Seth Thomas Wall Pendulem Mech. Bim Bam will not keep runnin

Posted: Mon Sep 21, 2009 5:32 pm     Post subject: Seth Thomas Wall Pendulem Mech. Bim Bam will not keep runnin

I have the subject Clock, it is ~ 30 yeas old. The Chiming is done
by the battery which I believe winds the spring while it is chiming. I replaced the battery and when I start the pendulum it only runs for a few minutes. I believe somehow through my efforts the spring is not wound enough. The instructions say to move the hands to 10, 11, and 12 and let it complete the chiming at each position. I have done this several times. This has happened through the years and usually after fussing with it a bit it will run for a couple months, Now it only goes for a few minutes.
Is there a way to tell if the spring is wound properly, or to make sure it is wound?. There is some wear at the pivot points for the gear shafts in the metal plate. It looks as if they were just stamped, no replaceable bushings.
Should I just buy a new mechanism?

Posted: Tue Sep 22, 2009 2:02 am     Post subject:

Sounds like you need some major service if you have worn pivots. Is this a battery movement or mechanical wind/battery.

You could replace it with the hermle battery bim bam movement.

It would be helpful if you could post a picture of the clock works, as they used to make battery movements that just wound the springs.

Posted: Thu Sep 24, 2009 9:36 pm     Post subject:

This has a battery and a coil spring, but it seems to be wound by the battery. There is no external winding mechanism.
When I had it appart the pendulem attachment point was ticking happily away with out a battery. It was then that I noticed the coil spring.

The only time the battery is in play is when it is chiming. I am guessing that is when the spring gets wound.

The mechanism was made in Japan.

I bought a Quartz Bim Bam mechanism to replace it.

Posted: Fri Sep 25, 2009 11:01 pm     Post subject:

Did the Quartz mechanism fix the issue?

Posted: Mon Oct 05, 2009 3:58 pm     Post subject:

I believe the Quartz Mechanism will fix it since I will be replacing all the guts. The original works are made by "Rythm Watch Co" Japan.
When Searching online I find all sorts of financial records but no one selling parts.

Posted: Wed Nov 04, 2009 7:03 pm     Post subject:

Quartz Mechanism fixed it with some caveots.
Old movement struck both rods at the same time.
The hammers were on a single bent wire.
It turns out the the simultanious chime combines to make a nice "bong"
The new quartz movement, Which is also made by RythmWatch company
struck the rods independently at about .5 sec intreval It sounds like a doorbell. This is not what I expected. I did not want the melodic multi-chime of a wesminster, just a single bong at half past and a bong to count off the hours. I did not see the single bong chime availible as an option in the websites I searched. The double chime made it hard to count the hour when lying in bed. I chose the bim bam because it looked like the movement in the existing clock with the 2 rods and the pendulum.

After trying changing the rods with the original etc. I was able to screw the 2 hammers together and have something like the original. although the sound is still different. I guess the hammer material is different and the rods are struck in a different place. I suppose we will get used to it eventually.