Click spring replacement

[Pieter]

How do you replace the right click spring in a Smith’s Enfield railway clock? How do you attach it to the front plate? With a rivet and a hammer or bolt? Not much room behind the plate for there is the clock spring. Any video link?

[Willow]

Hi Pieter, welcome to the forum, yes rivet and hammer but it would be nice to see some photos so we can help you more,

[Pieter]

Thank you for the info. What rivet should i use? Where to get the clickspring?  Attached a photo

[clockboy]

Welcome to the forum, enjoy. The rivet needs to be drilled out, providing there is enough space between the barrel and plate I would use a flat headed screw rather than a rivet. 

[Pieter]

I drilled the rivet out. How does the screw get enough grip? The plate is very thin….

[Pieter]

Where do i get this clickspring?what kind of rivet? The hole is 2 mm diameter

[oldhippy]

You should be able to get replacements from any good clock material supplier but you might need to adapt it to fit. 

[clockboy]

13 hours ago, Pieter said:

I drilled the rivet out. How does the screw get enough grip? The plate is very thin….

The click spring should have a tiny notch that fits into a small hole in the plate. Just a tight screw down will be fine or to be safe a spring washer. (If room)

[Pieter]

I prefer a rivet similar to original. Do you have a picture how this rivet looks like?I have to hammer it in the hole so the end gets deformed?

[Michael20]

Hi Pieter, I have purchased these rivets from a company called Accu - heres a link https://www.accu.co.uk/ the rivet I used  is 2mm x 6mm Button Head Solid Rivets (DIN 660) - Stainless Steel (A2)

You can buy the springs from lots of sellers online but I have found some sizes are very hard to come by. They are either Left or Right and the critical thing is the distance between the screw hole and the tag that engages with the hole in the plate. I ended up buying a straight spring and bending it to the required size.  I bought mine from this seller on eBay

eBay - Advanced Search - Shops - Find Shops - Lisa's Pet and Home Store

I can understand why you would prefer to use a rivet but to be honest I found it impossible to splay the rivet enough without breaking the spring, so I gave up and used a self tapping screw which has worked really well.

Good luck !

 

Edited March 4, 2024 by Michael20

[Pieter]

On 3/4/2024 at 7:36 PM, Michael20 said:

Hi Pieter, I have purchased these rivets from a company called Accu - heres a link https://www.accu.co.uk/ the rivet I used  is 2mm x 6mm Button Head Solid Rivets (DIN 660) - Stainless Steel (A2)

You can buy the springs from lots of sellers online but I have found some sizes are very hard to come by. They are either Left or Right and the critical thing is the distance between the screw hole and the tag that engages with the hole in the plate. I ended up buying a straight spring and bending it to the required size.  I bought mine from this seller on eBay

eBay - Advanced Search - Shops - Find Shops - Lisa's Pet and Home Store

I can understand why you would prefer to use a rivet but to be honest I found it impossible to splay the rivet enough without breaking the spring, so I gave up and used a self tapping screw which has worked really well.

Good luck !

 

Thank you for the advise. The frontplate is so thin so i am wondering if a self tapping screw will hold but i will give it a try. Do you know by the way hiw to adjust the hour hand on the fusee clock? Is is a little bit off so i like to adjust it. 

[oldhippy]

Normally the hour hand on a fusee clock is friction tight. When you have the minute hand pinned on hold the minute hand near the center then try to move the hour hand by holding it as near to the center and move it to the place you need it to be. Always move hands from the center this prevents bending the hand and breaking off. 

[Michael20]

Hi Pieter, sorry for the late reply. I am a complete novice so I wouldn't like to comment, I would take advise from OH if I were you.