Grandfather Clock doesn't work

Posted: Thu Aug 30, 2007 6:20 pm     Post subject: Grandfather Clock doesn't work

We moved about 7 years ago, during the move I thing we might of damaged our old grandfather clock =(. I am 17 years old and know basically nothing about clocks =D. My dad knows something about the clock, because he always use to whined it up. I have asked him to take a look at it but he says he has better things to do=(. The clock is suppose to ring ever 15 minuets, but if you give the pendulum a push and turn the minute had past a quarter all you get is a thump. Any ideas?

Below are some pictures of the clock, a picture of the guy who made it, and a note that is on the back of the picture.



this pic is sideways



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Thanks,
Mikaila31

Posted: Fri Aug 31, 2007 8:57 am     Post subject: Grandfather clock doesn't work.

According to the note found with the clock, the case may have been made in 1918, but the clock movement, from what can be seen of it in the photos, appears to be be much newer than the case. Perhaps it had been replaced at some point.
You don't say if the clock keeps running once the pendulum has been started. Most clock movements have some kind of provision for adjusting the pendulum beat. The beat has to be adjusted for an even tick tock sound for the clock to run properly.
Do you hear a click at 15, 30, 45 and on the hour if you move the minute hand around? Some clocks have a silent setting to keep the chimes from sounding. This may be why the clock isn't chiming. However, there could be other reasons because of the clock having been moved and that is difficult to diagnose without examining it I'm afraid.

Posted: Mon Nov 10, 2008 1:24 am     Post subject:

I know its been like a really long time since I started this thread , but anyway.....

I believe the clock keeps running when you move the pendulum. It's been ticking for over an hour now. I timed it for an hour and the clock came up a minuet fast. It could just be an error. Anyway I'm going to let it run for awhile to see if anything changes.

Yes, I do here clicks at the 15, 30, 45 and hour mark where the clock is suppose to ring. I never thought of a silent setting. How would I figure out if the clock has one or not?

Posted: Mon Nov 10, 2008 4:01 pm     Post subject:

Typically, on the movement itself (the brass mechanical thing behind the clock face), there should be a lever on the right hand side as you face the front. This lever usually controls the silent/chime feature. In some cases, there will be a right angle extender that allows the lever to stick through the dial. If not, you will have to reach behind the clock face to check to see if this lever is there.

Posted: Tue Nov 11, 2008 1:12 am     Post subject:

Kay I found the lever. Hidden behind the dial. It looks like there use to be a string tied on to the lever. I fiddled with it and the clock does chime when I move the lever . It only chimed with the hour chimes though.

I've fiddled with the lever for awhile. But no matter what a do I still get clicks at the 15, 30, 45 and hour mark. Also I noticed the lever moves with the clicks. If you spin the minuet hand and watch the lever it goes up and down at the 15, 30, 45 and hour marks. So am I doing something wrong? Not moving the lever correctly or something?

The clock has been ticking for about a day and when I checked it I came up 2-3 minuets fast.

Also I noticed two other levers up in the clock. One has a string tied to it with a little hoop on the end. The one on the right lifts the 4 arm things that strike the quarter-hour chimes. The one on the left does the same to the 4 arms that strike the hour chimes. Whats the point of this?

Posted: Thu Nov 13, 2008 3:32 am     Post subject:

I've been playing with the clock a bit more. Mainly just turning the hands and flipping the levers while watching the insides of the clock move, seeing what does what. I'm wondering if anyone knows where I can find a diagram of the "insides" of a grandfather clock? Cuz that would help me a lot, I don't know what any of the parts inside the clock are called. So I'm just going to describe things best I can.

Anyway, during my observations of watching the clock chime or click (not chime). My attention was brought to a gear that is located right where silent lever is except in slightly more toward the center of the clock. The silent lever has a pin on it that rests on the outer edge of the gear. The outer edge of the gear is smooth for the most part, with a few downward steps in it.

The gear was not turning and it looked like it should of been. So I very gently tried to turn it clock-wise. Then the quarter-hour chimes started ringing and the gear started turning on its own. It now turns all on its own when I move the silent lever and I get both the quarter-hour chimes then the hour chimes. When I turn the minuet hand on the clock the quarter-hour chimes sometimes start up like they are suppose to. Except they don't finish and stop half way through. If I continue to turn the hand I just get the clicks again.

It occured to me that perhaps the clock needs to be oiled? (Clocks are oiled right?) Its been at least 8 years since it was last oiled, but probably alot longer.

Posted: Mon Dec 08, 2008 7:42 pm     Post subject:

it would be worth having it serviced and done properly as its been so long since its last service.

oiling in the wrong place or over-oiling can attract dust which turns to dirty grinding paste and wears the clock out quicker.
How dusty is the mechanism?

Posted: Wed Dec 10, 2008 1:46 pm     Post subject:

I agree with clokfxr. I love the legacy this clock has and the thoughtfulness of the person who wrote the letter. I also appreciate a young person like yourself trying so hard to get it to work right. My hat is off to you! The mechanisms in these clocks are very delicate and finicky so you are going to want to proceed very cautiously.

The gear you are referring to sounds to me like a stepper wheel. A lever rides on this wheel as the hour hand turns and this determines how many times the clock should strike on the hour. Sometimes there may be 2 silencing levers. One for the hour gong and one for the quarter hour chime.

The only way you can service these mechanisms effectively is to remove it from the clock and support it in a jig so the clock can run through it’s sequences unobstructed.

I want to thank you for sharing this information and good luck!

Jim