Dull clock gong - no ring to it

[MikeEll]

I’m in the final stages of repairing a lovely grandmother clock.  I’ve noticed that the gong, a spiral circular type, has no ring at all to it.  It sounds totally like a flat piece of steel with more of a thud than a ring to it.  I’ve no idea how these are made or what heat treatment they are subject to.  Is it possible to get it ringing again or shall I look to replace it.  Thanks all.

[AndyGSi]

Photos will help but it could be a mounting or hammer issue.

[MikeEll]

9 hours ago, AndyGSi said:

Photos will help but it could be a mounting or hammer issue.

 

No, the mounting and hammer are fine, I’ve worked on a lot of these.  The gong itself is just a dull thud rather than a ring.

[AndyGSi]

1 minute ago, MikeEll said:

 

No, the mounting and hammer are fine, I’ve worked on a lot of these.  The gong itself is just a dull thud rather than a ring.

Have you checked for cracks in it.

[Dell]

Sounds like a fracture somewhere as they are like China if it rings it’s not got a chip or fracture.

[oldhippy]

Check that nothing is fouling the gong. Have you tried bending the hammer away from the gong. What is on or in the end of the hammer? If it is leather and gone hard that will cause problems, if it is the case then the way of dealing with it is to brush oil onto the leather to soften it but it will take ages to sink in in fact probably months.  Photos would help. The case can make a difference as well, depending on the style and the wood. 

[MikeEll]

6 hours ago, oldhippy said:

Check that nothing is fouling the gong. Have you tried bending the hammer away from the gong. What is on or in the end of the hammer? If it is leather and gone hard that will cause problems, if it is the case then the way of dealing with it is to brush oil onto the leather to soften it but it will take ages to sink in in fact probably months.  Photos would help. The case can make a difference as well, depending on the style and the wood. 

the gong is out of the clock at the moment.  No fouling issues or anything like that.  You know how you can give the gong a light tap with a pen or similar, you'll get a ringing sound normally.  This is like tapping a wooden table.... nothing, just a dull thud.

[AndyGSi]

37 minutes ago, MikeEll said:

the gong is out of the clock at the moment.  No fouling issues or anything like that.  You know how you can give the gong a light tap with a pen or similar, you'll get a ringing sound normally.  This is like tapping a wooden table.... nothing, just a dull thud.

With it out of the clock it's doing what I'd expect.

[oldhippy]

The gong is out of the clock at the moment.  No fouling issues or anything like that.  You know how you can give the gong a light tap with a pen or similar, you'll get a ringing sound normally.  This is like tapping a wooden table.... nothing, just a dull thud.

That is the sign of a crack in the gong so you will need to replace it. if you can post photos I can have a look for you. 

[MikeEll]

15 minutes ago, oldhippy said:

The gong is out of the clock at the moment.  No fouling issues or anything like that.  You know how you can give the gong a light tap with a pen or similar, you'll get a ringing sound normally.  This is like tapping a wooden table.... nothing, just a dull thud.

That is the sign of a crack in the gong so you will need to replace it. if you can post photos I can have a look for you. 

yes I think you're right.  There's definitely something odd about it.  I dont think I can share a video on here, I've uploaded to Youtube so you can hear what I mean - 

 

 

Edited October 25, 2024 by MikeEll

[watchweasol]

Hi. Remove the gong coil from the post to make sure nothing is wrong within the mount like it’s cracked in the block. One assumes you have checked the concentricity of thr coils and none touch during the vibration.

[oldhippy]

Looks like that gong has been repaired at the end by the brass block, you can see the heat marks. 

[MikeEll]

Yeah, looks like it.  I’ll see if I have a replacement hanging around.