Updates on the "Mystery" Wooden Works Clock Case

This is a follow-up post which serves to present additional research done over the past year or so on the orphaned "mystery" wooden works clock case I purchased a while back. The clock in question, as well as some initial research can be seen in this post:

http://jcclocks.blogspot.ca/2014/12/a-rare-find.html

I plan to restore this old clock case, but without a matching example to copy, it becomes difficult guesswork. The following 10 clocks bear some similarities to the orphaned case, and are worth discussing for various reasons.

This first clock is a beautiful piece by Chauncey Jerome & Co., marked Richmond VA. The overall style is much fancier than my mystery case, but the door has 3 divisions (which is generally rare/unusual). The door lock is not a match.



This second clock is a very interesting and unusual clock by Case, Gilbert & Co., Winchester CT. It has a very seldom used top splat pattern, which may or may not be original to this clock, and it features a plain flat front (no columns). The similarities seem to end there, however. This clock is much taller than mine, it doesn't have a 3 piece door, and there are additional lips and square mouldings to the case. As with the previous clock, the use of a door lock is inconsistent.



Here is another oddball. This one by Charles Stratton, and features flat fronts with bird's eye maple veneer. The size seems about right, but the interior dividers (which hold the movement in place) don't span the full height. The top is also missing, which doesn't help much with my clock. It's unclear if the door is held shut by a latch or a lock.



Rob M just posted this unusual Eli Terry Jr. & Co. clock the other day, and it caught my eye. It has a very different top, and no 3pc divided door, but it does have a plain flat front, and it uses a similar door catch.



This one is absolutely beautiful, but the only similarity is the 3pc door. Marshall & Adams, Seneca Falls, NY.



Here is another oddball, and again, only very vaguely related to the mystery clock. This is a rather rare Daniel Pratt clock. It has his often-used triangular columns, but a 2 door design with mahogany in the centre. The overall effect from a distance is similar, but the overall construction and details are very different. Sadly the top is an incorrect restoration, but it's still an interesting piece. I believe this is an 8 day clock, but I'm not 100% sure.



Here we find another 3pc divided door on a Thomas Moses, Auburn NY clock. This clock is unusual for its flat stenciled columns as well as for the divided door. I am generally not a big fan of the plain hump splats, but this one is correct/original.



Here we have a very sad looking clock that has seen better days. It has been very poorly refinished, and the top has been badly restored with a ridiculous looking splat and finial combo. It is unclear if all the front veneers have been ripped off. It is by J.J. Beals, NY. (Boardman & Wells), and it has a plain flat front.



Another beautiful example with a 3pc door. Williams Orton & Preston & Co. Farmington.



Lastly, another ornate clock with a rare 3pc door. Also by Williams Orton & Preston & Co. Farmington.



If you have any similar clocks, either with flat undecorated fronts (no columns), or with 3pc divided doors, even better if the centre panel is mahogany, please let me know.

Veneer Patching Extravaganza!

I've decided to do a whole bunch of veneer repairs on multiple projects all in one shot. It's always a pain to have to prepare and heat the hide glue (which I always prepare "fresh" from scratch). It's messy, time sensitive, and I usually hate having to do all the prep work. That said, once everything is ready to go, it's pretty simple to just start gluing all your pieces down. Most of the veneer patches are small chips, and don't need clamping (just masking tape pulled down tightly), while any long edges do need clamps to set up nice and flat.

The projects that I dragged out currently include the Birge & Fuller Column & Cornice (I'd like to get that one done soon), a Seth Thomas wooden works case (just the case - this was a junker that came with no door, movement, or dial, and I've been assembling parts for it for years. It's a nice early one that I don't see too often), the "Mystery" (Attributed to Elbridge Atkins) wooden works case, a beautiful crotch mahogany box (probably a tea box) which needs a lot of patches (almost every corner), and I was also going to work on my long neglected Waterbury Steeple clock, but when I took it out, I noticed it's rosewood. I have ordered some rosewood, so I'll work on that one once that comes in.

Here's the current mess that's taking up my entire dining room table.



I've mixed the glue, and it's ready to use (it's waiting in the fridge), and right now I'm cutting all the little sections of veneer that I need for 90% of the patches. Some of the boards have splits or large breaks, and those need to get glued before they can be veneered. Everything else (that I can) is getting trimmed and fitted so I can do it all in as few "sessions" as possible.

Here you can see several of the patches ready for gluing. Many are just temporarily held in their spots with tape.



Two top boards being trimmed of broken chunks, and ready for patches.



More soon.


Side note: The mirror clock is on hold until I receive the movement, which is on the way.