Hey everyone, it’s your old buddy back again, here to share another little project I’ve been messing with. You know how I’ve always been into those neat old travel clocks, right? Well, I finally got my hands on one that was kind of beat up, and I thought, “Why not try to make it look new again?” So, that’s what I did.
Getting Started
First off, I took a good look at the clock. It’s one of those HODINKEE Eight-Day ones, you know, kind of vintage-looking. It was pretty scratched up and the insides were all dusty. So, the first thing I did was take it all apart. I carefully unscrewed the back and took out all the little gears and pieces. It was kind of like a puzzle, but I made sure to take pictures with my phone so I’d know how to put it back together.
Cleaning It Up
Next, I cleaned every single part. I used some gentle cleaning stuff and a soft toothbrush to get all the gunk out. For the metal parts, I used a special metal polish to make them shine. It took a while, but man, it made a huge difference. The gears looked brand new after I was done with them.
Fixing the Scratches
The outside of the clock was the biggest problem. It had a bunch of scratches and dings. I used some fine-grit sandpaper to smooth out the scratches. Then, I used a polishing compound to buff the whole thing. It was a lot of elbow grease, but it was worth it. The case started to look really good.
Putting It Back Together
After everything was clean and polished, it was time to put it back together. This was the tricky part. I used the pictures I took earlier to make sure I put all the gears and springs in the right place. It was slow going, but I finally got it all back together. I wound it up, and guess what? It worked! I couldn’t believe it.
The Final Result
So, here it is, my restored HODINKEE travel clock. It looks amazing, if I do say so myself. It’s not perfect, but it’s a hundred times better than when I started. I’m really proud of how it turned out. It’s now sitting on my desk, ticking away.
- Take it apart: Unscrew the back, remove the insides.
- Clean everything: Use gentle cleaner and a soft toothbrush.
- Polish the metal: Use metal polish for the gears.
- Fix the scratches: Use sandpaper and polishing compound.
- Put it back together: Use pictures as a guide.
- Enjoy: Wind it up and watch it tick!
This was a fun little project. It took some time and effort, but it was really satisfying to bring this old clock back to life. If you’ve got an old clock lying around, maybe you should give it a try. It’s a great way to spend an afternoon.
