Checking Escape Wheel Teeth
Posted: Mon Sep 01, 2014 4:44 am
I have a dubious escape wheel in a striking clock, the pallets would hang every so often before continuing. After checking for tight pivots etc it came down to the escape wheel causing the problem. I inspected the teeth and they all looked ok but you wont tell if you have a long or short tooth/ teeth just by looking. To check I mounted the escape wheel in my watchmakers lathe and then using a black marker I coated all the teeth tips. With an arkansas stone resting against the graver rest I switch on the lathe and just touch the teeth with the stone. On the next inspection you will be able to see if you have any long or short teeth as the stone removed or left the black ink. In my case I had one short tooth. Short enough to affect the escapement action. A few more runs on the stone and now the teeth are all the same length and the clock is running beautifully.