Workshop Hints
Troubleshooting
The British Horological Institute has archived and edited 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.
From:Mike Murray, Murray R. Falk, Jeanne Barrndt, Sterrie Weaver, Jeff Major, Myrna Lucille Wright, Jim Wright, Dennis Kaye, Jim Carlson
When you have a clock that runs for a while and then stops, here are some ideas of what to check to find the problem.
- When you cleaned the clock did you:-
- After you polish the pivots and resize the pivots holes is making sure that the shoulder (the part of the arbor where diameter is reduced so the pivot is exposed) is square. Square means that the angle of the arbor to the pivot is 90 degrees and this surface needs to be polished also. This of course is the last step after you have polished the pivot to the correct uniform size and smoothness.
- Make the bushing/pivot hole too small and not uniform in diameter.
- Mainsprings must be thoroughly cleaned and properly lubricated
- End shake must also be checked for each wheel starting with the mainwheel going right on up to the verge and fan fly's.
One way to help find this, is after the movement is assembled, and with no power on the mainspring, move each arbor back and forth (like you do to check endshake) to see that it is free. Now wind it up and then recheck. There will be more resistance as you move towards the springs but they still should move. If you come across one that will not move disassemble the movement and check that arbors pivots and pivot holes. - Check also the front-to-back and lateral freedom of the suspension hanger where it passes through the crutch. This is often changed when a wider, shorter or longer suspension is installed.
- Check the motion train, that is, the gears that run the hands. Sometimes the washer that holds the intermediate gear is placed on upside down. The concave portion should face in towards the movement. That is to say the ring around the washer that has a bulge in it--the open part should face out. Make sure there is nice free play here in the gears. Also, make sure when the hands are placed on there is end shake on the hour pipe and minute shaft.
- You might consider taking chime and strike trains out and running clock with just problem train in. I will do this a lot if I have a problem in only one area. Eliminates possibility of others stopping clock and make future take downs much quicker.
- When the clock stops and won't run again, remove the bridge and the verge. Does the escape wheel spin, or is it bound. A light touch on each gear in the train, moving front to back, should tell you what's hanging it up.
