Servicing our wooden clock

As some may remember, we have a clock largely made from native wood.  Clearly it is not all wood, having glass, steel wire and brass for the mechanism parts.  I have to say that it’s not the easiest clock to read from a distance, but then it’s not so much a clock as a moving piece of artwork!  It was made for us some years ago by a master clockmaker near Melbourne, Will Matthysen.

Over the last few months it had become unreliable, stopping sometimes, although the pendulum mechanism meant that when going, it kept reasonable time.

So, on one of his trips to NSW, Will came to our house and services our clock. 

Fundamentally what that meant was to take the clock apart, clean all the moving parts of the dried-out lubrication and accumulated grime, then reassemble the mechanism.

Fascinating to watch.  The face, hands and mechanism can be removed from the case (in fact this could be done with the case still on the wall).

 

 

It is all then taken apart.  All the spindles run in tiny ball races, which have to be removed and cleaned (in “shellite”, whatever that is).

 

 

 

Then it is all reassembled.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It now runs beautifully of course.

(click for larger view)

 

Kimberly Cruise 1

I (David) went into work last week (I think it was Thursday – 7th July) and told them that I had booked and paid the deposit on a cruise starting on 21st July ….

Then told them that this was for 2023 !

I’m quite excited about this.  We will go to the Kimberleys (NW Australia) and go on a 12-day cruise up the coast of northern West Australia.

Click to enlarge, as always.This is the approximate course of the cruise.  Our friends Marchelle and Mark went on this tour a couple of years ago, having researched which “cruise” was the best to go on.  So we have booked with the same company and boat (it’s called “Discovery One”).  A smallish craft – maximum 20 passengers, shallower draught than most boats, two smaller-still rubber “outboards”, emphasis on good food and flexible itinerary according to conditions.  What is seen depends on what conditions are like, and what the captain thinks is best.  However the rock formations, bays, beaches, birds, fish, crocodiles are all spectacular.

So, I’m excited at the prospect.