Pendulum rod sweep!! what's the deal

Posted: Wed Mar 02, 2011 7:23 pm     Post subject: Pendulum rod sweep!! what's the deal

my new cuckoo clock when the pendulum is hanging from the rod it don't have a wide sweep. a real short one. It has a strong tick tock sound but not a wide sweep. does anyone know the problem with the clock. thanks for any help.

Posted: Wed Mar 02, 2011 10:45 pm     Post subject:

Chances are that there is nothing wrong with movement (given the amount of pendulum swing) providing that the clock keeps proper time. If the clock is keeping proper time, then the resulting swing of the pendulum is what it will (and should) be.

Posted: Thu Mar 03, 2011 1:14 am     Post subject:

yes it keeps good time. another thing it does when the it's getting ready to cuckoo i hear alittle grinding noise on the gears when it cuckoo's is something getting worn out?

Posted: Thu Mar 03, 2011 3:01 pm     Post subject:

Any mechanical style movement requires maitenence. Generally, movements should be oiled every one to three years. They should be cleaned (and then oiled) every 3 to 5 years. The natural enemy of a mechanical movement is dust. Dust will collect on existing oil and turn it into a sludgy paste. This sludgy paste will eventually begin to cause undue wear to movement parts.

If your clock is new, chances are it was factory oiled and should not require re-application for a year or so. The grinding you hear might be associated with the activation of the cuckoo, and may be nothing to be concerned with. That being said, I will humbly admit that my mechanical movement knowledge is general at best. Please check back for any additional advise that our more experienced patrons may have to offer.