Workshop Hints
Longcase Clock hints
The British Horological Institute has compiled a digest of the following from e-mails sent to the Clock/Clockers mailing lists on the Internet. The information here does not necessarily indicate a method approved by the BHI, we are only publishing this digest so that others can decide for themselves whether the methods listed below will suit them.
The emails were from::
Zeke Miers, Robert A. Ruby, Murray R. Falk, Mel Kaye, Mike Murray, ric gatling, Eliot Isaacs, Jeff Major, Tony Harrison-Smith
Index
Weight Hooks coming undone
Pendulum too close to the weights
Clock weights oscillations
Weights hook coming undone
One problem often encountered with weight driven clocks is that the hook at the top of the weight unscrews and the weight drops to or through the base of the clock. This is a relatively common problem.
It is often caused by the method of winding the clock used by the owner. If the customer usually winds the clock by pulling the chain and grabbing the weight at the same time to help take the load off the chain. In doing this over time, the hooks unscrew as the weights spin after winding.
A way around this is to use the chain above the weight to assist the winding job, and the last little pull into the movement to be careful to not pull in too tight and let the weight spin.
Pendulum too close to the weights, rubbing
On some modern weight driven Longcase clocks the clearance between the pendulum and the weights is very tight. To overcome this you can SLIGHTLY bend the pendulum back to give more clearance. To do this, take the pendulum lay it flat on a carpet and slightly bend the bob to the rear, by holding the "bob" flat on the floor and lifting the pendulum upward. I also make sure the weights are hanging straight.
Sometimes an iron based pendulum can become magnetically attracted to the weights. To overcome this, the weights and pendulum need degaussing. The best way of doing this is to find a friendly TV repairman and get him to use his picture tubes degausser.
Check that the wrong diameter weights have not been put on the clock I have come across a clock where the weights overlapped the pendulum by 1/16" inch. The weights were as sold from original!
Clock Weight Oscillations
Sympathetic vibration is where a Longcase clock runs nicely when the weights are wound up high, but as the weights descend to the vicinity of the pendulum bob, the pendulum starts to wobble, and both weights start to swing, and the clock stops. The vibration was due to the movement of the entire clocks case.
The possible solutions are
- attach the clock to the wall or whatever
- position the movement so that the weights are allowed to scrape along the front or sides of the case.
- Another not so scientific solution is to wind the weights such that they are staggered and I'd say allow at least 6 inches or more in the stager.
- A good way of checking is to hang a small weight ( a button will do) by a single cotton thread on the outside of the case, at the top corner of the Hood and watch to see if there is any swing.
