How to get an old clock to hold time?
Discussion
Would appreciate some help guys.
Picked up from the repairer pretty much my most prized possession last weekend - my grandfather's wall clock that he had ticking away in his workshop office for over three decades, before being gifted to me (needing repair) prior to his passing.
Was given some advice on setting it up, and to be honest I think I've done it correctly - however I'm clearly wrong as it's running fast (5ish minutes over 24 hours)...
Advice I think I remember:
Hang the pendulum from the further back of the two mounting points.
Hang it so that it sounds even between the ticks and tocks, rather than by eye.
Here's the pendulum mount:
And here it is from the front (noting that the base 'box' for the pendulum seems to be offset from the dial!) - this 'sounds' right to me, but can't be certain!
Anything that you can see that I might have gotten wrong (I'll be honest, I hadn't seen the clock for a few years, and the 'room was very dusty' when I collected it, so not sure I remember what I was told correctly!)?
More than happy to take more pictures if any help.
Thanks in advance,
Sam
Picked up from the repairer pretty much my most prized possession last weekend - my grandfather's wall clock that he had ticking away in his workshop office for over three decades, before being gifted to me (needing repair) prior to his passing.
Was given some advice on setting it up, and to be honest I think I've done it correctly - however I'm clearly wrong as it's running fast (5ish minutes over 24 hours)...
Advice I think I remember:
Hang the pendulum from the further back of the two mounting points.
Hang it so that it sounds even between the ticks and tocks, rather than by eye.
Here's the pendulum mount:
And here it is from the front (noting that the base 'box' for the pendulum seems to be offset from the dial!) - this 'sounds' right to me, but can't be certain!
Anything that you can see that I might have gotten wrong (I'll be honest, I hadn't seen the clock for a few years, and the 'room was very dusty' when I collected it, so not sure I remember what I was told correctly!)?
More than happy to take more pictures if any help.
Thanks in advance,
Sam
Probably just needs regulating using the nut below the pendulum bob. Down to make the clock run slower, up for faster. With patience, you should be able to get it to keep time to within a minute a week.
It might run a little fast when fully wound, then gradually slow down as the spring unwinds (or vice-versa), but not 5 mins a day.
Before you try that, are you sure the clock really is in beat (even tick - tock)? Rotate the clock on the wall while listening to it. Move it one way until it sounds uneven, then the other way until the gaps between the tick and the tock are equal. Leave it to run for a few minutes and listen again, moving it again if it's still not even.
If the fact that the dial is rotated relative to the case annoys you, the dial is just screwed to the wooden surround. The movement is fixed to the dial.
Remove the pendulum and lay the clock on it's back. Open the bezel/glass and support it with something to avoid straining the hinge. Remove the screws around the edge if the dial, rotate the dial to line it up, then refit the screws. Rehang the clock and pendulum and put it in beat.
You'll probably find the original screw holes are loose, so the dial has been rotated so they bite into fresh wood. You can partially plug the oversize holes with a sliver of matchstick and a drop of wood glue.
It might run a little fast when fully wound, then gradually slow down as the spring unwinds (or vice-versa), but not 5 mins a day.
Before you try that, are you sure the clock really is in beat (even tick - tock)? Rotate the clock on the wall while listening to it. Move it one way until it sounds uneven, then the other way until the gaps between the tick and the tock are equal. Leave it to run for a few minutes and listen again, moving it again if it's still not even.
If the fact that the dial is rotated relative to the case annoys you, the dial is just screwed to the wooden surround. The movement is fixed to the dial.
Remove the pendulum and lay the clock on it's back. Open the bezel/glass and support it with something to avoid straining the hinge. Remove the screws around the edge if the dial, rotate the dial to line it up, then refit the screws. Rehang the clock and pendulum and put it in beat.
You'll probably find the original screw holes are loose, so the dial has been rotated so they bite into fresh wood. You can partially plug the oversize holes with a sliver of matchstick and a drop of wood glue.
Interesting clockworks, many thanks.
I notice the 'forward' pendulum mounting groove is a little deeper than the rearward one it is currently fitted on. Perhaps it is as simple as placing it on there instead.
The repairer (who I believe is well regarded) noted it was a bit of a 'bitsa', and actually cut a notch into the pendulum weight, I believe for both timekeeping and something to do with clearance of the base of the case.
The very slight 'twist' is fine by me - I specifically asked for it not to be 'restored', as it's not my clock, but my old man's. It's staying that way!
I notice the 'forward' pendulum mounting groove is a little deeper than the rearward one it is currently fitted on. Perhaps it is as simple as placing it on there instead.
The repairer (who I believe is well regarded) noted it was a bit of a 'bitsa', and actually cut a notch into the pendulum weight, I believe for both timekeeping and something to do with clearance of the base of the case.
The very slight 'twist' is fine by me - I specifically asked for it not to be 'restored', as it's not my clock, but my old man's. It's staying that way!
Edited by Sway on Friday 9th March 08:37
'Clockworks' is spot on, as you'd probably expect given the username. The notches at the top are probably a coarse adjustment and the nut at the bottom of the pendulum will be for fine tuning.
With pendulum cocks all the time keeping is done by how quickly the pendulum swings back and forth. If you make any swinging thing a bit longer it'll take longer between swings. Longer between swings means it runs slower, and similarly if you make it shorter it'll speed up a bit.
Hopefully easy to understand is the bit called 'Tick-tock, the mouse and the clock' at the following:
http://www.classicchronographs.co.uk/technical-inf...
With pendulum cocks all the time keeping is done by how quickly the pendulum swings back and forth. If you make any swinging thing a bit longer it'll take longer between swings. Longer between swings means it runs slower, and similarly if you make it shorter it'll speed up a bit.
Hopefully easy to understand is the bit called 'Tick-tock, the mouse and the clock' at the following:
http://www.classicchronographs.co.uk/technical-inf...
Gotcha - many, many thanks gents.
I was told 'don't adjust the nut at the bottom - it's been set!' very clearly when I collected the clock from the repairer - so I'm assuming that seeing as I'm 5+ minutes a day fast, the gross adjustment at the top is where I've gone wrong.
I'll have a play at the weekend, and keep you updated.
I was told 'don't adjust the nut at the bottom - it's been set!' very clearly when I collected the clock from the repairer - so I'm assuming that seeing as I'm 5+ minutes a day fast, the gross adjustment at the top is where I've gone wrong.
I'll have a play at the weekend, and keep you updated.
anonymous said:
[redacted]
Long case clocks are brilliant things. Such a simple mechanism sitting at the heart of them and a big enough movement that you can tinker with them using B&Q tools. As you say, they can be ridiculously cheap (also ridiculously expensive though). I went through a string of 1900 to 1920 era grandfather clocks, taking them apart and putting them back together once upon a time. Sway said:
Is it bad to move the hands back?
Bugger...
I'll stop doing that then!
Not a problem on your clock, as it doesn't have a strike or chime. Turning the hands back on a striking or chiming clock isn't recommended because it can bend the levers and pins that trigger the strike or chime mechanism, although most of the time nothing bad will happen if you are gentle with it.Bugger...
I'll stop doing that then!
For similar reasons you shouldn't turn the hands of a striking clock forwards through 12 without letting the strike finish. It can damage the rack tail.
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