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| I have a Charles Radcliffe Timeworks 23" wall clock and it's died. I've contacted the company and he quoted me $26 for a replacement movement (the little black plastic box on the back of the clock that hold the AA battery). Has anyone ever replaced one themselves and found a less expensive source for a replacement? |
Follow-Up Postings:
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- Posted by dilettante (My Page) on Fri, Jan 21, 11 at 15:31
| That sounds unnecessarily high. My father used to make clocks with his scroll saw and bought the movements from woodworking supply companies like Rockler. The movements were very inexpensive. For a relatively large clock like yours, you might need a high-torque movement, which would be a little more expensive than a movement for a small clock, but still reasonable. I'd call a few of the clock part suppliers and ask them for advice. You'll need to know the dimenions of your existing movement and the diameter of the shaft. If you know the model number of the replacement part, that may be helpful. They should be able to determine exactly what you need. (Keep calling different suppliers until you find someone knowledgeable.) They should also be able to give you clear installation instructions. I just googled "clock movement" and found that you can get a radio-controlled clock movement for as little as $7 (including free hands if you want them) at Clockparts. (Radio-controlled means that you would never have to set the clock or adjust it for daylight savings time.) I think I'll look into replacing the regular movements in some of my clocks with radio-controlled ones. (I have a lot of clocks!) |
Here is a link that might be useful: Clockparts radio-controlled clock movement
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| dilettante, thanks for all the helpful information! It was hard for me to imagine that a small black plastic box with a movement inside would be worth $26.! I am going to do some measuring and see if I can find one the same size. The radio-controlled one would be great. I have reset the clock by moving the hands and I guess that is a no-no because it can ruin the movement, so maybe that's why my clock stopped working. I haven't done it much though. I think I read somewhere that the life of those movements is only a few years. There isn't much to these clocks - I spent close to $130. and it's basically mdf board with a nice design, some trim and a movement with hands. Hard to justify putting a lot more $ into it. |
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- Posted by dilettante (My Page) on Fri, Jan 21, 11 at 16:14
| You're welcome. I'm glad you posted because it made me realize that I can probably retrofit at least some of my quartz clocks with radio-controlled movements. With all of the clocks in my house, I would love to have at least one that is accurate! Good luck, and let us know how it works out. |
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| I think you can also get those works from Michaels Arts and Crafts. I might just haul the whole clock in there and ask for help. |
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| Never thought of Michael's either - I am planning a trip there for another project I'm working on so I'll check it out. Thanks, oceanna! |
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- Posted by dilettante (My Page) on Sat, Jan 22, 11 at 14:32
| Just be careful to get the right movement for your clock. I think you'll need a high-torque movement because of the length of your clock hands. I'd be surprised if Michael's has more than just a basic clock movement (the kind you'd use to make a clock out of a small china plate). Also, if you want to get a movement that would last a while, the clock parts stores would have a range of quality levels to choose from. A good clock movement should easily last a decade or longer. I have a few that are over 20 years old. |
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| Here's my follow-up on fixing my Timeworks Clock: I found out the company was sold to UTTERMOST this month (Jan 2011). I found the high-torque movement that is the exact replacement for the one on my clock at NationalArtCraft.com I knew nothing about this website. They require a minimum order because they sell wholesale so I had to purchase 5 movements. The cost for 5 was less than 1 from Timeworks but with handling and shipping it was more. At least now I have 4 backups and won't have to worry about a replacement for a long time! P.S. They have a very good rating on BBB and their shipping was quick. |
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- Posted by dilettante (My Page) on Mon, Jan 31, 11 at 16:43
| Thanks for the followup. I'll bet you could sell a couple of the extras on Craigslist or eBay and recoup your entire investment! |
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- Posted by Shane Evenson(sevenson@charter.net) onTue, Jul 5, 11 at 10:15
| Hi,I am in need of a replacement motor as the one for my timeworks clock died. Would you be interested in selling me one of your extras? Shane |
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| I also need the replacement part. Is arapaho selling their spares? Chris |
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- Posted by jodi_in_so_calif (My Page) on Thu, Aug 30, 12 at 21:26
| I just priced clock movements with the black box at Michael's (in Southern CA) earlier this week. They were $9.95 and there were a couple sizes for that price. There may have been a larger one for a few dollars more but since I was looking for the small one I didn't really pay attention to anything else. Jodi- |
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