Here's one for the horologists

[oldbrownhat]

Historic Vancouver Block clock gets a modern touch in restoration

(Cue "Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?")

The Vancouver Block clock face is 21 feet (6.4 metres) in diameter, was made of sandblasted glass, and weighed two tons when it was installed [in 1912]. In 1927, the familiar red and blue neon was added

The Vancouver Block Building at 736 Granville St. in 1928.

...Restoring a giant clock is a painstaking process.

“We’ve overhauled all the pieces of the clock, including the motor system,” he [84 year-old Ray Saunders] said.

It requires a deft touch.

“There was a heavy amount of built-up grease on all the gears (in the motor),” he relates.

“I tried cleaning it off by hand and it wasn’t easy — it was as hard as coal. We had to walnut blast it, which takes all the paint off and doesn’t change the texture. We did that with all the parts...
​

(I guess there isn't "an app for that" )

...It was very expensive to change the neon, so they went to LED lighting,” said vintage clock expert Ray Saunders, who is helming the restoration. “This clock is going to change colours. (It will be) blue, red and green, it’s how they program it.”

Mott Electric made the switch from neon to LED lighting, which will save a lot of energy.

“I don’t know what the power bill was, but the voltage is now 24 volts,” said Saunders. “It was 15,000 volts before.”​

Dylan Scott adjusts the gears to correct the time.

 

[rustythread]

Thank you for the educational post Up to now, I thought a horologist was a scholar of vendors of commercial affection.

 

[llowry61]

Whew, I thought this was the science of another type with the prefix hor, but pretty cool. I guess that must mean clock.

Update - Rustythread beat me to it!

 

[oldbrownhat]

Thank you for the educational post Up to now, I thought a horologist was a scholar of vendors of commercial affection.

LOL!!! I was wondering if the title might raise a few eyebrows.
And, "scholar of vendors of commercial affection" wins The Euphemism of the Week Award

And if you read the full article, Ray Saunders is a serious horolgist. He had a very serious fall a few years a that landed him in hospital and really laid him up afterwards. So, as he says, "I just point and give instructions to my assistant. Ladders are out for me."

 

[Golddollar]

Historic Vancouver Block clock gets a modern touch in restoration

...Restoring a giant clock is a painstaking process.

“There was a heavy amount of built-up grease on all the gears (in the motor),” he relates.

“I tried cleaning it off by hand and it wasn’t easy — it was as hard as coal. We had to walnut blast it, which takes all the paint off and doesn’t change the texture. We did that with all the parts...

​

Why didn't they use WD-40 or Break Free?​