Smiths darkroom timer - do you happen to know?

[snusmumriken]

I recently bought a Smiths mechanical darkroom timer for nostalgia's sake, because there was one in my school darkroom where I taught myself about D&P, and because it is about the same age as me (1950s vintage). Also, the stopwatch which my Dad had used for timing radio broadcasts, and which has been my darkroom timer for about 25 years, has finally packed up.

My 'new' clock is very clean and in working order, but I would like to give it a clean and lube internally (don't worry, I won't wreck it). The winder butterfly/thumbscrew is held on with a small slotted bolt, which is frozen. Because the winder turns anti-clockwise, that bolt would logically have a left-hand thread, but I don't want to force it the wrong way.

While I wait for the penetrating oil to seep in, is there anyone out there who happens to know whether it is indeed LH thread?

 

[pentaxuser]

There may be a few slightly different Smith's clocks but my experience with one of the varieties recently was that the thread is definitely LH i.e. turn clockwise to unscrew. I have just tried my second Smith's which is slightly different and it also is LH.

pentaxuser

 

[drmoss_ca]

You'll laugh at this - I use a General Electric copy of the Smith as my kitchen timer for cooking! In the darkroom it's either the Massive Development app on the phone or a quick chat with Siri to set unusual times. My Paterson triple timer has developed unreliable buttons and isn't worth using any more.

 

[snusmumriken]

There may be a few slightly different Smith's clocks but my experience with one of the varieties recently was that the thread is definitely LH i.e. turn clockwise to unscrew. I have just tried my second Smith's which is slightly different and it also is LH.
pentaxuser

Thanks very much. Just to be absolutely sure: on my clock the butterfly is pushed onto a square shaft and held there by a small bolt through the hole in its centre. In later models the butterfly itself threaded anti-clockwise onto the shaft and unscrewed if turned in a clockwise direction. Which type were you referring to? It's the little bolt I need to know about.

You'll laugh at this - I use a General Electric copy of the Smith as my kitchen timer for cooking! In the darkroom it's either the Massive Development app on the phone or a quick chat with Siri to set unusual times. My Paterson triple timer has developed unreliable buttons and isn't worth using any more.

Not laughing at all. Only I'm not sure whether the GE copy would have such a therapeutic tick? Glad I wasn't tempted by a Paterson timer!

 

[pentaxuser]

OK I should have looked more carefully at your post. Neither of my clocks has a centre bolt. The butterfly winder on both just threads on to the shaft. So I can be of no help. Sorry

pentaxuser

 

[bdial]

With a square shaft, the screw doesn’t need to resist the shaft’s normal rotation, so most likely it has conventional threading.