# And now for something a bit different........



## John_D (Jul 21, 2018)

While browsing eBay for some Art Deco china I stumbled on a rather stylish Ferranti synchronous electric clock.........

Sellers original pictures:-....




























Well it got me interested and I did some online research and decided that if I could get it cheap it would be an interesting project...

The bottom line is that it apparently did not appeal to many others and I got it for £14 

It arrived yesterday in the post and on unpacking it I was pleasantly surprised that other than the original mains lead cut off and the fact that it had 80+ years of grime on it, it was in far better condition than the seller's pictures implied!

I set about stripping it and when I removed the brass movement cover found that it was really clean inside and that the movement was still well lubricated in all the right places and every thing move silky smooth. When I did my original online research I had found out that the coil resistance should be somewhere between 4 and 5K ohms and on checking it it read right in the middle at 4.5K ohms. I checked with the meter on the Meg ohms range and there was no leakage on the coil windings back to the movement chassis and more importantly the coil didn't smell 'cooked' , this gave me confidence that the clock would almost certainly run if 240V AC was applied to it. :thumbsup: . (which was the case :thumbs_up: )

I cleaned up all of the stripped parts, though I was VERY careful on removing the glass as I half expected that the brown crackle painted metal case would be stuck to the back of the mirror and would pull the silvering off :scared: . Fortunately my concerns were unjustified and there were no problems and I was able to clean the back of the glass and remove 80 plus years of film and detritus from it.

I do intend to replace the two core mains cable with some suitable 3 core and have got a couple of metres on order, but for the time being I have hooked it up for testing with two core. Results seen below.... 




























Wouldn't look out of place on the mantelpiece of Hercule Poirot's London apartment..... 

Bugger I can see me getting hooked on these and getting a few more..... :blush:


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## John_D (Jul 21, 2018)

Currently in pride of place in 'the office' flanked by Brooklands motor racing posters from the same era.....



















The brown wooden box next to it is a ignition coil box from a Model T Ford from around 1914.......(still trying to get a set of contacts for it, plenty in the USA but sadly cost of postage from the US is prohibitive  )


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## spinynorman (Apr 2, 2014)

John_D said:


> Currently in pride of place in 'the office' flanked by Brooklands motor racing posters from the same era.....
> 
> 
> 
> ...


 Impressive setting, I love those posters, and the clock is magnificent. You did a great job cleaning it up. :thumbsup:


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## Always"watching" (Sep 21, 2013)

I also admire your handiwork and rather like the clock. What is of special interest to me is the Ferranti name on the clock, representing an amazing company with a British heritage that was in business from 1885 until 1993 when it went bankrupt and was broken up. The Ferranti name is still in use but no longer the title of a major British company.


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## nevenbekriev (Apr 21, 2019)

John_D said:


> The brown wooden box next to it is a ignition coil box from a Model T Ford from around 1914.......(still trying to get a set of contacts for it, plenty in the USA but sadly cost of postage from the US is prohibitive  )


 Get some relay with similar size of contact buds. Take the silver buds out and solder them with soft solder on place , then file the surface to make it plain... If no relays near, go to a silversmith and tell him to drow some silver wire with proper diameter, then cut several slices of this wire and here are the contacts...


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## John_D (Jul 21, 2018)

I need the complete contact points set as shown in the illustration. The coil box is only ever going to be an ornament and the contact set on top would complete it visually, really only looking for something 'a little distressed' to match the age and appearance of the box.......It would originally have sat in a larger wooden box, attached to the firewall, inside the cab, with another three coils.........



















Sadly mine looks like this on top......












Always said:


> I also admire your handiwork and rather like the clock. What is of special interest to me is the Ferranti name on the clock, representing an amazing company with a British heritage that was in business from 1885 until 1993 when it went bankrupt and was broken up. The Ferranti name is still in use but no longer the title of a major British company.


 Much like Thorne EMI that was broken up about the same time. I worked as a design/development engineer for them in their Lighting Division, based in Enfield North London........ Bought out by the American General Electric company in the late 1980's and destroyed by 1994 all of the lamp making factories, Enfield, Leicester, Merthyr Tydfil, Preston and even Buckie, now gone. :rip_1: .........


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## nevenbekriev (Apr 21, 2019)

I see…

I just thought You have a T model and it can't stat because of bad ignition contacts…


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## John_D (Jul 21, 2018)

I knew it was a mistake, buying and restoring that Ferranti clock :blush: , it has 'forced' me to buy this definitive book about them .....










and I now have this Bakelite alarm one in the post, for me to attempt to resurrect...... 










As seen in this contemporary advert....










I doubt that the 'Future' referred to in the advert contemplated it working some 80 plus years on..... :teethsmile:


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## spinynorman (Apr 2, 2014)

John_D said:


> knew it was a mistake, buying and restoring that Ferranti clock


 Great to see you sliding into the abyss.  It's amazing what you can get books about.


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## John_D (Jul 21, 2018)

spinynorman said:


> Great to see you sliding into the abyss.  It's amazing what you can get books about.


 I found out about the book on THIS WEBSITE.....the abyss might just be a bit deeper than I initially thought.... :scared:


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## spinynorman (Apr 2, 2014)

John_D said:


> I found out about the book on THIS WEBSITE.....the abyss might just be a bit deeper than I initially thought.... :scared:


 Yes, I think you could get thoroughly lost in there. The Matthew Norman carriage clock caught my eye.


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## John_D (Jul 21, 2018)

spinynorman said:


> Yes, I think you could get thoroughly lost in there. The Matthew Norman carriage clock caught my eye.


 I need certifying, I've bloody done it again, got these two also winging there way to me now (both bought from the same seller, which at least reduced the carriage cost)





































At least I can be almost certain now of getting one of the round ones working and fully restored...might get lucky and get them both done.....

As for the square one, lets hope that the missing hand adjuster doesn't go too deep......

For a total outlay of less than £30 for the pair at least they will keep me 'amused' for a few hours :whistling:


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## Always"watching" (Sep 21, 2013)

A book just on the subject of Ferranti synchronous clocks, and I was thinking of writing a history of the whole Ferranti organization on seeing your first Ferranti. I'll take a very big rain check on that idea. :laugh:

Good luck with the restoration work on the latest additions to your Ferranti collection.


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## John_D (Jul 21, 2018)

Now I really have fallen into the 'Electric Clock Abyss' ..... I have this rather plain Bakelite mantel clock coming now, but for ten quid, if nothing else it will keep me amused for a couple of hours and I'm sure the Bakelite case will clean up a treat  ....



















I was trying to get this rather decorative offering, but stopped bidding about an hour from the end when my self imposed limit of £25 was breached....










It was still just over that price a couple of minutes before the end of the auction, but in the last few seconds madness reigned at it sold for £143 + £14.99 p&p :scared:

Considering it was sold as 'not working' and has some serious metal work corrosion problems to resolve...










that sounds just a tad expensive, especially as I had already seen a fully restored example sell for £160..... am I missing something here?..


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## Hotbulb (Jan 1, 2020)

John_D said:


> I need the complete contact points set as shown in the illustration. The coil box is only ever going to be an ornament and the contact set on top would complete it visually, really only looking for something 'a little distressed' to match the age and appearance of the box.......It would originally have sat in a larger wooden box, attached to the firewall, inside the cab, with another three coils.........
> 
> 
> 
> ...


 Have you tried Neil Tuckett for buzz coils ? I bought a job lot of them for spares or repairs at the model T owners club auction held at his Farm when I was running them on my 1925 Model T , afraid don't have any left now As i converted it to a to Dizzy and sold them on but I'm sure he will be able to help with coils parts and boxes

https://www.modeltford.co.uk/


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## John_D (Jul 21, 2018)

Hotbulb said:


> Have you tried Neil Tuckett for buzz coils ? I bought a job lot of them for spares or repairs at the model T owners club auction held at his Farm when I was running them on my 1925 Model T , afraid don't have any left now As i converted it to a to Dizzy and sold them on but I'm sure he will be able to help with coils parts and boxes
> 
> https://www.modeltford.co.uk/


 Cheers, thanks for the heads up, have sent him an email 

Regards John...


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## John_D (Jul 21, 2018)

Just when I thought that I had got this under control I found the 'Smith's' offerings :whistling: ......



















Couldn't turn it down for a tenner..... :thumbsup:

Hold on to your hats, this is going to be a bumpy ride..... :scared:


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## spinynorman (Apr 2, 2014)

I hope you have a lot of bedside tables and mantelpieces.


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## John_D (Jul 21, 2018)

spinynorman said:


> I hope you have a lot of bedside tables and mantelpieces.


 Well the first of the Ferranti Bakelite alarms arrived today........About an hours tinkering (the hour hand was bent down and fouling the dial and the minute hand up and rubbing on the glass.....) and cleaning saw it up and running perfectly, with the exception that the alarm goes off about 1hour and 45minutes before the time indicated on the setting knob on the back. :scared: This should be easily rectified by removing the hands and replacing them in sync with the alarm setting knob but that can be a job for another day. Currently just letting it run next to the Art Deco one....










Incidently the Ferranti Electric Clock book arrived and it has enabled me to date both clocks, the Art Deco one is younger than I had thought, being sold between 1947 and 1952 ( at a cost of 84/- ) and the alarm was also only sold for the same three years, costing 48/9d.....fitting that they are back together again and also coincidental that 1947 was my birth year :thumbsup:


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## John_D (Jul 21, 2018)

Well the Bakelite mantel clock and the second round alarm arrived and are now 'restored'










Apologies for the disparety in time setting but the mantel clock came without a hands setting knob. As it is one of the very first Ferranti synchronous clocks, made in 1932/33 it has the Mk1 synchronous movement and unlike all of the later clocks the hand setting knob does not screw on, but has a square section spindle protruding from the movement, in this case 1/16" (1.6mm) A/F. I have ordered a pocket watch key that is the same size and will modify this with a plastic end that will protrude through the rear plate...

As the back plate of the clock is brass I have rewired the clock with a 3 core cable, earthing the movement...










Four clocks now restored and running, two more to do......


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## spinynorman (Apr 2, 2014)

@John_D Great to see those restored. Looking back to the green Smiths alarm, I've got a feeling my parents had one like that, it looks familiar somehow. Would've been in the 1950s.


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## John_D (Jul 21, 2018)

spinynorman said:


> @John_D Great to see those restored. Looking back to the green Smiths alarm, I've got a feeling my parents had one like that, it looks familiar somehow. Would've been in the 1950s.


 The green alarm arrived in the post today but initial inspection shows that the motor coil is open circuit so a major strip down is going to be required with the coil dismanted and rewound......., so will have to determine the original swg of the wire and how many turns (assume the resistance will be similar to the Ferrant coils at approx 4.5K Ohms)........and of course sourcing suitable enamelled copper wire...


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## John_D (Jul 21, 2018)

Ignore the last remarks, further examination showed that the problem was just a poor connection at the terminal block and we do indeed have continuity in the motor coil, though it is higher than on the simpler Ferranti movements at around 11.5K Ohms :thumbsup: . Next stage will be to put some volts on it.......


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## John_D (Jul 21, 2018)

Update........the green Smiths alarm clock lives! :clap: (shown next to my 50 year old acrylic 'FlikaBrick'....)










And thanks to #Hotbulbs recomendation the Model T Ford buzz coil is now complete with a set of original 100 year old points attached... :thumbsup:










The 'FlikaBrick' was purchased by me in 1970 and at the time was a very futuristic art piece (neon discharge technology)....It ran on two 'C' cell batteries, which it ate at an alarming rate but now is powered by 5Volts from a USB port on the PC......

As you can see from all this I'm a sucker for querky historic technology items....... :blush:


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## John_D (Jul 21, 2018)

spinynorman said:


> @John_D Great to see those restored. Looking back to the green Smiths alarm, I've got a feeling my parents had one like that, it looks familiar somehow. Would've been in the 1950s.


 Aparently that model of Smith's electric alarm clock was made between 1948 and 1957.......


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## John_D (Jul 21, 2018)

Well up till now the most that I had spent on one of these was £14 for the first clock, but when I saw this pewter cased version I had to have it, despite the terrible condition of the dial...... :scared: ,



















I won it with a £26 bid, hoping that firstly there was nothing 'unfixable' with the movement and secondly, that I could do something to improve the dial.......I did have a 'Plan B' where that was concerned though as I also bought, this Ferranti Model No2 mantel clock as a potential dial donor.....










When the pewter clock arrived I determined straight away that there was nothing wrong, mechanically or electrically, with the movement and that it was 'a runner' :thumbsup: So 'in for a penny, in for a pound' I stripped it and donning my art restorer's cap I set about attempting to very carefully clean up the dial with cotton buds, initially using saliva to dissolve the worst of the staining..  , followed by very mild soap and water.....I obviously missed my vocation in life and perhaps should have not gone into engineering at at an early age but taken the art restoration route as this is the final result, dial 'restored', case cleaned and polished, movement oiled and rewired......










It appears that this pewter clock was only made between 1934 and 1936 and was Ferranti's dearest 3 1/2" dial mantel clock at 63/- (three guineas, the equivalent price in 2020 being about £220!) and as such is probably fairly rare today).

The Model No2 clock mentioned above as 'Plan B' now becomes a restoration project in it's own right, more about that later.....

The Model No8 square Bakelite alarm clock, mentioned earlier, with terribly stained/ruined (someone would already appeared to have tried cleaning it andsmeared the 'printed 'Ferranti' logo... :angry: ) dial....



















was re-visitedNot too much wrong with this ine, electrically no problems but some work was required on the alarm 'on/off' mechanism to get that working correctly. The case cleaned up OK and the clock was rewired and runs nicely........shame about the face.

As if by fate this incomplete example, with a much better face, turned up on eBay, so it had to be bought.....










It arrived yesterday, at the same time as the Model No2 mantel clock, mentioned above......

On opening it up it was seen that some bits (most of the alarm setting mech and wiring to the coil) had been removed from the movement but with the mech removed from the case I was able to remove the hands and dial and with my new found art restoration skills it was fairly straight forward to remove virtually all of the 'age spots' and discolouration from the dial. I re-stripped the original 'restored' square alarm and swapped over the dials....... now we have a very presentable example of this clock.....



















One of the common factors with these early (1932 to 1936) Ferranti synchronous clocks is the fact that the hand adjusting knob is almost always missing, due to the fact that, unlike the other knobs, it does not screw into place but the spindle on the movement is a square section and the knob just pushes on with a friction fit...

I found that a pocket watch key with the correct A/F size would operate the hand set but wanted some thing a little more OEM looking so I bought a key to play with, chopped the handle part off, set it into a piece of black bakelite tube, that I 'had in stock' and with the addition of a suitable plastic cap araldited on the end I ended up with what seems to be an acceptable alternative to the unobtainable original article....



















With the prototype finished I now have a few more keys on order and will replace the misssing keys on other clocks....

The 'Mk2' version may well have a black plastic knurled knob on it as I have some of these incoming from China.....


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## spinynorman (Apr 2, 2014)

Fascinating. Great work on the dials, they look like new.


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## John_D (Jul 21, 2018)

spinynorman said:


> Fascinating. Great work on the dials, they look like new.


 Cheers Norman, I'm a glutton for punishment as I just put a derisory offer on this horror story, which was accepted :blush: .



















It would appear that somebody probably broke the original Bakelite case then, perhaps 50 or 60 years ago, they utilised the movement in a homemade wooden case.... I do not whant to know what the 'Heath Robinson' mains switching addition was meant to power up, but it looks beyond dangerous!! :scared:

Looking again at the 'internals' it might just be that the original clock was one of these......as it appears to have the window in the dial surround at the bottom.......










The dial looks to be salvagable and the movement will furnish the missing alarm setting bits, and as a bonus the ultra rare hand setting knob is still with it! :clap: I will probably be able to 'restore' the second square Model No8 alarm to working order now..........


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## John_D (Jul 21, 2018)

Well the 'Shed Art' Ferranti alarm arrived and my assumptions about its origins proved correct..... It did Indeed start life, in about 1936, as one of these 'Floodlit dial' alarms.










On stripping it down I found that the enormous fuse holder on the left of the movement was apparently a 'safety feature :scared: ' added by whoever transplanted the movement into the wooden case some 50 or 60 years ago, looking at the state of the wiring up to it would suggest that it was probably an astute measure......










The 'floodlit' element was fairly clever, in that there is a cam directly behind the alarm dial on the front of the movement that triggered a sprung metal contact that earthed, to the movement, one side of the secondary winding of the motor coil.......That's right, the induction coil of the movement has an independent secondary winding, turning it into a low voltage transformer to supply about 3v A/C to the 3.5v torch bulb doing the 'Floodlighting' of the dial, between the hours of midnight and 8AM......not adjustable, take it or leave it, though there was an option to interrupt the 'earth' feed to the bulb holder, with a fibre insulator 'switch lever'. I got all of this mechanical mech re-aligned and working correctly only to find that the secondary winding of the coil was open circuit, it has no discernable resistance, when measured with a multi meter, but does appear to have an 'off load' voltage of about 24v, that disappears when the load of the torch bulb is connected..... Anyway, I replaced the primary coil connecting wires with something a little more modern that I would trust 240v A/C with and the movement ran OK,, and I have a working movement (even the alarm function) though without the light working

I did intend to use the dial and movement in my 'spare' non-floodlit case










but on closer inspection the movement is sufficiently mechanically different, in size to make this unfeasible, so resorted, for the time being, to Plan B......

The wooden case was surprisingly very well constructed, and I suspect semi-professionally made but the fitting of the movement and construction of the alarm on/off knob on top and the general finishing, appears to have been done by someone with a much lower skill level. With this in mind I have 'sympathetically' refinished the case, (I could have totally sanded it down, re-stained and polyurethane lacquered it but that would be like polishing a turd :wink: ), refitted the movement inside, rewiring it, leaving me with a working, fairly tidy, example of 1950's 'Shed Art'....



















I have since squared up the movement a 'bit' better in the case, but the two 'after market' mounting brackets, care of 'Meccano', used by the original convertor, do not make it easy.........










Anyone on here a fan of 'Shed Art'? No reasonable offer refused...


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## Jericlin (Feb 7, 2021)

Curiosity aroused. Whilst sourcing Mr Lines book I wondered if this clock was 100% Ferranti ? 
eBay item no 154311419928


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## John_D (Jul 21, 2018)

Jericlin said:


> Curiosity aroused. Whilst sourcing Mr Lines book I wondered if this clock was 100% Ferranti ?
> eBay item no 154311419928


 Somehow I missed this post. The clock in question would appear to be another example of 'shed art', based either on the movement from a broken Bakelite cased mantel clock or a 'creation' based on a new replacement movement that Ferranti sold for 30/- in the 1930's.... It does not appear as a factory made wall clock in the Ferranti 'bible'.....


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