The Princes Risborough Clock

Restoring the clock face.


The work carried out by Mr Derry Baxter, who has provided the photographs and the text.


The Clock face after an initial wash down.

A tracing was made of the numerals and minute marks.

After further cleaning.

The numerals, the half and quarter hour marks are deeply etched into the copper. The minute marks are less so which suggests that they were applied at a later date.

Knife marks could be seen where some form of stencil had been cut around the numerals and marks as part of the etching process.

Gun wash was used to remove any grease from the face, and one coat of two pack zinc chromate etching primer applied to provide a key for the paint.

The clock face is made from two pieces of copper joined together by a line of dovetail joints, running from the rim between 'XII' and 'I' to the rim in the middle of 'IIII'. Gaps in the joints are filled with brass. The minute hand is made from three pieces of copper joined by the same process.

The face was beaten into shape by hammer and the rim bent round an iron hoop to form a perfect circle.

Four undercoats and four topcoats of lead based paint were applied.

The tracing made earlier was used to replicate the numerals, half hour, quarter hour and minute marks on the repainted face.

The numerals, marks and the hands of the clock were gilded with two layers of 23¼ carat gold leaf.


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