Expert: Martin Meyer - 4/4/2008

Question
Someone yanked the cord so hard the weight got stuck, but the clock still worked. I took the chains out and fixed the broken chain, put them all back in. Pulled them to highest position, and swung pendulum. Now, it works for 3 min, and then stops. directions on back say remove pendulum and move crouch to right or left, how do do i do that ? or is their something else i did wrong?

Answer
Hi Chris,
    Your clock is probably out of beat.
    Listen to your clock's tick. If a clock is in beat it goes "tick-tick-tick" like a metronome. If it goes "tick-TOCK-tick-TOCK", or makes no tick at all, then it is out of beat. Some clocks have automatic beat setting; try starting your clock with as wide a swing as possible. If it has auto beat setting it will correct the beat as it settles down to a normal swing.
    If your clock does not have auto beat setting, remove the side or back panels to access the back of the movement. You will see that the pendulum is connected to a strip of metal about 6 inches long. This is the pendulum leader. There will be another brass flat strip (the crutch) which comes out of the back top of the movement, bends to go straight down, then ends in a connection to the pendulum leader. This connection will be either a round post on the crutch going through a hole in the leader, or a forked end on the crutch going around the leader.
    Start your pendulum swinging, and listen to the tick sound. Push the crutch past the point of resistance which you will feel on the extreme end of swing in each direction, a tiny amount to one side or the other. Try this is in small adjustments on whichever side makes the tick more even, until you achieve the steady "tick-tick" sound. Your clock will then be in beat.