total beginner..just taken delivery.

Posted: Thu Oct 22, 2009 3:06 pm     Post subject: total beginner..just taken delivery.

Hello kind clock people..like the look of your forum and hope to gain enough knowledge to be able to participate at some point in the future.

i have just taken delivery of my first real mechanical clock & its problems right from the word go..a fairly ropey looking wall clock bought on ebay & was delivered today, you can imagine my joy..anyway after 15minutes of unpacking i finally got to open the door, removed the bubble wrap that was protecting everything perfectly & tick..then tock followed tick as i levelled up the movement & anyway3+ hours later its still ticking like a good'n and keeping time..but!!!

the hammer/gong mechanism is out of synch with the hands and not making contact with it, although its not making contact, i can hear the hammer going through its motions..just too many times i.e the hands said four but the hammer is striking eleven its fine on the half hour and bob on at the stroke its just the hours thats out..

to my absolute delight, when i got round the back i discovered it is a gustav becker ..eight day, i think in my very inexpert & limited knowledge of things
i might possibly be able to align hamer with gong for it to start chiming again but have no idea how to correctly re-synch the hands with the chime..i'm going to have a trawl through your forum now for possible solutions as i guess this problem has been pose dozens of times.
thanks.
jake.

Posted: Thu Oct 22, 2009 4:32 pm     Post subject:

just move the hour hand back to where the clock is counting the hours. You need to adjust the striker so it hits the gong properly first.

Posted: Thu Oct 22, 2009 5:24 pm     Post subject:

thanks amrad.

i read a few places its not advisable to wind the older movements backwards, i reckon i can easilly sort the striker position out but i want to wait for the both springs to uncoil 1st or is this not necessary either? am i treating this thing with too much respect? movement looks to be immacculate possibly in need of oiling as it looks dry to me.

thanks again
jake

Posted: Thu Oct 22, 2009 7:36 pm     Post subject:

You never want to move the minute hand backwards, the hour hand is safe to move as it just a fricton fit on the shaft. If the clock has not be oiled in a couple years you will want to remove the works from the case, and oil with a good quality clock oil. Klockit sells a kit with the oil and oiler.

Posted: Fri Oct 23, 2009 9:13 am     Post subject:

All done big thanks amrad.