Workshop Hints
Finding Proper Driving Weight
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: Alan Heldman
Here are two ways to find the proper driving weight for any weight driven clock, whether it be time train or strike train. Make sure the clock is clean and in good condition before trying to find the correct weights.
1. Hang buckets (like coffee cans) full of junk---more than enough. Gradually (over a period of several days) remove junk until clock stops. Weigh the can. Add 50% to that weight. (A "Fisherman's DeLiar" is a good small spring scale available at sporting goods stores).
2. Put a nail in the floor beneath the clock movement. Tie a cord a few inches long from that nail to the hook end of the DeLiar. Tie the line from the clock to the handle end of the Deliar. Wind until you've got more than enough tension to run the clock well. When the clock stops, read out the "weight" directly from the Deliar.
