Expert: Martin Meyer - 1/12/2008

Question
I wound up or weight on our grandfather clock way to tight
It is almost all the way to the top and will not move
what can I do to fix this

Answer
Hi Tonda,
    Overwinding is not a problem, and will not stop the clock unless the center weight is so high that it is jammed into the seatboard which the movement sits on. The left weight (as you look at the clock) operates the strike, and the right weight operates the quarter-hour chime. If either of these ae jammed into the seatboard, the clock may not chime or strike.
    If the center weight is jammed, start the pendulum swinging, and press down on the weight gently to add extra pressure to the weight. As the clock runs, the weight will free itself from the seatboard and then run normally. This will take quite a few minutes of pressure before the weight is free.
    If one of the side weights is jammed, do the same thing with the jammed weight each time the clock is chiming (right weight) or striking (left weight).
    If the weights are not jammed into the seatboard, then your problem lies elsewhere. The clock is simply wound up and the weights will not unwind because the clock is not running. There are too many possible causes of these problems to go into here but, if the clock is not running at all, browse my previous answers on checking and setting the pendulum's beat as a first step.