Building Grandfather Clocks

Material usedMost grandfather clocks" have a wooden case, a metal "engine" which is called the movement and a pendulum that is made of brass. In the 18th century however, when the grandfather clock was introduced in the US, the US made grandfather clocks were made entirely of wood. This was due to a boycot by England on the export of metal parts to the US.WoodIt is for this reason that many US based clockmakers started using wood for all parts of the grandfather clock. Even the movement was made of native wood. Of course the wooden pendulum was not as accurate as the metal one. Wood is more prone to wear, so wood needs extra treatments in order to last longer. This is why the early clock makers started using special wood lacquers which were more durable than earlier varnishes or milk paints. In the 19th century, precision and accuracy was the motto, and the switch to metal movements was thought to be the end of the wooden clock era.And now?Are wooden clock movements forever relegated to the past? The surprising answer is "no". They appear to have never fallen out of style. Many clock makers like to keep the 100% wooden grandfather clocks alive. It seems to be a very strong tradition that may never end. Craftsmen with above wood working skills have still access to all the wooden parts and materials to make a grandfather clock entirely out of wood. There are also grandfather clock kits for sale that contain wooden parts only. So, if you're good with wood, you could build one yourself!

About the author

Eric Schuiling has been appraising antiques for the past 25 years. He has also spent many years selling and buying antiques. His specialization is antique grandfather clocks. He has a grandfather clock collection that is well known among members of professional antique organizations.

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