Wood clock by T White Witney

I have been working for the last couple of weeks on this wood and brass clock by T White of Witney. Dozens of photographs and loads of drawings. It is a very interesting clock pretty rare for an english clock  having  the lower train ( gears) made from wood and the higher ones brass. It was made around 1740. T White was ( I think) a carpenter he was very adept at using wood,  but not as good at laying out a clock train  so perhaps this was his first wood clock. Most if not all of the gears are hand cut, the larger wood ears are Oak and the smaller possibly box. 

The movement was in a bit of a sad way dirty and there was some evidence of wood worm or other insect damage, I have treated the insect damage locally, and removed  dust and dirt. The movement has been waxed with renaissance wax, it now looks very good. It is unlikely that this clock will be in a condition were it could be run safety.  However it will soon be back in its rightful place for all to see.

Mike

Introduction (and the first post)

This is the first post of a new blog mybenchview

I am Conservation Clockmaker working mainly for private clients and the  National Trust  in England and Wales UK.

I have recently been awarded a 2015 Winston Churchill Memorial Trust  Travelling Fellowship to study the conservation of wooden clocks and related items. I will be travelling in USA Canada  in the earlier part of the year and Austria Germany France and Switzerland in the latter part of the year.

This blog will act as a record of the build up to the travel and also be a place where I will record my thoughts and pictures during the actual travelling, also it will be a place where I can post some pictures of  the museums, collection and people who I hope to be visiting.

I will be also posting on twitter @mybenchview and on Facebook  Wood Wheeled Clocks

www.wcmt.org.uk  for information on the winston churchill memorial trust