Clocks

[AndrewSchofield]

Does anyone know anything about wind up, clockwork clocks. We've got an antique (1940s) mantel clock and we can't get it to go.... it'll run for a while but then the pendulum just stops... Not really sure where to start...???

Anyone any ideas....

 

[Bodgeitandleggit]

If you dont know anything about it dont bother as you may make it worse...take it to a repair shop

 

[wotan]

Wind up clocks do wear out, usually it's the bearing holes in the plates that wear oval, this upsets the meshing of the clock gear wheels, a good clock repair man should be able to rebush the offending holes and polish the pivots, to get the clock running again.
If it's a pendulem clock, are you sure the crutch is set to give even beats of the escapment ie. tick and tock should be equal, if not just move the crutch (it's friction mounted usually) in the right direction till the beat is even.
The clock once set level should not be moved, if you google mechanical clocks there are loads of sites that will give you the necessary information.

Wotan

 

[JBR]

Or, on a more positive note, it could just need cleaning. In any event, I'd agree that you should see a horologist!

 

[JBR]

The clock once set level should not be moved, if you google mechanical clocks there are loads of sites that will give you the necessary information.

Wotan

This is true. I have an old Rotary wrist watch that I found stashed away from years ago. I thought I'd wind it up and see what happened. After weeks of regulating it (simply moving between + and -) I managed to get it so that it remains only several seconds out of time - mostly!

If you place it on its side, 'winder down', that is. If I leave it on its back, it gains about a minute a day. I haven't tried it on its front yet!

I haven't had it cleaned yet, but it might be a good idea.

 

[ajstoneservices]

It might be knackered and you find you're just wasting your time.

 

[libby lou lou]

It might be knackered and you find you're just wasting your time.

Very optomistic sp..

 

[ajstoneservices]

 

[LastMagicBean]

Is this thread a 'wind up' ????

 

[wotan]

Is this thread a 'wind up' ????

Only the passage of time will tell. )

Wotan

 

[pred]

Have you tried a new battery??

 

[longdogs]

Best advice I can give is take it to an antique clock specialist rather than your local jewellers.

 

[AndrewSchofield]

Hi guys,

Thanks for the responses. I wasn't suggesting I was about to start taking the clock to pieces and try and get it working - I was more looking for pointers on just setting it up and getting it going. For instance, does anyone know which winder is for the clock and which is for the chimes? Is this standard, or does it depend on the individual clock? Does the clock need to be perfectly level to work correctly? How is best to make sure it is level?

Someone has suggested it could have been over-wound and that once it had wound down a bit it may work. I took the pendulum weight off to speed the ticking up and let it wind down quicker and after a few days of keeping starting it off again, I got it running for over 24 hours (given the speed it was ticking, as far as the clock was concerned this was more like 50+ hours). I then stopped it and put the pendulum back on and now i'm back to square one - it ticks for a while, then just stops....

Just wanted to know we weren't doing something daft before taking it to a specialist but I think it looks like that's what we're going to have to do.

 

[wotan]

If the clock has two winding holes, the right hand hole is the going winder (the clock) the left hand hole is for the chimes.
Does the clock tick evenly, tick and tock same duration?
If not, adjust the friction crutch, till the escapement gives an even beat, then re-attatch the pendulum, the clock does need to be set level, have you tried packing up one end of the clock with cardboard, till it starts working?

Wotan

 

[wotan]

duplicate post removed

Wotan