Expert: Martin Meyer - 3/30/2008

Question
I was moving my Harold Miller grandmother clock, Model 610-134, so I removed the weights. Somehow the middle chain came all the way out. I have looked at the back and cannot see a way to re-thread it. Is this possible? Do I need to take the face off, and if so, how do I get the hands off?  Thanks for all your help.

Answer
Hi Nan,
    When the center chain comes off, it is usually necessary to remove the movement entirely from the clock. The procedure for this varies widely from one clock to another. Sometimes you might want to remove the dial, other times that is not necessary. To remove the hands, set the time at 12:00 (for convenience in putting them back on in the correct positions). Then unscrew the hand nut, pull the minute hand straight off, then pull the hour hand straight off. The hour hand is sometimes tight, and may need to be worked back and forth slightly to get it off.
    To remove the movement, first remove the pendulum and weights. It is sometimes necessary to remove the dial frame also. Then unscrew the two long screws that come up through the seatboard (mounting board for the movement). You can then usually lift the entire movement out of the clock. On some clocks, the movement comes out through the back, and you may or may not need to remove the dial first. This is a general explanation, and there are many variations.
    Replace the chain by first removing the "pull" end of the chain (not the "hook" end), then thread the chain onto the sprocket in the direction that the sprocket turns. Once the chain catches a tooth on the sprocket, you can rotate the sprocket to feed the chain through until it comes out of the movement.