Need help with glitchy Hermle mechanism

Posted: Wed Nov 16, 2011 7:41 am     Post subject: Need help with glitchy Hermle mechanism

I built a clock with this Hermle 130-070 mechanism:

http://www.klockit.com/products/dept-9__sku-13018.html

It worked great for about 5 years. Then it started stopping every few days at 1:50 or 1:55.

I took it into a clock repair shop and they quoted me a price to fix it that was more than buying a new mechanism. They also told me there was a 4 month wait to get a clock fixed.

Further, the guy told me that Hermle mechanisms such as this don't need to be serviced every so often as most clock mechanisms do. He also said they don't need to be oiled because they are "self-contained." Hmm. Is this true?

So, in cruising around the web I located articles such as this one (http://en.allexperts.com/q/Clocks-Watches-1747/Clock-stops-12-40.htm) which states that the problem could be a burr on a wheel or a bent hour hand shaft. I can't see anything when I take the clock apart. Any one have any idea how I can better troubleshoot this?

Posted: Wed Nov 16, 2011 3:29 pm     Post subject:

As a general rule of thumb, movements should be oiled every one to three years. Movements should be cleaned and oiled every three to five years. I am not familair with any mechanical movement which poses itself as an exception to this general rule. I would consider a second opinion from another repairperson.

Posted: Wed Nov 16, 2011 5:52 pm     Post subject:

Sounds like misinformation to me. Just like cars, clocks need to be oiled and cleaned. Being self contained means it just will not be as succeptible to dust, and dirt.

Posted: Thu Nov 17, 2011 4:27 am     Post subject:

Thank you for the good advice, Chris and Amrad! This particular clock repair tech I spoke with was adamant that oiling a Hermle mechanical movement would ruin it. Go figure. I had just purchased clock oil and a book on how to oil and clean a movement without disassembling it so I tucked that away for a while. I'm going to give that a try.

I find that when the clock stops if I tug gently on the hour hand shaft it starts up again. A couple times I've run it without the hands but it still stops periodically.

Again...thank you for your help!

Posted: Thu Nov 17, 2011 2:21 pm     Post subject:

Oiling should never ruin a mechanical movement (unless you are using WD-40 or some other type of lubricant that is not specifically formulated for mechanical clock movements). While my knowledge is general at best, the only negative aspect to oiling is if you should happen to oil the movement when it is need of a proper cleaning first. Oil and dust mix together to form a gritty grime. This grime wears away at moving parts and can result in damage over a period of time.

Your clock was made 5 years ago. If it has not been cleaned, it might be due. I would also say that this would probably be a good place to start to see if it will correct the problem you are having. Also note that a qualified repair person will more than likely inspect the movement during this process, and may be able to tell you if there is anything wrong with the movement beyond this.

Posted: Fri Nov 18, 2011 1:30 am     Post subject:

Thanks, Chris, for the advice! You're right in that the movement probably does need a thorough cleaning by now. Thing is when I took the clock into a clock repair shop the tech looked at the movement and quoted me a base price of $200 just to do a repair. And evidently that didn't include cleaning because he maintained it didn't need it. For $200 I could just buy a new movement from Klockit . Then I wouldn't have to put up again with the clock shop guys' snickering at my poor woodworking skills. So I thought I would try a little DIY first.

Posted: Fri Nov 18, 2011 11:35 am     Post subject:

your movemnt is probably worn and needs a service. however if it is too worn then a new movemnt is recommmended because this is the best economical option for a repair business.

where to look - let all the power off the two barrels. then shake the barrels and see how much play is there - this is a common wear point for this type.
if you can make the barrel lean or flop about over too much then replace the movement.

new hermle don't last as long as they used to so don't expect it to last forever. OILING - yes IT MUST BE OILED. running a clock without oil is like running your car without oil - won't last five minutes.
a bit of advice - get yourself a small bottle of clock oil and put some on the pivots ONLY every 12 months or when it starts to deviate in timekeeping, this will make it last a lot longer and won't do any harm. your clock SHOULD be cleaned and oiled properly then every few years

Posted: Fri Nov 18, 2011 2:24 pm     Post subject:

I would definately not return to the clock repairer who gave you this misinformation... In fact, you have a right to snicker at the fact that this guy does not seem to know squat about mechanical movements. Like I said, my knowledge is general at best. That being said, even I seem to know better than this repair person.

Tackling clock repair is not something that everyone is capable of. Qualified service and repair people study for years to be able to do what they do. Despite this, there are people who choose to tackle minor repair themselves (and do so successfully). I think the important thing is to study as much as you can, before you attempt to do anything yourself. Some movements, like spring wound movements for example, can be VERY dangerous to work with (disassemble) if you do not know what you are doing.

Beyond that, consider other repair people (the internet can help you locate them). If repair is too expensive, then you can always replace the movement. The positive factor in regard to replacement is that the old (defective) movement can still be used as a "guinea pig" of sorts for experimentation and practice.

Posted: Wed Nov 30, 2011 3:56 am     Post subject:

Thanks for all the good advice, guys! I removed the movement from the case, oiled it (after watching all the "How to Oil a Clock" Youtube videos), wound it up and let it run without the hands. It ran great for about 4-5 days then it stopped. I picked it up carefully by the edges and slowly revolved it counter-clockwise, horizontally, and it started up again. It ran for maybe two more days before stopping again. During those two days the beat was very soft like that of a dying heart.

So I'm thinking of just buying a new movement and calling it a day. This Hermle movement has cannister mainsprings, so popping out the mainsprings and replacing them would be pretty easy. But I suspect a new movement is probably the best bet.