Movement holders
Movement holders or stands are a necessary item of equipment for all those interested enough in clocks to take them apart and then need to adjust and test the movement before returning it to its case.
I have seen a variety of commercially made movement holders and made copies of others seen in horological books and magazines. Some work better than others but invariably they work better with one type of movement and sometimes only work with one type. They are often complicated and expensive but they don't need to be.
I saw this idea some years ago and find it not only cheap and easy to make but very efficient and versatile in use. While a horse or shelf-type holder is best for longcase clocks, this movement stand will work well for most shelf, mantel and smaller wall-clock movements.
It needs very little explanation to make and consists of a machinist's clamp attached to a suitable stand.
As the examples show, suitable stands can be adapted from lamp bases, a sewer's hem measure and - my favourite one - a potter's or sculptor's turntable, which spins around so that I can work from any angle. A visit to your local thrift, charity or junk shop, and a bit of creative thinking, will soon find you something that you can use. The test stand needs to be stable and you may need to add weight to the base to make it so.
The clamp may need to be drilled to attach it to the stand but a bit more of that creative thinking may see it able to be set at any height and angle. In use, you can attach the clamp to any suitable part of the movement and this is usually the front or back plate. It will not mark the plates because the jaws can be adjusted to close in parallel. You will be surprised at its holding ability when tightened up, even with a heavy movement held at a cantilevered angle.
Try it!
Brian Barkworth, Australia
