HELP! Mantel Clock is Chiming Like it's Drunk

Posted: Sun Feb 04, 2007 7:19 pm     Post subject: HELP! Mantel Clock is Chiming Like it's Drunk

Hello - I have a newer Howard Miller mantel clock. It's a two-jewel, triple chime movement, about 8 years old.

Yesterday I (very carefully) removed the movement in order to oil both sides/oil cups/etc. I must stress that I was extremely cautious, as I did not want to scratch the wood case. After removing the movement, I was equally cautious with it.

I oiled it, and re-installed it with no problem at all. Here's the problem: It now chimes the full 16-counts AND the hour every 15 minutes!

I think this may be because I laid the movement on it's side, etc. when it was out of the case - and perhaps something "set itself" wrong.

Another reason may be that I have not used the chime/strike in about six years (we have a grandfather clock in the same room, which strikes so the selector on the mantel clock has been in the silent position for a long time). After oiling, however, I wound the chime/strike springs and turned the selector on, in order to run the movements for a few days and get the oil well-distributed, before turning it off again.

I think this is a simple thing, perhaps, though I'm no expert. Again - I was SUPER careful and I'm certain I did no damage during the removal - other than turning it upside down perhaps. Don't know why that would hurt it though.

Any ideas?

Posted: Fri Feb 16, 2007 9:31 pm     Post subject: Your drunk mantel clock...

Hi - without seeing inside your clock, it will be difficult for us to advise you. Perhaps you have it fixed already..? Anyway, don't be frightened of the movement. If I were you, I'd take out the movement, take off the hands and dial (to expose the strike and chime linkages), wind it up, put the minute hand back on, and turn the minut hand round clockwise slowly, watching what happens every quarter. The minute hand will almost certainly lift a link a wee bit every quarter, but will lift it higher on the hour. Make sure the minute hand is located correctly while you watch it, and again when you replace the dial - that's important. You will enjoy watching the chime and strike - no mystery - just cleverly thought out. You may find one of the links is "sticking" in an up position - maybe it's pivot pin has been bent slightly - or some old oil may have solidified, or gone sticky - anyway whatever, you should see what's wrong, and keep playing until it's correct. Once it's going, leave it on test for 24 hours before you put the clock together again. Good luck..!

Posted: Mon Feb 19, 2007 4:57 pm     Post subject:

Yes - thanks - it seems to have "worked itself back" over the course of several days. This indicates to me that it was indeed something merely "stuck" - maybe by gummy oil.

When I removed the movement from the case, I think handling it/turning it on its side, etc, made this one part stick somehow. It's likely that it may have already been stuck, as I didn't run the chimes before removal.

Something could be bent - though I don't believe so.

The chime on this clock is not very pleasant compared to our other clocks, so it will never be run. It will probably stick again over the years... "Use it or lose it!"