Last week was a warm week in Cumbria, which allowed good progress to be made on the dial restoration work at Carlisle Cathedral – if also meaning the team got a bit warm in the process!
The clock, a Wiliam Potts & Sons of Leeds mechanism, was made in 1899. Work has been carried out by Craig, Jason and Clockmaker-in-training Duncan to the dial and clock mechanism.
Craig describes how they replaced the Autowind Units for both the Going and Strike side with the latest AW11 systems, and also installed a PAR (Pendulum Arrest Regulator) device for improving accuracy.
Duncan carried out maintenance of the clock’s internal mechanisms; stripping and cleaned the dial-works and bevel set, as well as painting and gilded the hands. This is while Craig and Jason went up on the ropes to access the dial and carry out the restoration of the 6ft cast skeleton dial, which included rubbing it down, applying an undercoat, 2x layers of top gloss and gilding.
