this kit cost. There is plenty of lubricant (both a synthetic oil and white lithium grease); I used less than a ml of oil and a small dot of grease. The clock is running well now. My only suggestion is that people also consider ordering magnifying glasses in addition because many of the clock parts are small.