Shy timer on stove

[dalangdon]

The timer on the Tappan, instead of having the full-throated BUZZZZ that the Flair had, is quite soft. So soft that you can only hear it if you are standing near it.

I know it has it in it to be more boisterous, because if you nudge it, it sounds like every other stove timer from the era, but I think there's something holding it back. Any ideas?

 

[tomturbomatic]

It's probably not advancing all the way into the buzz contacts just before OFF. Probably gunked up from years of kitchen dust and grease. If you can get to it easily, you might try some tuner cleaner on the contacts and twisting the knob for the pointer back and forth across the buzzer contacts. If the motor is binding, the timer should be removed, placed upright and a drop or two of Rust Buster dribbled down the shaft to thin out the stiffened lubrication inside. The cure to the problem must be achieved incrementally, otherwise you can make the problem worse. Not tryin' to scare you, just tryin' to spare you some painful lessons I have learned from sad personal experience with the damn little motors and escapements.