Apr 27, 2018 The soft carillons of a Westminster chime clock can be soothing and add warmth to your quiet abode. If the chimes in your clock start going off at odd times, you may need to set the battery. This is also an ideal time to change any settings on your timepiece, from the volume of the chimes to the sound and hours of its dings and dongs.
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We had a customer call us out for a Grandfather clock repair today. Along with some other problems, one of her main issues was the clock would not stop striking on the hour, it would just chime until the weight would run down. There are a few reasons this happens on not only Grandfather clocks, but all clocks. This Grandfather clock was a modern day Grandfather clock made by King Author Clock company, back in 1985. King Author Clock company is now longer in business, however, they used a Urgoes movement that is still available today.
The problem for the non stop striking was the 'locking pallets' stop pin was broken off. With the stop pin broken off, there was nothing to stop the locking pallet from stopping. We do carry several Locking pallets on our service van, so I was able to replace the locking pallet without any problems. If we don't have the correct locking pallet on our vans, we have been able to repair the stop in with a tapered pin. Simply tapping out the reaming parts of the stopping pin inside the locking tablet, then installing the correct sized tapers pin and cutting it off to the correct size always works fine.The pictures to the right will show the process of replacing the new locking pallet. There are just 2 small screws that will hold the locking pallet on to the shaft on the movmeent.Once the old Locking pallet was removed, I installed the new locking pallet. Lining up the new locking pallet can get tricky sometimes, you have to make sure the stop pin will stop the levers at the correct time.
If you are unable to, the stop pin will not catch correctly and the clock movement will not stop striking, giving you the same problem as if the stop pin was broken off. In the 1980's a close family friend built me a grandfather clock from a kit.
The paper work lists EMPEROR CLOCK COMPANY, Model 101 High Pallet Bridge 8 Day Weight Driven, Chain wind full Westminster Chimes Chimes each quarter hour, strikes each hour. The Gong, and chimes had previously stopped working, now the time. I opened it up & oiled it, now the pendulum will work, so it keeps time, but when it reaches the quarter hour & starts chiming, the chime isn't correct & it chimes & gongs for ten minutes. Can someone give me some advice?
Lisa, you will have to get to the front of the movement in order to clean and oil the correct spots. Most people will just squirt oil on the movement without removing the movement. Here is a video we did on properly cleaning and oiling a movement. Its a little shaky and your movement will look different, however the participles are the same.you are uncomfortable removing the movement. You will at least have to remove the face in order to get to the parts that are shown in the pictures on this blog so you can oil them properly.
I hop this helps, let me know. I have a clock made by Gilbert ca. 1910 with a rack and snail movement with no name or any other information on the plate. My problem is the clock time wise works perfectly, it strikes the half and hour perfectly until it comes to 12. As soon as the chime lifting lever hits the 12 on the snail, the rack falls too far down for the gathering pallet to grab the rack and start the count down so it continues to strike either until the chime side spring unwinds or I stop it by moving the rack up a bit.Any suggestions please and thank you,Mike. I have a 1981 Ridgeway grandfather clock, model #120.
I don’t know the manufacturer of the movement itself, but the movement number listed on the documentation is #32570. The numbers are preceded by the letters “GN.” It is a chain driven movement with triple chimes and a moving moon dial. It keeps perfect time, but it will not chimes on the quarter hour or strike the hour. I am located pretty far from any clock repair service so I’m thinking replacement of the movement might be my best choice. My question is can I purchase any type of replacement movement for this case or does it have to be a specific kind or a direct replacement of what I have.
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Thank you for any help you can provide!
ANTIQUE CLOCK REPAIR TIPS
Many stopped clocks can be easily repaired by the owner. Here is a list of common problems that are simple to repair. Although the following instructions specifically apply to antique British clocks, they will also work for many other clocks. Keep in mind that while some repairs can be repaired easily, sometimes it is best to let an expert repair your clock to help avoid additional damage. First, make sure your clock is wound up. I have been on numerous service calls where the clock only needed winding up. Before spending money on a service call make sure the clock is wound up. For a tutorial explaining see how to wind your clock. Make sure the clock hands are not touching the glass. A clock minute hand that touches the glass will stop your clock. To repair, bend the minute hand towards the dial and away from the glass. Advance the clock twelve hours to make sure the minute hand does not catch on the hour hand. Have you recently moved your clock? The reason a clock pendulum often stops swinging, after being moved, is because the clock case now leans at a slightly different angle then it did at its former location. Don't worry about making your clock absolutely level with the floor and don't use a level. Simply start your pendulum swinging, then listen carefully to the tick-tock sound. Move the case slightly left or right until the tick-tock sound seems more balanced. A clock is 'in beat' when the tick and the tock are evenly spaced. A clock that is 'in beat' sounds like tick...tock ...tick...tock. A clock that is 'out of beat' sounds like tick..tock.................tick..tock. When you hear an even, balanced beat, secure the clock to your wall with a bracket, or shim your clock feet. To have us come to your house and adjust the beat, contact us. Your clock has been stopped for several days and now reads the wrong time. How can I make it show the correct time? If your clock has a 'silent lever', activate it and then move the minute hand clockwise until the clock reads the correct time. If you do not have a 'silent lever', move the hands clockwise, pausing every chime or strike cycle, until the correct time is reached. Ensure the clock hands are not touching each other. When the hands are touching it usually means they are stuck and your clock will not run. Look at the hour and minute hands closely. If they are touching the 'time train' may be jammed which prevents the pendulum from swinging. To repair, push the hour hand slightly towards the dial in order to clear the minute hand, but make sure it doesn't touch the dial. If they still touch, you can bend back the minute hand slightly towards you, allowing clearance. If your moon dial does not show the correct phase of the moon, determine the date of the last new moon . Next, calculate how many days have elapsed since the last new moon until today. Applying a small amount of pressure to the moon dial, move it clockwise to indicate a new moon. Now move the dial clockwise one clock per day for the correct number of elapsed days from the new moon to today. If the date indicator advances at noon, instead of midnight, all you have to do is advance the clock 12 hours. If the clock dial shows the wrong date, remove the hood and using light pressure move the dial clockwise until the correct date is displayed. Please visit our frequently asked question page for additional hints and tutorials. If you have a question, please contact us. ![]() Comments are closed.
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