Restoration

The 1870 Regulator

Before . . . . . . After

On the left, the Regulator hanging as is, without its original base and finials and is then shown on the right with its missing base and finials restored, a magnificent transformation! With the restored base the clock measures 9 foot 3 inches tall and 3 foot 6 inches inches wide at its widest point.

Restoration Begins

The first two activities on the 1870 regulator were to (1) replace the missing base and finials and (2) replace the missing hand and pulley. The clock had remained upright balanced on metal feet that were mounted on the original finial supports and two modern, plywood supports that mirrored the original finial bases. These were removed and it became plainly apparent that they were indeed later as no oxidation was present from any earlier mounting. The size of missing "Vienna regulator" type base was surmised by both the original outline of the base and the remaining decorative extremity tip. Together they provided enough information to assume a length of approximately 18 inches from the base of clock to the tip of the decorative, Vienna base and a width of 26 inches between the two finial bases. The finials would have to be in proportion to the new base and oxidation rings indicated a base diameter for each finial of approximately 3 inches, indicating a proportional length and width of approximately 6 inches each.

Ernest St. George, master wood carver from Romania, was selected to carve a new base while wood turner Chuck O'Malley was selected to create the two new finials for the base. All would be built out of clear Walnut in an attempt to match as closely as possible the original casework. The shape of the base was decided upon by creating a scaled drawing of the remaining extremity tip and the base of the existing clock and aligning the two. This process was further aided by the small amount of the mid section of the base which was still present and attached to the extremity tip. this detail provided the curvature and flair for the final design of the replacement base. The new base would have a incised line mimicking a recessed panel on all three side of the new mid section. This detail was found on the remains of the old mid section and would be matched as closely as possible in the restoration. An additional decoration was chosen to adorn the new mid section. A detail from the top of the clock would be copied in a reduced form and flattened out to match the curvature on the new base mid section. This decoration would be carved directly out of the new mid section and would not be applied as this would have been the typical manner of producing such an effect during the third quarter of the 19th century. The newly constructed base and finials will be stained and finished to match the original "dirty" finish of the rest of the clock case.

Pictured to your right is a detail shot of the top of the clock case showing the detail mentioned above. The new base was constructed in the following manner: A trapezoidal pine frame was created and then several inches of Walnut stock was glued to it. After curing, the shape of the base was laid out onto the Walnut and Mr. St. George began carving away the surface to form the shape of the base. The portion of the detail copied from the top of the clock was reproduced in the same fashion, carved right out of the newly formed base piece. Once completed the faux panel detailing that is present on the rest of the case and on the remains of the original base was reproduced. The final portion of the work was to remove the broken portion of the base from the tip decoration and attach the old to the new. This was done from behind using wood screws and wood glue. Finally the finished base was sanded down as were the completed finials. All three pieces were delivered to a finishing specialist in Brooklyn, NY so the original, old dirty finish could be matched to the rest of the clock. When the newly finished base and finials was returned all that remained was the process of attaching them to the base. Originally, the base and finials were glued and screwed in position. This would make the clock nearly impossible to lower from the wall and very difficult to transport. In this case, it was decided to mount the new base using four screw-holes by which the original base was attached. The finials were drilled out to accept a screw and are simply hanging from a large washer. This process has made possible the easy removal of the base and finials for transportation purposes. The new base is nearly impossible to detect from the remainder of the old case, as are the finials. With the base portions of the clock complete only a few items remain to work on: The glass, and the making of one hand and one pulley based upon the originals. The process of creating the missing hand and pulley is already underway. Deciding on the kind of decorated glass that once was likely to have been in the clock is a more difficult aspect. What should it say, if anything? How should it look? What design should be chosen? These are all difficult questions and need to be dealt with before the decoration of the glass can be completed. Certainly it should not be etched, but gold decorated which was the most typical form for the period. But how to chose a design?

Continued . . .