enfield mantle clock chimes 4 quarters at 12mins past hour

Posted: Tue Jan 04, 2011 9:12 pm     Post subject: enfield mantle clock chimes 4 quarters at 12mins past hour

hi there
my enfield mantle clock had stopped at 2.12 when
i wound it but it only needed a couple of turns odd i thought.i went to turn minute hand to set time there was a click the hand was a little stiff!!!.the clock is keeping perfect time chimes on the hours ok but when it gets to 12 minutes past hour position it now chimes 6 out of sequence quarters and clock ticks loud and fast during the chiming sequence .when minute hand reaches 15 minutes past the hour clock makes a click!! it does not chime at halfpast or quarter to the hour.hope someone can help me got to be a fix for this hope not too tricky !!!

Posted: Sun May 01, 2011 6:41 pm     Post subject:

It seems to me that the hands touch each other and get stuck. You can resolve this by pushing the little hand tighter on the axle. Do this gently though. The loud ticking is a consequence of the second movement that drives the chiming, so that is normal. It also sounds to me the movement is dry. As for the chiming 12 minutes past... I would someone have look at the movement for that, I can only guess as to was the cause could be.

Posted: Mon May 02, 2011 11:05 am     Post subject:

The fact it only needed a small amount of winding indicates it needs a service.

By forcing the minute hand around you may have bent somethng. the loud ticking you can hear when the chime gears are running is the warning wheel pin hitting the lever that controls it's movement and release. THIS IS NOT NORMAL.

over time and years of neglect (lack of service intervals) the clock mainsprings become 'gummy' due to the old oil getting sticky and drying out. people think their clock will run forever after it comes out of the factory...NOT SO!!! It is a mechanical device just like your car - and NEEDS a service every few years.
If you neglect your car a service or two it will break down - exactly the same happens to a clock and trying to get this through to people is fustrating at the least.