Expert: Martin Meyer - 4/21/2008

Question
QUESTION: I installed a new Hermle 1050-020 movement in an old clock and now find that the the hammers of the new movement do not drop low enough to strike the chime rods.  Should I place shims under the chime mounting block to raise it or should I bend the hammer rods down? If so, where on the length of the hammer rod should the bends be made?

Also, the hammers do not align with the chime rods. When viewed from the rear of the movement, the first hammer is above the second chime rod. The hammer rods need to be "fanned out" so each will fall on the appropriate chime. Again, where on the length of the hammer rod should these bends be made?

Thanks,
Anthony


ANSWER: Hi Anthony,
    Adjusting the hammer wires is part of the installation process for replacing the movement.
    You do not want to shim the chime mounting block. The hammer wires are soft brass, and can be bent with care without breaking them.
    It is very important to hold the hammer wire firmly above its base (where it connects to the shaft assembly), so that you do not bend the wire below that point. Then you can bend the wire above that point to make it align with the chime rods. You want to get the hammer wires directly centered above each chime rod, with an at-rest clearance of 1/16" to 1/8" from the chime rod. You can then listen to the chime, and make slight adjustments in this clearance to obtain an even and musical chime sound.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thanks for the info. The 1050-020 movement was sold without any documentation. What is the proper way to operate the chime selector lever so no damage is done to the movement? Any other tips on the operation of this movement?

ANSWER: Hi again Anthony,
    The only caution I would give regarding the chime selector is that you should not  move it while the clock is in the process of chiming.
    The 1050-020 is a very problem-free movement, and really requires no particular care, other than winding it fully, as far as it will go, once a week, and having it lubricated by a professional every few years.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thanks for your help. I have aligned the hammers with the chime rods but some of the chime rods sound "fuzzy" when they are struck. It appears that the fuzzy tone occurs if the hammer is too low, and the tone is clear but soft if the hammer is too high. Is this correct?

Also, some of the chime rods appear to be slightly bent so they do not lie in the same plane as the others. Should the rods be straightened or left as they are?

The chime rods have slots on their ends. Can the rods be tuned by turning them in and out?

One rod sounds fuzzy no matter how I adjust the hammer. The bracket end of the rod sticks out further from the mounting bracket than the others and appears to touch the inside of the wood case. will this cause the fuzzy sound?

Speaking of oiling, after installing the movement I cleaned some smudges off the back side of the movement with a tiny piece of paper towel moistened with naphtha. How can I tell if I accidentally absorbed any oil from the movement bearings?


Answer
Hi again Anthony,

Adjusting the hammer's clearance from the chime rod is a trial-and-error process. If the hammer is too close to the rod, the rod will vibrate against it, producing the fuzzy tone to which you refer. If the hammer is too far away from the rod, the tone will be too weak. You need to adjust the hammer for optimum sound, bearing in mind that chimes in some clocks are just not as loud or resonant as other clocks.

It is not essential for the chime rods to be in a straight row. You can try to adjust the rods to be more or less even, bearing in mind that they are very delicate, and too much bending may break them.

The slots in the mounting block end of the chime rods are not adjustable. The rods should be screwed into the mounting block extremely tightly. The screw ends of the chime rods will not necessarily extend the same amount. The key factor is that the rods are screwed in very tightly. If one rod seems to be screwed in less deeply than the others, you should check that it is screwed in as tightly as possible. A loose rod will cause a fuzzy sound. No part of the mounting block or any rod should touch the case at any point. Also, the rods should not touch other when they are vibrating.

The use of any solvent to wipe of the back plate may remove the oil from the pivot holes. It's hard to tell with the naked eye if the oil sink (the chamfered area around the pivot hole) contains oil. If you look at it with a jeweler's loupe or magnifying glass, you should be able to see a slight ring of oil around the pivot, in the oil sink. If no oil is visible, and considering the fact that solvent was used on the plate, you should apply a very small drop of clock oil to each pivot hole. This should be small enough that the oil does not drip out of the pivot oil sink. If it does drip, wipe it away with a soft, dry, lint-free cloth.