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How to Lubricate Brass Clock Works

Clocks are essentially machines and, like any machine, their moving parts require occasional lubrication. This is especially important for brass clockworks, as their lubricant can become dirty over time and actually grind away the joints like sandpaper. Antique brass clockworks may even need to be replaced if not properly lubricated over time. Using the correct type of lubricant, and knowing how and where to apply it, can help keep your brass clockworks properly lubricated and functioning.

Things You'll Need

Clock oil
Clock oil applicator

Instructions

- 1
  Remove the hood of the clock by lifting it straight up and off the body of the clock. The hood sits on top of the clock and covers the face and moving parts. On some grandfather clocks, the hood is removed by sliding it forward rather than upward.
- 2
  Unhook and remove the right hanging weight or "time" weight.
- 3
  Remove the pendulum from the point where it rests known as the "crutch."
- 4
  Unhook and remove the left hanging weight or "strike" weight.
- 5
  Remove the movement. This is the part of the clock which contains the moving parts such as the dial and which the two weights and pendulum cause to move.
- 6
  Remove the hands on the face of the clock movement.
- 7
  Pull the pins attaching the dial to the face of the movement.
- 8
  Locate the oil sinks in the surface of the exposed clock plates. Oil sinks are small recesses around the pivots of each arbor in the clock plate. The pivots are the ends of the arbors that turn the moving parts of the clock plates.
- 9
  Apply a drop of clock oil to the oil sink with a clock oil applicator. Do not use more than one drop per oil sink, as over filling can cause the clock oil to spill out and leave the pivot improperly lubricated.
- 10
  Apply a few drops of clock oil to the weight pulleys with a clock oil applicator. These pulleys hold the chains to which the time and strik weights were attached.

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