Old clock set up intsructions

[Murph7355]

In the absence of oldclocksetupinstructions.com, or an apparent inability on my part to find much of use through Google, does anyone have any go to places to get...instructions for the setting up of an old clock?

We have a JW Benson mantle clock that's been stood idle, mainly as the chimes got on the other half's nerves I discovered recently. Why don't we just turn the chimes off I ask...(which I do know how to do).

Anyway, I now cannot fathom how to get it started. I'd assumed I'd ensure the three winding ports are fully wound, flick the pendulum and away we go...but no dice. Pendulum starts to go but stops after less than a minute. I did think I had it going at one point but moving the clock also stopped the pendulum.

Hands move quite freely and the chime mechanism works OK....but I guess the mechanism could be gunked...

Clocks very similar to this one - https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/benson-garr...

[Ligne]

May need a service. May be just be out of beat. Are the tic and toc even?

Tic......toc......tic......toc

Or

Tic............toc..tic...........toc


Could also be many other reasons

[Nola25]

My old Smiths mantle clock does the same, it’s basically out of beat and despite me trying to get into beat, it’s still propped up with a bit of card on one side.

I know it needs a service as the last one was done in the 60’s by my grandad by soaking the mech in petrol and oiling with whatever he had in the shed.

Still keeps good time though!!

[DKL]

Balance and level have been the key things for me with a 8 day and a congreve clock. The latter will not run on the thickness difference of a single playing card, I kid you not.
The 8 day also likes to be level - have you moved yours from where it ran last time?

[Murph7355]

Ligne said:

...
Tic......toc......tic......toc

Or

Tic............toc..tic...........toc
...

It depends.

The pendulum has movement fore and aft as well as left and right so getting it to go purely left and right (IYSWIM) is tough. When I have managed it, it's the former. Otherwise, the latter.

I have also just noticed that when it stops, it's as though there's magnetic pull grabbing it...

DKL said:

Balance and level have been the key things for me with a 8 day and a congreve clock. The latter will not run on the thickness difference of a single playing card, I kid you not.
The 8 day also likes to be level - have you moved yours from where it ran last time?

It has moved....but also needs to be moved after an attempt to get it going. Access is at the rear so to sit it on the mantle (sideboard actually) it needs moving.

I'm wondering if something has come adrift allowing the fore and aft movement of the pendulum.

Picture of the rear of the movement...rotated for some reason (the orientation isn't the cause ).