I literally "flipped" out when I saw this clock in the electronics section at Goodwill. I plugged it in to test the clock mechanism and I could hear it spinning. In fact, the whole store probably heard it since it was really screaming! Priced at $10 and looking rough, I took a gamble thinking I could sell it for parts/repair if I could not fix it.
I took it home and the disassembly began. The mechanism for turning on the radio/alarm was really stiff. So stiff that the housing where the knob slides into had cracks on both sides. A strip of metal provides tension to the plastic piece, and bending it slightly allows it to move more freely. I did encounter the issue of having the plastic posts that hold the screws crack. Luckily, it was only a couple of posts and I superglued them. The clock needed a thorough wash of the plastics, replacement of the bulb that lights up the digits, and contact cleaner on several switches.
The hardest part was solving the noisy motor. This clock has an orange-tinted plastic piece that exposes the gear train and I couldn't see a stripped gear. I was able to spray some silicone lubricant inside the cover as well. I did the same for the bushing in the middle of the "whirlygig" and that seems to have cleared up the noisy motor.
The last time I found a flip clock at any of my local thrift haunts was 4 years ago! It was a GE C4335A that I sent to Mackey to repair (thanks again!). I was suspecting that Goodwill finally. caught on to the popularity of these clocks and listed any that were donated on their online auction sites. They missed this one!
After spending the afternoon cleaning and disassembling, it's time to spend the night watching the tiles flip away...
I took it home and the disassembly began. The mechanism for turning on the radio/alarm was really stiff. So stiff that the housing where the knob slides into had cracks on both sides. A strip of metal provides tension to the plastic piece, and bending it slightly allows it to move more freely. I did encounter the issue of having the plastic posts that hold the screws crack. Luckily, it was only a couple of posts and I superglued them. The clock needed a thorough wash of the plastics, replacement of the bulb that lights up the digits, and contact cleaner on several switches.
The hardest part was solving the noisy motor. This clock has an orange-tinted plastic piece that exposes the gear train and I couldn't see a stripped gear. I was able to spray some silicone lubricant inside the cover as well. I did the same for the bushing in the middle of the "whirlygig" and that seems to have cleared up the noisy motor.
The last time I found a flip clock at any of my local thrift haunts was 4 years ago! It was a GE C4335A that I sent to Mackey to repair (thanks again!). I was suspecting that Goodwill finally. caught on to the popularity of these clocks and listed any that were donated on their online auction sites. They missed this one!
After spending the afternoon cleaning and disassembling, it's time to spend the night watching the tiles flip away...
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