Glider Timers

Hi All
I searched around the forum and could not find much on this subject?
Well now that I'm getting back into model airplanes again and I thought I'm going to build another free flight glider like the ones I built back in the day.
Over the years I've been collecting the old clockwork free flight timers.I never was a big fan of the burning cotton cord timers. they had a tendency to go out flying them along the California coast. (humidity) I think? lost a couple planes over that, chased them for miles and watched them thermal up and out of site,gone.
I just loved the clockwork timers but as a kid could barely afford one.
One thing I noticed is that some of them brand new in the box Ive been collecting were never mounted and freezing up? locking up not completing their run cycle?
I guess over the years being in a damp environment has caused some internal oxidation, corrosion or even rust.
on many it says on the instructions (Do not oil or attempt to repair yourself) but the manufacturer had gone out of business.I don't know if there is anyone out there still repairing these.
So not knowing what else to do I tried several light oils even some WD 40 etc, didn't help at all. just seemed to gum them up more.
So I cleaned them out with solvent (Note: avoid any solvent on face plate) may remove paint. and went back to trying to figure out how to save and use these timers?
Well I'm sitting there thinking it can not be wet with oil and then it clicked! DRY LUBE! powdered graphite lube.
Sure enough I opened them up (removed back cover)your going to need a good watch screw driver set to open them. blew them out with a little air. even box/paper lint, balsa dust will jam them up. I got a tube of graphite powder lube and puffed into the timers on everything,gears, flat springs, shafts,pins, levers,.
and low and behold they came back to life. the more I ran them the smoother they got.
Give it a try it may bring your old clockwork tail/engine timers back to life.

Basswood