8/79 L'Epee RD

8/79 Cartel by L'Epee Serial No. 38769 Circa 1872

Purchased via online auction in August 2021
Good mechanism In a plain box with no decoration but in good condition. Just needs a good clean and polish.
Eight classic tunes and lovely arrangements with superb melodies.

Tune sheet pasted to lid

Not too mucky

Serial number and AW cartouche

Bent screw

All teeth intact

Comb removed

6th September 2023
After a bit of a delay due to more urgent projects, I've started to clean this mechanism.

Disassembled Governor. Note the 'exploded' endstone

Winder end. Note wooden handle

Governor end

Serial number and Adolphe Woog cartouche

Underside of spring motor. Note: none of the screws are in the correct positions

Close up of ratchet and pawls

Winder arm pawl spring

Non return ratchet spring

Bent screw for female Geneva stop

Cast bed plate has not been painted gold

Removing the spring from the barrel is always tricky and somewhat dangerous if not handled with care. A special winder jig is a great help.

Barrel without cap mounted in jig

Winder engaged with arbor and sleeve in place

Jig ready to use

Spring wound and sleeve slipped around it

Spring withdrawn from barrel

Barrel reversed in jig

Arbor inserted into outside of barrel and hook engaged with end of spring

Spring tensioned to allow sleeve to be removed

Sleeve removed

Spring uncoiled

Ready for cleaning

8th September
All parts cleaned ready for polishing

Winder handle first polish with Dremel

Bed plate first polish with Dremel and steel wool

Steel components after ultrasonic bath

Brass components after 24 hrs in Horolene

9th September - A lot of cleaning and polishing today
Second stage steel - 400 grit abrasive when in pillar held Dremel
Second stage brass - using ammonia based Wrights Brass Polish

Steel cleaned using an abrasive wheel in a Dremel

Cylinder polished with Wrights

17th September
Pin straightening and reassembly

25th September
Final assembly and testing.

Home Sweet Home

Annie Lawrie

Case restoration

The case has had a woodworm infestation, but not too bad.
After initial cleaning and sanding, the holes are filled with wax then cleaned off with a plastic squeegee before a final sanding and re polishing. All four sides of the box and the edges of the lid were retained using Van Dyke stain. This is a natural stain made from walnut husks and can be watered down to give the best match. I've deliberately not stained the centre of the lid as I wanted to highlight the stringing and central grain markings.