Behind the scenes at Golden History Museum & Park with the Clock Fixer
Go behind the scenes at Golden History Museum & Park to see the inner workings of the 1973 grandfather clock that once kept the time at Woods Mortuary in Golden, Colorado. The historic pendulum grandfather clock made by Ridgeway has a German “Urgos” movement. It sat in the lobby of Woods Mortuary at 1100 Washington Avenue until the business closed in 2017. The timepiece is undergoing careful conservation before installation and public display at Golden History Museum.
This work was made possible through a generous donation from The Greenwood Fund of The Denver Foundation.
Before GHM&P committed to any conservation a thorough treatment proposal was required, outlining the scope of work to be completed. Mike Korn, of The Clock Fixer, had this to say about our grandfather clock.
Even though it is still ticking, I believe the movement will need to be cleaned and checked for general wear. The clock is over 40 years old and will show some normal wear & tear. While the unit is apart, the wheel pivots will be checked and polished where needed. The pivot holes will be checked for wear and rebuilt where needed. After repair, the clock will be ultrasonically cleaned in hi-grade cleaning solution. Then it will be assembled, oiled, and tested. This process will need to be done at my shop. I will need to remove the movement, pendulum, and three weights.
Get a good look at the dismantling process from the short video below and see some of the detailed inner workings in the photo gallery at the bottom of the page.
Very interesting to see and hear the way a clock works and will be cleaned to run as it did when it was new. Thanks for sharing this.
Thanks, Liz. We’re exciting to hear it ticking away in the gallery soon!