I prepared the clock to make its first run. I determined where to mount the escapement base plate by putting it on the upper balance bridge and positioning it to its proper place. The passing spring and horn are on a line with the center of the balance shaft, an escape wheel tooth is put on the detent jewel, and the location of the escapement plate is marked on the paper on the upper balance bridge.

Then I removed the bridge from the clock and drilled holes to mount the escapement plate to the bridge. I used 0-80 hex-head screws tothe job. Since the paper on the upper balance bridge has done its job, I removed it and did some polishing on the upperbalance bridge. Then I reassembled the clock.

I used the adjustments which I had so carefully built into these mechanisms to set up the escapement. These adjustments include the eccentric lower escape wheel bearing, which I now turned until there was some clearance between the two proximate teeth of the escape wheel and the roller table.

Then I used the micrometer adjustment on the escapement plate to equalize the clearances between the teeth and the roller table. Clearances can be judged by looking from the top of the main plates down into the clock. One should be able to see a wee sliver of light between each of the two proximate teeth and the roller table.

The clearance between the detent horn and the unlocking jewel is set by removing the detent blade and bending the horn until there is a little clearance between the horn and the jewel. The detent blade is easy to remove -- one has only to slip it off the needle post, bend a tiny bit, and set it back for evaluation.

The passing spring must extend out past the detent blade just enough to unlock the escapement when the jewel presses it. It can easily be adjusted by heating the post where the spring passes through it. This softens the shellac and makes it easy to move the spring a bit. A handy way to do this is to heat a small electrician's alligator clip with an alcohol lamp, clamping it on the end of the post until the shellac softens.

The detent jewel is set so that the flat side (locking surface) is on a line with the center of the escape wheel.

I put the clock in beat by turning the roller table on the balance wheel shaft until it the impulse face of the notch is centered between the two proximate teeth of the escape wheel. This when the balance wheel is in "neutral" position (no tension in the balance torsion spring). Then the unlocking pallet is turned until it unlocks the escape wheel at just the right place for a tooth to catch the notch. All adjustments are made by using the 0-80 set screws in the mounts of these tables.

I "ran" the clock by twisting a thread around the escape wheel arbor many times, running the thread out and over a pulley arrangement. The "weight" which keeps the escapement moving is a pair of heavy tweezers. The weight of the tweezers is enough to keep the escape wheel turning at just under one full turn. From here to a full turn to a turn and a half would be great.

I made fine adjustments while watching the escapement run. It's always gratifying to reach this point. Since the clock is running in such make-shift fashion, it will likely run when the gear train is in place and it's a real clock.

Todays links:

Positioning the escape plate.
Thread wrapped around escape wheel arbor
Thread hung over pulley arrangement
Running (note motion blur on escape wheel)