Expert: William J Perkins - 1/7/2008

Question
QUESTION: A few months ago I bought a Tempus Fugit Grandfather Clock from a furniture store. I followed all directions on setting it up properly but from day one, it would not chime the right amount of times. If it's 9:00, it will chime 8 times, etc. The directions say that if that happens to move the big hand back to the 8:00 position and then reset it and it should work. I did that but still get the same results. Any suggestions?

ANSWER: Your problem has a simple solution.  Before taking care of that I must express a comment as to the care-less attitude of the firm from which you purchased the clock.  I am shocked that anyone would sell a grandfather clock and not bother to set it up in the buyers home.  That out of the way lets set your clock a-right.  The hour hand, the short one, needs to be moved ahead 1 hour.  This hand is friction fit so you can turn it.  Grasp the hour hand as close to its shaft as you can and simply turn it, while doing this arrest the minute hand with your other hand to keep it in place.  That should do it.  My best regards WJP

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QUESTION: I'm not understanding the logic of your answer. What good does it do to set my clock one hour ahead, say to 10:00 when it is really 9:00. If I do that, it will chime 9 times for the 10:00 hour but it will really be 9:00 while the clock is showing it to be 10:00. ??? I'm not trying to be sarcastic or anything, I really do appreciate you're trying to help; I'm just not understanding I guess.  Thank you,  Sherry

Answer
Okay, let's take another whack at this.  The movement of your clock contains three motors between its plates, each powered be a separate weight.  As you face your clock the weight on your right, incidentally the heaviest, powers the chime train (motor).  The center weight powers the time keeping or time train.  The weight on your left powers the strike train.  Every 15 minutes of time lapsed causes the time train to trip a set of levers and cams which release the chime train to run, depending upon the position of the chime controlling cam the train will be released to cause its related hammers to deliver the blows needed to enunciate the 1st Quarter Hour, the 2nd Quarter hour, the 3rd Quarter Hour, the 4th Quarter Hour.  Shortly before the 4th Q completes its run the chime train causes the strike train to be cocked and upon completion of the 4th Q run releases the strike train to deliver what ever blows the train is in position to enunciate.  In your situation, when the hour hand is at 8 the clock strikes 9 times.  Obviously, the hand and strike are not synchronized.  This must be corrected.  You do this by moving the hour hand, not any of the gears of any train.  If you move the clock ahead you will not have altered the position of the hand to the clocks gears.  You can only do this by moving the hand ONLY!  Ergo, the clock hands says it is 8 o'clock but it strikes 9 times, so you move the hour hand, as described by my previous response. By doing this the clocks dial will say it is at 9 o'clock.  The clock is now synchronized but not set to the correct time.  To overcome this you simply reset the clock as you normally would.  How to set the clock should be explained by your owners manual.  Crucial to this whole discussion is that to synchronize the time to the strike you are not setting the clock you are setting the hand.  You set the clock after synchronization has been achieved.  These are two separate functions.  I hope this helps you.  Regards WJP