Oiling is recommended every two to three years.  If allowed to run dry, most clocks will stop. Those which continue running without oil are usually subjected to excessive wear. When a clock is kept properly oiled, wear is kept to a minimum.  Proper oiling provides the correct oil to the necessary places in the right amount.  There are dangers in using anything but clock oil, or in applying little or to much oil.  Capillary action can draw the oil away from where it belongs to where it doesn't belong.  Improper oiling can be a cause of clock stoppage.

Cleaning is recommended every ten to fifteen years.  Although oil is necessary to minimize friction, it collects dust and dirt from the air.  The amount collected varies somewhat with conditions and case design, but eventually the oil will become too "thick" or "gummy".  This not only creates added friction, but the trapped dirt can lead to excessive wear.
Proper cleaning cannot be done without first taking the clock movement apart.  Without disassembly, there is no way to inspect and make sure that all points of contact are clean.  If a clock is not cleaned completely, then any fresh oil applied is immediately contaminated.
When your clock is cleaned at the Clock Works, we start with complete disassembly.  The parts are then immersed in a strong cleaning solution, and dried in a clock dryer.
When the cleanliness of all parts is assured the restoration process can begin.

Restoration at the Clock Works means that we return a clock to as near new condition as possible.  Anything mechanical will wear over time due to the friction of one part against another.  Your clock has probably been running twenty-four hours a day for many years, and to some extent is worn.  When worn severely, the holes in which the gears turn become enlarged.  This allows a gear to lay down just a bit, and the teeth of one gear will no longer mesh properly with the next.  There will be increased friction because of this and eventually the clock will stop.
To repair worn holes correctly we use bushings.  Bushings are new holes put in place of the old worn holes.  First the original position of the hole is found.  Then the hole is enlarged to accept a bushing, which is pressed in.  When finished, the bushed hole is as good or better than new, and returns the gear to its original position.
After all worn holes have been bushed, all pivots are inspected and repaired.  Pivots (the part of the gear that runs in the hole) must be brightly polished to remove any scratches, pits, or irregularities.  If not refinished, a rough pivot can ruin even a new bushing in a few months time.  If properly polished, a pivot will roll in its bearing with as little friction as possible. This allows smooth running and minimizes wear.
The restoration continues with the inspection of all parts.  A Clock Works restoration also includes, when needed, restoration or replacement of the following:  lifting levers, cams, clicks and springs, cables, suspension springs or units, nuts, hand nuts, screws, washers, flies, wires, ratchet wheels, replacement of up to two teeth, repivoting of up to two pivots, and the rebuilding of up to two lantern pinions.
Replacement of the following major parts when needed are at additional expense:  mainsprings, barrels, winding  arbors, verges, gears , and pinions.
Mainsprings can become "set" after many years in the clock.  This means that the spring is no longer as elastic as  when new, and may not have enough power to run the clock.  As a result an eight day clock  may run only four or five days or a chime  may run very slowly.  A set spring is sometimes a judgment call by the clockmaker based on several criteria.  If it is our judgment that a spring should be replaced during the restoration, we will advise you. 

In summary: the steps for a complete restoration are:  

• Remove movement from the case  
• Disassemble movement
• Clean, rinse and dry all parts  
• Bush any worn holes 
• Polish all pivots  
• Inspect all other parts and make repairs   
• Re-assemble movement 
• Oil 
• Install movement in clock case   
• Adjust, test, and time clock.

Caution: As in any work, there are shortcuts regularly taken by others.  Any of the following practices will compromise the integrity of your timepiece.  Beware of these shortcuts, and be assured that at the Clock Works we refuse to: 

• Clean a movement without disassembly; 
• Install bushings without disassembly; 
• Bush only the worst pivot holes rather than all worn holes  (If one hole is worn on a movement, there are usually eight to  ten others which should be bushed. That is why we have no per bushing charge); 
• Use destructive alternatives to bushing such as prick punching a hole to reduce it's size; 
• Fail to use an ultrasonic cleaner;
• Use inferior chemicals in cleaning; 
• Fail to polish pivots; 
• Oil with anything but the best grade clock oil available  (sprays or lubricants not intended for clock use are often counterproductive after several hours, days, or weeks.)