Expert: Martin Meyer - 1/1/2008

Question
Happy New Year:
   I was recently give my grandmother's 1969 Bulova westminister chime mantle clock.  It is in good working order but the chimes are barely audible.  Is there a way to increase their volume?  Thank you for any help you could provide.

Best,

Alex

Answer
Hi Alex,
    The chimes on your clock do have any volume adjustment as such. However, you can maximize the sound by making sure that the chime hammers are properly adjusted.
    When you look into the back of the clock, you will see the chime hammers on long brass wire shafts above the chime rods. The shafts are soft brass and can be gently bent to adjust their position. When the hammers are at rest, they should be directly centered above their respective chime rods, and there should be between 1/16" and 1/8" clearance between the hammers and the chime rods. The correct position should be as close as you can get the hammers to the rods without their making a dull sound on their final strike in the sequence.
    If this adjustment doesn't solve your problem, the movement may be worn or the hammer springs may have lost their tension. In this case, you should replace the entire movement with a new one.