I use electronic nippers - like side cutters, but no bevel on
outside surface, get a good pry on something, don't cut the
pin off. If head of pin doesn't protrude beyond edge of plate,
I can usually get something in to push from the other side,
sometimes needlenose pushing on the thin end of the pin,
using the post for the other tang. Haven't lost one yet,
but I DO have a rusty 1720-vintage musical-bells clock in the
shop that suffered heat and steam damage in a fire.... Should
start on it this week. May have to go with electrolytic rust
removal if all else fails/ mark


Christopher Tidy wrote:

Hi all,

I'm trying to repair a wall clock. It's a "Dufa", built by Etzold &
Popitz of Germany in the 1920s or '30s. It's very similar to this one on
eBay at the moment:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.d...tem=6584307091

Although it isn't an exceptionally valuable clock, it keeps good time
and was bought new by my great great uncle for his company office, so
I'm keen to get it fixed. The problem is that the main spring has
snapped. We got a clockmaker to quote for the repair, but the price was
high so I want to have a go myself.

To get the spring out one either needs to remove the clock face from the
mechanism, or remove the back plate from the mechanism. The former is
much more attractive as you don't have to disturb any of the gears. The
problem is that small taper pins (1/16" diameter at most) have been used
to attach the mechanism to the face, and also to assemble much of the
mechanism. However I disassemble the mechanism I will need to remove
several of these pins. I know the obvious method of removal is with a
pair of long nose pliers, but I tried this without success. I don't want
to pull too hard because then if the pin comes free, my other hand will
probably fly into the clock mechanism and cause some damage (knowing my
luck). A brief inspection suggests to me that the pins are harder than
mild steel and that they were hammered into place. I can't hammer them
out as the narrow ends all face into the clock mechanism.

Any thoughts? How do professional clockmakers do it? Suggestions would
be appreciated...

Best wishes,

Chris