Back to Mike’s Clock Clinic’s Telechron Rotor Web Page

Mike Murray
Hammond Synchronous Clock Motor (Rotor) for the Postal Telegraph Wall Clock Repair and Motor Repair Spin Start.

Copyright © 1995-2025 Michael P. Murray & Mike’s Clock Clinic

Mike Murray  Memberships: NAWCC

P. O. Box 562
1151 D Street
Fossil, OR  97830-0562
The P.O. Box is for the USPS only and should be removed for all other carriers.

Please do NOT call or E-mail unless you have read this entire Web page

E-mail address: Mike@telechron.us (Preferred contact method)

Hammond Clock Movement for the Postal Telegraph Wall clock




    My business is rebuilding your original movement.  Most, if not all, Postal Telegraph’s
were made without a motor and the first section deals with those situations.  The second
section deals with customers sending in the Hammond motor or the clock movement with motor
or the entire clock with a Hammond motor.





    Postal Telegraph’s were mostly made with a movement that did not have a motor
(as pictured directly above) and used a coil to generate an electro-magnetic field
that would drive an internal disk.  This is considered a (Time Only) movement and
an overhaul on a time only electric is $500.00 plus $30.00 shipping, assuming you only
send in the movement.  The movement overhaul does NOT include the coil ($150.00),
so that would be added to the cost of the overhaul, if needed.  Coils are not sold
separately.

    If needed, I do have a supply of the phenolic resin wheels which do break over time.
This is the internal wheel you turn when you start the clock.  This would add another
$100.00 to the job.  These are hardy wheels and I can't be sure if breakage is from
abuse or age.  I've seen many and I can't say age contributes to breakage but I do
soak these in fully synthetic oil to minimize breakage in the future.  These wheels are
not sold separately.

   If this is what you have and you send it in with the entire clock then it’s the
same as above with shipping increasing to $150.00 in order to cover the additional labor
and shipping costs ($650.00).

    Complete movement overhauls or if you send the entire clock takes 8 to 12 months.

    The confusion is that the picture above is the back of the clock and Postal Telegraph’s
with the Hammond motor look identical.  It is not until the backing is removed and any
movement outer covering removed until we know if it has a motor or not.  I can and do
service both and if you’re sending the entire clock, then it’s my problem
and not yours.

    You can send a picture of the back and sometimes I can tell if it has a motor or not to
mike@telechron.us



    UPS sells boxes but you can Goggle to find someplace to buy boxes.  In my opinion there
is no best when it comes to a carrier.  I use UPS for convince not because I believe they
are the best.  The best insurance is to double box and pack each box well, even if it means
an oversize final box causing an increase in shipping price.  If you're a busy type, then
you can use a UPS store to ship it and have them pack it but I have seen them do lousy
packing as well.  The goal is to have nothing negative happen shipping both to me and back
to you and why I do my own packing and always double box and always have some packing
material surrounding the clock and surrounding the 1st box.  A little more time and a
little more expense will save the large headache of trying to find someone who will work
on the clock and have someone remove the movement, bezel, face and chime block before the
case is worked on.  This will fall on you because the carrier will have me return it to
them and then they inspect it before they ship it back to you.

        
        
    The pictures above are the back of the first movement used in the Postal Telegraph
along with the back cover.   I DO NOT work on these but do work on all that were
made after that because they contained either a clock motor or a magnetically driven disk.
The above was only used in the first production in the late 1920’s and all others
have a motor or disk and were make in the 1930’s.  Hammond produced clocks from
1928 to 1941.

    Also this clock will say bichronous, which means that it has an auxiliary system
with a mainspring that is suppose to "take over" once the power is off.  Some of these have
the type of mechanism that has leaf spring limiters to regulate the time when the current is
on and I do not work on these.  If you or a local clock shop can take the back cover off and
send a picture of what's underneath, then I can tell you if I work on it or not.  The word
bichronous can be on the front or back or both.  Even with that word, I may still be able
to work on it but need that picture to be sure.  I most definitely work on any Postal
Telegraph that has synchronous anywhere on the clock or dial.


    If the clock states synchronous anywhere then I can definitely work on it.

Postal Telegraph's with a Hammond clock motor




    Again I can't recall a Hammond Postal Telegraph with a Hammond motor, but just in case.
Here the clock and/or back will state synchronous, which means that it runs on electricity
and has no back up for a power failure.

    Rebuilding these motors cost $250.00 plus $20.00 priority mail (Canada is $45.00)
and has a 2-year warranty, which brings your total cost to $270.00.

    I must have the old motor.  If you don't have the motor then I must use one from
inventory and that adds $100.00 to the total and it too would have to be rebuild, so
the time frames would still be the same.  For a total of $370.00 if I use and rebuild
one from my inventory and that includes the $20.00 shipping and handling.

    In addition to the picture above, these motors are identified by their 15 tooth
brass pinion (gear).

    I do not know of any substitute.

 	My turnaround is 4 to 6 weeks for motor service, 6 to 8 months if the clock is sent
with the motor, or if the movement is overhauled.

    The above only addresses the motor, which I doubt Postal Telegraph's even have.

    Now I do have a policy that allows for a "Rush" job.  If you really want your
Postal Telegraph or Hammond wall clock moved to the very next project that I'll work on, it
will cost you triple.  I will contact you within a few days of it landing.  I must first
disassemble it in order to ascertain what it needs.  Once done then everything triples
except return shipping.  In general your costs will go from $650.00 to $1,650.00 plus parts
and those parts will also triple.  I realize that this is outrageous but if I'm going to
deal with all those in house customers that will have to wait longer because you need the
project done as soon as possible then I must be compensated for that future aggravation.
It may bring no additional work but we'll see what we'll see.  Including the bench time and
testing it should leave here in 4 weeks and 6 weeks on the outside but I'll need a check for
that to happen.  Please make it out to Mike Murray at P.O. Box # 562, Fossil, OR 97830 but
wait until I have disassembled it and contact you via E-mail with an exact amount.  I'll not
proceed until the check lands or a Pay Pal payment is made which will be 4% higher to cover
what they charge me.

Overhaul Hammond clock $500.00  (A 2-year warranty)
Return shipping and handling  $150.00
Total  $650.00  (If it were a rush then add $1,000.00 or $1,650.00)

     I’ll not ship until I received payment.   I ONLY accept money orders,
certified checks, or company checks for payment but repeat customers may use personal
checks.  Normally shipping takes place one week or so after I receive payment
and thanks !

    All checks must be made out to Mike Murray because I gave up my business checking.


	One thing you can do before you send in the motor is to take a Multimeter or
Volt/Ohm meter, these are less than $20.00 at any hardware store, and with no
current on the motor, set the meter to Ohms and touch the two leads to the end
of the wires and see if you get a reading.

	Just about any reading is a good one and the lower the better.  But if you get no
reading what-so-ever then the motor’s coil is dead and you will need a coil as well.

    I do NOT sell these coils separately but do as part of a motor overhaul they
are $150.00 each but do sell # 60 or # 14 Telechron coil for the same $150.00 plus shipping.


        For return shipping I use USPS for all motor shipping and
UPS for complete clock shipping.  If you want to use another carrier
then you will have to arrange everything for shipping, meaning I hand the box to the
driver, get a receipt and nothing else.



    All checks must be made out to Mike Murray because I gave up my business checking.

    Please do not send any money or check with the clock.  However, if you are
sending a Hammond motor only, prepayment is always welcomed because of the
relatively short turn around time.

    I would like payment by, certified check, personal check, business check,
or through Pay Pal or Square, which is the only way I take credit cards.  I
do prefer a check over Pay Pal or Square because Pay Pal and Square take 4%.

    The 4% is added to the total bill if you use a credit card.

    With either Pay Pal or Square, I will send an invoice to your E-mail
address.  Here you are dealing directly with either service and not me.

    You do not have to be a member of Pay Pal or Square in order to issue a payment but
the 4% will be added to your total bill.

	All of the added fees are exactly what either service charges me for taking your
credit card.


You should realize that a Telechron coil will effectively replace the Hammond
coil, if the need should arise, with the same wattage considerations.  A # 60 or # 14
Telechron coil work well and I do sell those for $150.00 plus shipping.


Respectfully,


Michael P. Murray

Memberships Include:

National Association of Watch & Clock Collectors
An Internet private E-mailing list called Clocksmiths
N.A.W.C.C. National 400-day Clock Chapter # 168

            A service from,   E-mail address: Mike@telechron.us
             Mike Murray         Founder of Clocksmiths

A specialist in Atmos and 400-day clock repair.
Also, I overhaul most plug in electric clocks.
In continuous service since 04/01/1982.

Mike’s Clock Clinic  Memberships: Clocksmiths & NAWCC

P. O. Box 562
1151 D Street
Fossil, OR  97830-0562

Phone: 541-370-2440

My main Web site is located at http://www.atmosman.com/
Main FTP site is located at http://www.atmosman.com/earthpdf.html
Memberships: Clocksmiths & NAWCC
N.A.W.C.C. International 400-day Clock Chapter # 168
Published in Chapter 168’s "Torsion Times"
Published in AWCI’s "Horological Times"
Formally AWCI’s 400-day (Anniversary) clock Bench Course Instructor!

Copyright © 1995-2025 Michael P. Murray & Mike’s Clock Clinic

Created in December of 1995 and last updated January 01, 2025.