On Time?

 Well, I'm actually a little late, but the post is literally on "time" so.... Uh... I'm confused now.

This post ran late because I was waiting on the US Mail to deliver something. You know how I got the huge Mickey watch wall clock (if you don't, just look at last week's post). Now it didn't work, so I figured I would just grab a new quartz movement, slap that sucker in and Presto! I'd have a working clock! Yay!!

Well, in reality, not so much "Yay" as "Yuck." 

You see, life teaches us many lessons. Don't spit in the wind. Don't touch a hot stove. Don't assume a quartz clock movement from forty years ago is in any way "standard." 

First, after removing the little black box movement out of my clock (which was about the only easy step in the process), I took it to Hobby Lobby where I found that they only sell two movements that are even close. Neither of them had the shaft size (the shaft is the part the clock hands fit onto) that would fit Mickey's hands. 

Ok, no problem. That's why God gave us a ruler and Amazon, right? I measured that stupid shaft (length and diameter) and ordered...the wrong one. Twice. 

I was getting a little discouraged, but I was determined that my clock would work...and that I would not waste twenty bucks. 

I then had the great idea to take a picture of what I wanted, along with a ruler beside it, and let AI tell me where to get it! AI gladly told me to order...the wrong one.

I was now really miffed and peeved (and disappointed in our computer overlords). I decided that it was close enough that with a little whittling with an Ex-Acto knife, I just might be able to get the hands on it. I didn't want to damage the hands, so I focused on the shaft.

And....

I won! Now, it isn't "factory perfect," but the hands stay on and it keeps time! Yay!!!

Some pictures...

This is the broken movement I replaced. It's in two parts because I wanted to see if I could switch the shaft out into a working clock. Nope! If the outside ain't standardized, you can sure bet the inside isn't either!

The new movement mounted in the back of the clock. Note the little piece of wood shim on the left. Even the box sizes were close...but not perfect...

Flipping it around you see the front with the hands in place. When I first put them on after trimming down the shaft diameter, the second hand would move, but not the hour and minute hands. I found the trick was to gently push the hands on the shaft instead of firmly. Now it works! If we had a bad earthquake the hands might fall off, but we never have, so I'm not that worried.

And mounted on the wall, ticking right along! I actually let it run all night before I posted this to make sure it really really worked. It really really does!

So there you have it! My twenty dollar clock ended up costing me closer to fifty bucks when it was all said and done, but I think it's worth it!

So until next time, keep searching for treasure!