Expert: Kenneth Saunders - 8/8/2008

Question
Chime Trend Mantel clock purchased 1979 for $300. Have unfortunately run into some not too good repair men. And when questioned get their back up. They try to tell me I don't know what I am talking about when I have had this clock for thirty years.We just got it back from repair and the sound was very  low and could be only heard if you were in the same room, When in the past we could hear it if on the second or lower floor of our home ( which we no longer have). I understand the company has gone out of business. Do you know if original parts can be found and what kind of maintantance we can do ourselves to avoid another repair person. We live in Livonia, MI.

Answer
You aren't going to want to hear this.

I would say that 80% of the time based on 36 years in the business: your repair men are correct!

1) customer's hearing is not what it used to be (they don't know that or they are in denial)

2) changing locations within a home or a new home for the clock entirely, brings into play many variables - insulation, noisy environments, ceiling heights, carpeting, structural design, etc. to cause sound to travel differently.


The 20% left contains the possible wear of the lifting pallets of the individual hammers striking the chime rods so that the hammer heads actually do not lift as high and do in fact not make as much sound- but this is not easy to tell on routine examination- only when you are willing to examine it under slight 3X magnification would the wear be seen easily and correction be made. New hammer assemblies are available to professional as well as repair techniques or unworn parts from donor mechanisms- all at additional cost of repair to effect the louder sound.
   Good news is that the company that made the mechanical parts inside your Trend clock for the Sligh Furniture Co. are still making the same mechanism and some parts or the entire mechanism is readily available. Hermle Co probably made it and the markings on the rear brass plate of the mechanism itself would tell you their part number.

No maintantance on your part or a pro's part is needed or cost effective.