This is Part I of a 2 part series. Function i covers the first iii steps in renewing a Seth Thomas clock dial. In Part 2 the decorative corner pattern is restored.

Seth Thomas column and cornice "Empire" style fourth dimension and strike weight driven shelf clock, as found

Inpainting i south the process of reconstructing lost or deteriorated parts of a clock dial. In the museum world, in the instance of a valuable painting, this task would be carried out by a skilled art conservator or art restorer. Inpainting, as opposed to repainting and restoring the entire dial, renews the dial using a few uncomplicated techniques.

Some of the methods can be plant in T. E. Temple's first-class resource book entitled Extreme Restoration.

Inpainting is toll effective and can be washed on the home piece of work bench

Inpainting certainly does not run into the higher professional standards of a service such as The Punch Firm, which perform exemplary work but I will not take a dial professionally restored if the price is twice what the clock is worth. In that location volition always be occasions when a professional person restoration is justifiable, still.

Inpainting is cost constructive and tin be done on the home work bench.

For this project I chose the dial pan from a Seth Thomas column and cornice clock circa 1865.

Close-up view of dial in as-found condition, floral corners are almost completely faded or missing birthday

The punch, which is in poor condition, is likely original to the clock and rather than changing it out for a like one it was an ideal candidate for inpainting. The numerals are faded, large sections are without paint, one-half of the fourth dimension track particular is missing or faded and the corner floral details are barely visible.

Elements of a clock punch

Materials

  • Creative person paint brushes, a number three would be the smallest
  • Multi surface water-based acrylic paint, white, yellowish. red, black and light-green
  • Fine-tip black Sharpie or Artists pen
  • Math compass, scriber
  • Old credit card (flexible on a convex fourth dimension track)
  • Q-tips

Inpainting in steps

There are 4 steps to inpainting.

  1. Mix paint to friction match and comprehend the big and modest pigment loss sections,
  2. Touch upward the numerals with black paint,
  3. Redraw missing sections of the affiliate ring and fine line details of the numerals and
  4. Reproduce the designs in the iv corners

Step one – pigment large and modest sections of the dial

Using a water-based all surface acrylic pigment I attempted to replicate the aged dial. I mixed white, yellowish and black paint to closely lucifer the correct tone of the dial surface. It volition non be perfect just it is close. I applied the mixed paint to the blank areas of the dial and permit dry.

Big and pocket-sized areas of the punch are painted

Step two – the numerals

Take a medium size artist paint brush and advisedly fill in the Roman numerals with black paint using long strokes. Effort to maintain a steady paw during this phase. Water-based acrylic paint allows the removal of pigment with a damp cloth if a fault is made. Don't worry about the thin lines nevertheless, that pace volition come later.

Larger areas of the numerals are touched upward

Step 3 – chapter ring and fine line details

The next step is to retrace the chapter ring and line details using a fine-tip blackness Sharpie or Artists pen. There is no margin for error as the ink is permanent.

Alligator clips and cardboard stock

The chapter ring consists of 2 concentric circles placed shut together. Establish exact middle of the dial and scribe the chapter band or fourth dimension runway using a compass attached to the sharpie pen then scribe the faded radial minute marks on the chapter ring.

Constitute centre for math compass

Insert the sharpie pen into the pencil slot of a math compass and tightly secure it.

Use a math compass with black fine-tip Sharpie pen to describe affiliate rings
Left side of dial, concentric circles are scribed, infinitesimal marks are side by side
Your compass kit should include a scriber to constitute minute marks

Take an old credit card, press information technology firmly against the convex time runway and ink the minute marks.

Using an old credit card equally a directly edge fill in the minute marks

In one case the inner and outer rings of the time track are completed, press the credit card against the convex time track and using the Sharpie pen depict sparse directly emphasis lines on each of the numerals. The effect is subtle but constructive.

Time runway completed
The dial is reinstalled on the clock to dry; next are the corner designs

I could comfortably stop at this point but I am anxious to apply my artistic technique to the floral patterns in the decorative corners.

This concludes Role I and now on to the final step, the decorative corners, Function II, in 4 days time.