Clocks

[AndrewSchofield]

Thanks Wotan - I assume when you say 'left' and 'right' you're talking when looking at the clock face - so the winder close to the "4" is for the clock and the one near the "8" is for the chimes?

Friction crutch? Should I ask what that is? Or if I don't know without asking, is that a sign that I shouldn't attempt to adjust it myself? I would say that, at the moment, that the tick and tock are not equal...

Using a 1p coin and some card i've got it as level as I can (checking with a spirit level...

 

[wotan]

Hi Andrew
Yes looking at the clock dial the right hand winder is for the clock mechanism near the 4, the left hand winder is for the chimes near the 8.
When you hang the pendulum it just hooks on, the pendulum rod is held between the cheeks of the crutch, you can move this crutch to the left or right, it's a friction fit, your aim is to get an equal swing in both directions, otherwise the clock will limp and not keep time at all, it is easier to do than describe.
Just google... mechanical clock adjustment, there is quite a good video of the proceedure, it's a long case clock but the proceedure is the same.


Wotan

 

[AndrewSchofield]

I'm baffled!! We tried all of last week to get it working and finally on Thurs/Friday got it ticking without the pendulum on for well over 24hours. So Saturday morning I stopped it and put the pendulum back on - straight back to where we started and couldn't get it to tick. Tried throughout the weekend and on Sunday evening gave up with it, couldn't even get it to tick for 30 seconds. So it was left stood, not doing anything. The missus got home at 5pm last night and decided to try it again - she did nothing to it at all, just swung the pendulum and its been ticking ever since, not stopped once. Its running a bit fast (gained about 6mins overnight) but I guess that can be sorted by adjusting the pendulum - we're just a little cautious about stopping it now to adjust the pendulum, in case it wont go again afterwards....

 

[wotan]

Is it a Smiths movement with a short pendulum?
Well thats progress, as long as you are careful with your adjustment, the bob needs to be lowered to slow the clock down, try increments of half a turn at a time of the rating nut, then observe over 24 hrs, it can take a while to get the setting to it's optimum.

Wotan

 

[securespark]

There is a clock restorer in Disley. From memory, that's not too far?

I have driven past many times, and a customer I worked for said he was good, but I can't vouch for that.

 

[longdogs]

The great thing about a chiming clock is that you always miss the news headlines, beginning of the film etc

 

[AndrewSchofield]

It's been running for over 24hrs now - I've just stopped it to adjust the pendulum and started it off again and so far so good - been ticking for 10mins now....

The adjustment is fool-proof as there's an arrow above the adjustment screw pointing one way for "F" and the other for "S"!! Currently gaining 18mins ish over 24hrs, so well see how it goes in the next 24 now I've adjusted it.

As for the movement...I'm not sure? It says "Dupontic" on the clock face but on the rear plate of the movement it says "ENFIELD" -either of them mean anything to you??

Secures - cheers. Disley is pretty handy if we need to take it in, thankyou.

Squeaky - yes, we'll have to see how soon the novelty of the chimes wears off ..... maybe the chimes won't get wound as often as the clock.....

 

[AndrewSchofield]

It's been running for over 24hrs now - I've just stopped it to adjust the pendulum and started it off again and so far so good - been ticking for 10mins now....

The adjustment is fool-proof as there's an arrow above the adjustment screw pointing one way for "F" and the other for "S"!! Currently gaining 18mins ish over 24hrs, so well see how it goes in the next 24 now I've adjusted it.

As for the movement...I'm not sure? It says "Dupontic" on the clock face but on the rear plate of the movement it says "ENFIELD" -either of them mean anything to you??

Secures - cheers. Disley is pretty handy if we need to take it in, thankyou.

Squeaky - yes, we'll have to see how soon the novelty of the chimes wears off ..... maybe the chimes won't get wound as often as the clock.....

 

[AndrewSchofield]

It's been running for over 24hrs now - I've just stopped it to adjust the pendulum and started it off again and so far so good - been ticking for 10mins now....

The adjustment is fool-proof as there's an arrow above the adjustment screw pointing one way for "F" and the other for "S"!! Currently gaining 18mins ish over 24hrs, so well see how it goes in the next 24 now I've adjusted it.

As for the movement...I'm not sure? It says "Dupontic" on the clock face but on the rear plate of the movement it says "ENFIELD" -either of them mean anything to you??

Secures - cheers. Disley is pretty handy if we need to take it in, thankyou.

Squeaky - yes, we'll have to see how soon the novelty of the chimes wears off ..... maybe the chimes won't get wound as often as the clock.....

 

[AndrewSchofield]

I was using diynot on my phone earlier - not sure how, but that resulted in the echo of my last post.....

 

[gasbanni]

Its already been said probably only needs a good clean a jewelers will have one on those ultrasonic cleaning machines to get rid of the old clock oil which will probably be causing excessive friction as its dried out.

A decent old fashioned clock repairing jewelers should be able to sort cheaply if its only cleaning that's needed.