Cleaning parts with Horolene

[flipoclock]

Has any of you ever tried to clean parts of a (flip)clock with a product called Horolene (see attached link)? I was wondering whether this would perhaps do any good or maybe just damage...

I currently have a Copal Tuning fork clock in need of repair (will post about that one later) and found an article by someone having cleaned a tuning fork clock with this product, hence my question :-)

[Mackey]

Well, it's intended for metal parts (brass mostly I think). It' says it will clean off varnish. Very bad some electrical things. Transformers actually get dunked in varnish after they are assembled... Stops the humming you'd get otherwise. It would probable also harm the flip clock motor windings. It says it's ammoniated. Ammonia works great to remove this black tar like substance that builds up in flip clocks - from the electrical components. But ammonia will remove a chrome paint stripe on the face of many flip clocks and it will remove the numbers on many cyclometers (I hate to admit I know all this from direct experience). Finally it doesn't have the words that I would look for ... "Safe for Plastics". Even high percentage rubbing alcohol can mess up the wood grain on some clocks.
To me, it's not worth it. The brass gears that are present in sone old clocks never seem to be the problem. Also, alcohol, ammonia (both carefully applied), good old water and plain soap and water are cheap and great at getting the job done.

But, thanks for asking.

[flipoclock]

Thanks for your thoughts (and experience) on this. I will do some more research as far as 'other' clocks go. I also work on non-flip-clocks from the 60s and 70s and these might sometimes benefit from this product...

[Mackey]

Thanks for your thoughts (and experience) on this. I will do some more research as far as 'other' clocks go. I also work on non-flip-clocks from the 60s and 70s and these might sometimes benefit from this product...

I'd like to hear how this stuff works for you.