By Michael Russell
Grandfather clocks. Amazing pieces of machinery. Very few people understand how they work and even fewer know how to fix one, should something go wrong. Bringing to a repair shop is going to cost you an arm and a leg, so if you have a grandfather clock that’s not exactly running up to snuff and you don’t have the bucks to fix it, then you might want to try to tackle the job by yourself. In order to do that, aside from needing some mechanical expertise, you’re going to need some troubleshooting tips, since these marvels can get pretty complicated. This article is going to cover some of the things to do when trying to fix the old man.
Let’s start with the most common problem of a grandfather clock. The pendulum itself stops swinging.
The first thing you have to do is make sure the clock weights have been pulled up. Sometimes all that needs to be done is simply wind the weights. This can really save an unnecessary repair.
Next check the hands. Are they touching each other? If they are this will stop the pendulum from swinging. If they are touching and the time train is jammed all you need to do is push the hour hand slightly towards the dial in order to clear the minute hand. Just make sure it doesn’t touch the dial.
Next, check to see if the hands are touching the glass. If they are, all you have to do is bend the minute hand away from the glass.
If by some chance you’ve recently moved your grandfather clock (they are very temperamental and don’t like to be moved), the pendulum may have stopped swinging because the case is now leaning at a different angle. To fix this you simply have to start the pendulum swinging and balance your clock. Don’t use a level. Continue testing until the swinging sounds more balanced. This requires a good ear and a lot of patience. Balancing the clock itself may require you to do one of several things.
First you may have to actually place something under the clock on either the left or right side to get the pendulum swinging just right. A bracket or shim will probably do the trick for this.
Second, you may have to actually tip the clock itself towards the wall so that it is slightly leaning. You have to be very careful when performing these tricky manoeuvres. You don’t want to tip the clock too far in either direction or back. The clock may fall too far off balance and spill to the floor. Trying to catch one of these falling monsters is not easy so care is needed.
In the next article in this series we’re going to continue with troubleshooting techniques to figure out just what is wrong with the old man, including running too fast or slow, weights not falling, chimes out of sequence and others. By the time we’re done your grandfather clock should be as good as old.
Michael Russell
Your Independent guide to Grandfather Clocks
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Michael_Russell
13 responses so far ↓
1 Tom Carney // Oct 21, 2008 at 7:59 am
Thanks for this. Let’s see where it takes my butterfingers.
2 Kay Lynne // Feb 16, 2009 at 8:06 am
Was wondering how to fix a clock that the bongs don’t match the time.
my clock will say three oclock and bong 12 times.?
Thanks
3 sharon brodt // Mar 9, 2009 at 9:01 am
i have a colonial zeeland clock purchased in 1980 for my mom, she passed in 1986 and the clock stopped. here is my problem, we got the chimes working correctly, all the weights move. but we CAN”T put the pendulum in, the minute we do it stops working. Please help, what can I do. I would love to get it working again
4 Denice Lillies // Jun 27, 2009 at 12:26 pm
We have a very old heirloom grandfather clock. The chimes have not worked since I was a child but we were able to get the time going although very tempermental. We finally decided to have a clock repairman look at it and $650 and 3 trips later the chimes actually did work for a few weeks. We had a houseful of company who were disturbed by the chimes so my husband carefully tried to turn the chimes off by moving the hr. stir to silent. The clock immediately seized up but we were able to get the time restarted but not the chimes. The clock repairman said he would not come back because he blames us for the malfunction. We are afraid to do anything with the clock and have followed his many instructions to a word including avoiding changing anything on the quarter hour. Hopefully someone out there can tell up what to do???!
Denice Lillies
5 SALLY // Aug 11, 2009 at 1:53 pm
TOOK THE PENDULUM OF MY GRANDFATHER CLOCK AND CANT PUT IT BACK ON. IT HAS LIKE A FISHING HOOK ON IT EVERYTIME I PUT IT ON IT FALLS
6 Diane // Aug 9, 2010 at 4:36 pm
We recently moved to another state. When we tried to start up the clock the pendulum stop swinging and when I tried to regulate the time the chimes did not chime, they simply made a “bonk” sound. Can you help me?
7 Darryl Ellis // Aug 16, 2010 at 10:43 am
I have a Sligh grandfather clock that keeps perfect time. However the outside weights are frozen in place and the clock doesn’t chime. The chime selector will only go down about half way. Is there anything I can do to release the outside weights? The weights are in the proper position.
8 Nan Owen // Aug 29, 2010 at 12:30 pm
My Grandfather clock,given as a gift
by our son, was shipped a long distance ( fro Cinncinati to Iowa.) He paid a clock shop that specializes in
Godfather clocks to bring it in house andset it up. Although it keeps perfect time it strikes only up to part of the correct strikes. He wants t charge same fee to look at it again. Help!
9 Debbie // Sep 2, 2010 at 10:15 am
My Mother just put in hardwood floors in the hall where the Grandfather clock stands. Now in “jingles” every time we walk by. Is there anything we can do to stop this.
10 Joseph Randazzo Jr // Nov 1, 2010 at 7:40 am
Colonial grandfather clock 1975 will only play full chimes and strikes when trip lever is manualy lifted. Chimes stop on the hour no strikes and than will remain silent unless i repete manual activevation.
Please let me Know how to fix this problem
Thank You
11 tom // Jan 15, 2011 at 1:28 pm
I recently move my Clock and the chains fell off how do I get them back on and placement of the weights
12 tom // Jan 15, 2011 at 1:30 pm
Also It is A Colonial of Zeeland Grandfather Clock
13 gary von dross // Mar 25, 2011 at 2:58 pm
My time and 1/4 ,1/2 ,3/4 , and hourly chimes work great. the hourly gongs don’t work. the wieghts are properly hung too.
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