General clock related question.

[m1ks]

Clock guys,

I've not worked on clocks and though I understand the principles I'm after some general info please.

A friends Mum has a lovely wall clock with pendulum and 3 spring barrels (chime and half hourly) which slows and eventually stops within about 2 minutes of being started by hand.

The pendulum appears to be tilting back slightly. I.e. clock case leaning backwards. I've adjusted this a little but it's still not perfectly hanging down. It's not catching anywhere and the movement from a cursory inspection appear very clean.

The biggest problem is, despite my working on watches she's very reluctant for it to be touched because a work colleague of her husband's years ago did some 'fix' on it which apparently involved using a nail as an impromptu staking tool and a few years ago it was taken to a proper workshop, was working nicely when collected but soon as it was re hung stopped doing so again.

Aside from the obvious mainspring, train wheels lubrication etc is there anything that could cause it to slow and stop when it was apparently working on collection?

[Tmuir]

Is it in beat?

Is it making a nice Tick, Tock sound, or does it sound like an old man walking on crutches?

If its not in beat it won't run well, or if badly out of beat not at all.

An easy test is to tilt the whole case on the wall left or right a few degrees and see if the ticking sounds better or not.

If it does then its out of beat and needs to be adjusted which is not hard, just Google 'Putting Clock in Beat'

If it was working, got taken home and then stopped working being out of beat is very likely.

[watchweasol]

Hi  As Tmuir has already explained listen to the tick tock    Have you any pics of the clock and movement for reference.    I as a geriatric use a beat amplifier to listen to the clock, But there is an app FOR THE IPHONE  called clockmaster wihich i also use for calibration and setting up, I just requires the pickup or mich putting close to the clock and setting the app running.

[m1ks]

Useful stuff, thanks, I'll take a look when I get the chance. Being a pendulum clock won't tipping it affect the operation of the pallet though.

When I next look I'll try to get some snaps to upload.

[oldhippy]

Its good practice to have a spirit level with you, moving any clock from A to B can upset the clock, particularly with wall clocks, the walls are normally un-even in old type homes. Make sure the pendulum is free from any obstruction, it should be in the middle of the crutch, and the suspension spring should be free to hang down, not stiff or pointing at an odd direction. The springs have some power on, Many wall clocks need to be secured to the wall.

[m1ks]

11 hours ago, oldhippy said:

Its good practice to have a spirit level with you, moving any clock from A to B can upset the clock, particularly with wall clocks, the walls are normally un-even in old type homes. Make sure the pendulum is free from any obstruction, it should be in the middle of the crutch, and the suspension spring should be free to hang down, not stiff or pointing at an odd direction. The springs have some power on, Many wall clocks need to be secured to the wall.

Thanks, one thing we know for a cert is that the walls are uneven. Don't think I've ever lived in a house in the UK with straight and level anything. In fact my last house had a level driveway but I only know that as I saw it laid and smoothed. 

The biggest obstacle is it's a friends Mum and she doesn't like it being messed with because of the previous problems, I'd love to whip it off the wall and have a good forage into it but she'd probably have a heart attack. 

I'll try to get some pics and see if I can see anything.

[m1ks]

A few pics, hopefully will give a bit more idea and info on the movement.

[oldhippy]

This movement has a friction tight crutch with an attached scale for the pendulum to show it is dead center. The clock should have a nice even tic tok. There is nothing in the way that can interrupt the pendulum that I can see, the suspension spring looks right. The escape wheel and pallets look dry so a little oiling will help a lot, that could be the reason why it is temperamental.  

[m1ks]

Thank you OH that gives me something to look at and try without being too invasive and upsetting. 

[watchweasol]

Hi    Without getting your hands on it will be a problem But as OH says a bit of oil might help the problem.  Along with the clockmaster app there are several free down loads for spirit levels which is handy as the phone will fit in the clock case bottom, these levels give reference both ways so should make an accurate set up of the clock.  To make a clock amplifier I use pizo disc with a croc clip attached and a radio shack telephone Amplifier and a bit of twin core sheilded cable. Not rocket science and very useful. If you want a picture let men know.

[vinn3]

the repair and service is not too complicated, but my grandma let too many of the kids "work" on an 1900 mantle clock.  i would avoid the job at all cost.   vin

[m1ks]

1 hour ago, watchweasol said:

Hi    Without getting your hands on it will be a problem But as OH says a bit of oil might help the problem.  Along with the clockmaster app there are several free down loads for spirit levels which is handy as the phone will fit in the clock case bottom, these levels give reference both ways so should make an accurate set up of the clock.  To make a clock amplifier I use pizo disc with a croc clip attached and a radio shack telephone Amplifier and a bit of twin core sheilded cable. Not rocket science and very useful. If you want a picture let men know.

That'd be interesting to see if you wouldn't mind. Is clockmaster available to us android ers?

1 hour ago, vinn3 said:

the repair and service is not too complicated, but my grandma let too many of the kids "work" on an 1900 mantle clock.  i would avoid the job at all cost.   vin

Looking, stripping, servicing etc isn't the problem, convincing my friends Mum I am capable and won't butcher her lovely clock and working on it without her hovering and asking everything I'm doing is. 

[watchweasol]

Hi      Clockmaster is only for i-phone   There is another clock tuner whick is for anderoid and I think it was a free download  whereas clockmaster is £9.99 but i think its the better of the two.

[watchweasol]

Hi   will sort out a pic of the beat amplifer tomorrow.   cheers

[watchweasol]

Hi I have attached the pics of the amplifier setup  I dont know if the radioshack telephone amplifier is available in the UK any more but there must be others that will work, With the loss of Tandy and Maplins these sort of bits are hard to come by, Might get them off the net .

[m1ks]

13 hours ago, watchweasol said:

Hi I have attached the pics of the amplifier setup  I dont know if the radioshack telephone amplifier is available in the UK any more but there must be others that will work, With the loss of Tandy and Maplins these sort of bits are hard to come by, Might get them off the net .

Much appreciated, thank you.