Materials: Rusch wall clock
Description: I'm looking for your help. We bought some Rusch wall clock, they're cheap and quite sharp. And, more over, when you don't like 'em, you can easily hack'em.
But.
There is a but.
They're too noisy.
I can hear the one in the bathroom from the bed, and it's like 5meters. Not ensuite. And I have a PC in my bedroom, on most of the nights.
But it tics and tics and tacs.
Any ideas?
~ jo
Did you try removing the battery?
ReplyDelete... or go digital
DeleteI use foam. Lots of foam in form of adhesive tape. Covering the space between the wall and the clock improves a lot. If it's a big one you could also use some inside the clock to cover the edge of the front glass.
ReplyDeleteYou can buy this : http://cgi.ebay.fr/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=320639983788
ReplyDeletethe clock tick tock is due to the mechanism of the clock.
ReplyDeleteIf u want - then go and buy the mechanism that does not tick tock and replaced it... or buy a clock that has "seiko" movement and remove the clock mechanism and replace it
A PC always on in the bedroom at night? Not good for your health and wellness.
ReplyDeleteJust remove the second hand, it'll go much quieter, and the battery will last for decades instead of years!
ReplyDeleteremove the second hand
ReplyDeleteI once accidentally broke off the second hand. The mechanism doesn't know that, so it'll keep moving. So removing the hand doesn't help: if the mechanism still works inside, it will keep ticking (btw I understand your problem, I hate ticking clocks too!)
ReplyDeleteI tried stuffing the back of one with spray foam insulation and it did not help, so don't bother trying that.
ReplyDeleteLube the clock mechanism. The noise is mostly caused by the extra free play in the mechanism, thick enough grease will dampen the sound. You have to carefully pry open the plastic. I was annoyed by the ticking and had no other lubricant than butter, but it worked. Almost silent. I guess it would be better to use a silicon based lubricant for plastic parts.
ReplyDeleteThat's really the major difference between expensive and cheap clocks. Sealing all the gaps would help a bit, but this particular one has a lot of gap on the front. The easiest way is to remove the red hand for the seconds so that it doesn't tick every second.
ReplyDeletesledge-hammer it. simple. effective. no more tick, no more tack.
ReplyDeleteWe only have digital clocks for this reason. When I visit my parents the cute little desk clock on the dresser goes out into the hall. Strangely though, the clock that chimes the hours in the front room I don't mind at all.
ReplyDeleteI don't have any help, but I understand the issue. I know analog clocks are pretty, but they're annoying.
Earplugs
ReplyDeleteMade me laugh but doesn't help. If one doesn't like the tick-tack, buy another clock.
DeleteEasy answer? Not worth it.
ReplyDeleteHard answer? WD-40. I used it on a cheap WalMart clock and it seemed to help quite a bit. However, it took forever to get the clock mechanism back together. If you can get it apart, spray the WD-40 inside. Then you have to get it back together and working. Good luck!
Removing the second hand worked on one of my Ikea wall clocks. I didn't think it would (since it doesn't change the internal mechanics of the clock), but it made a huge difference. I guess that removing the weight of the hand itself makes the internal clock movements smoother. Either way, it was a quick and easy fix.
ReplyDeleteRemoving the second hand removes the inertia that is responsible for most of the noise
ReplyDeleteI never thought of asking the ikeahacker network for solutions to this problem, but obviously there are many intelligent and creative members - thanks for the ideas - you're awesome - have a great day!
ReplyDeleteBut when you remove the second hand, the clock loses the half of its function. I understand that you can guess the minutes with the small hand, but still you have to make an mantal effort. Well, if you really don't have any other choice to stop the ticking, it's a solution. And it's better than removing the batteries, right?
ReplyDeleteYou're definitely a product of the digital age.
DeleteDude look at the picture. The second hand is the red one. the minute hand is the longer black hand, and the short black hand is hours. Hope this helps.
OK, ok. So the second hand is the hand for seconds not the 2nd. Sorry.
DeleteGreat question, I was about to try removing the minutes hand. I do not use the clock now because it's too noice and I was ready to try anything... it seemed weird, but... hahahaha
DeleteI recently "hacked" a Rush that was awfully noisy but unfortunately I didn't take pictures. Maybe next time... Briefly, you carefully take apart the little black box (After taking apart the clock, removing the hands etc). Do it with the shaft pointing UP, or wheels will fly in all directions. There's a wheel stuck to a magnet that's seated in a recess in the electronic part. That's the one that drives the movement each second. What I did was to take that out, put a drop of machine oil in that recess, and put it back. Then I sprayed some silicone lubricant on the other wheels and re-assembled the clock. It's totally quiet now.
ReplyDeleteI Tried removing the seconds hand before, but that made no significant difference for the noise.
Yeah, I'm not sure about removing the second hand either. We bought a clock without a second hand especially to avoid this issue, but it still ticks every freaking second. I don't notice it when we're eating/cooking/watching TV, or even when I'm reading a really good book, but if I'm reading a so-so book or on my computer or I want to take a nap on the couch, it's really bothersome.
ReplyDeleteIf only they made digital clocks that look as nice as analog ones. (Well, they make digitals that look nicer than this IKEA clock, but I haven't seen a digital clock that would fit our steampunk inspired décor.)
Have you looked into Nixie Tube clocks?
DeleteI cut off the long parts from the red hand, so only a red circle remains. The ticking is still there, but it is more quiet..... for me it was ok.
ReplyDeleteGet a second one! And put it in the kitchen or so. They will never be in sync, but form an interesting sound pattern which just fascinates as much as counting sheep.
ReplyDeleteYou shoud "Go Green"!
ReplyDeleteSo take the battery out, save the earth and your ears & brain! :)
PS Take the clock back to IKEA an tell them that it's making strange noise like "tics and tacs" so something must be wrong!
Epic!
I took a round cork drink coaster - I think they were purchased at IKEA- and taped it on the back covering up the mechanism using heavy packing tape. It barely makes a sound.
ReplyDeleteThe coasters are like this but without the design.
http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/10175240/
sorry for beeing shortly absent, i left for a brief long weekend in the middle of the week ;-). i was obviously tempted of taking the battery off, even of destroying all the ikea clocks in the house, but have you ever tried living with a younger sister almost still in her teen years? everytime i tried to hide the sound in the middle of the towels, in a few hours the clock is back on its wall.
ReplyDeleteand it still clicks.
or ticks.
i did thought about some foam/paper/fabric in the back, but i was sure my friends ikeahackers had some better ideas coming for me. and they did.
i don't feel like the seconds hand removal will be useful, 'cause, like someone said, the clock doesn't know it's missing.
earplugs are out of sight (hearing?) 'cause in this way i will not hear the alarm when i need to.
i'll try the butter or silicon based lubricant solution. or my sister and her boyfriend will. they're the ones dealing with electronic parts.
we bought ikea cloks because they easily blend with almost any furniture, because they're not expensive, because you can hack them.
but i'll definetely keep the customer care option in mind.... maybe the better suggestion as far ;-) do you think it can works in ikea italy too?
update.
ReplyDeletesince the sister hadn't commented on this, i mailed her. "oh i saw it, but didn't think it was you", went to the bathroom, get the clock, removed the red seconds hand.
and the clicking really smoothed.
The gears are what cause it to click. If there is no click, there will be no movement. If you don't want the clicking sound, you need to get a silent/sweep movement clock. It's the one where the second hand doesn't click, but rather continues moving in a sweeping motion.
ReplyDeleteYou could try installing this onto something or making your own clock template.
http://www.klockit.com/products/dept-157__sku-BBBBN.html
you can use a heavy and compact body for the clock to reduce resonance. concrete clock??
ReplyDeleteI have the same type of clock. I bought it along with a Bondis clock. Because of the ticking noise I threw the Rusch clock away the day after I bought it. The Bondis clock is still quietly ticking away in my living room. I guess you pay for quality.
ReplyDeleteI've got one of these and I didn't realise I could hear it ticking until I read this article! Just get used to it - it is a bit like birdsong in the morning or a snoring partner.
ReplyDeleteTwo things will help:
ReplyDeleteFirst, reduce the noise at it's source, that is, lubricate the gears in the clockwork mechanism.
Second, and that has even greater impact, reduce resonance. The cheap plastic case of this clock resonates with the ticks and thus amplifies them in loudness, as the empty body of acoustical string instrumens such as guitars does.
Fill the complete case with putty, or cover the case's backside very lavishly with silicone (the stuff you also use to make your bathroom's shower less incontent with), or attach a sound reducer as used on stainless steel kitchen sinks. Don't know what I'm referring to? Just peek at the underside of your kitchen sink, you'll notice some black material attached to it. This is also used in cars and can be gotten from spare part dealers (in german, that would be named "anti-dröhnmatte" for instance from Teroson, but I know neither the correct english term for it nor a widely-spread brand).
did try to remove the second hand n insert it along with some paper bits clung on it .. of opinion the second hand the primary problem ..... worked fr me
ReplyDeletesimulated super silent conditions for focusing on work ..
Bought new wall clock yesterday and second hand was too heavy. Could not climb to the top of the hour. Removed clock face and snipped 2/3 of second hand off. Works fine now. :-)
ReplyDeletebought 2 of these clocks one set to dublin time and one to san francisco (where my daughter lives) . the noise is driving me mad too so am going to try all of the above fixes else they are going in the bin
ReplyDeleteThere are movements that are silent, but to quiet this movement, try this: Get some adhesive foam feet and then listen to where the loud click is coming from on the back of the movement itself and stick a foam foot there. You might also stick one or two foam feet on the back of the dial to "deaden" it. Some clock suppliers have felt or foam "donuts" that fit between dial and movement as a sound deadening method, too.
ReplyDeletebest way, let the clock fly.. open the window and let it fly wherever it wants.. no more clock no more ticktackerackackack....
ReplyDeleteseriously, nothing will really help... ;o)
As they say, time flies...
DeleteRemoving the second hand worked! Thanks
ReplyDeleteA year late but better late than never. Dont worry about all that other stuff.... remove the clock movement and replace it with a "sweep movement" they dont tick. You can pick them up on ebay for as little as $6.00 plus postage. have a ngreat day
ReplyDelete