Expert: Martin Meyer - 9/1/2008

Question
I own Hemle Skeleton wall Hanging clock with Pendulum.  Unless it is totally quiet, you cannot hear the bell which strikes on the hour.  I cannot find an adjustment for the pressure of the striker.  Any suggestions that you can offer would be appreciated.

Steve Gonshorek
McHenry IL

Answer
Hi Steve,

The actual force with which the strike hammer hits the bell is not usually the problem, unless the hammer assembly has a small coil spring, at its shaft, inside the movement, which has come loose.

Most often, the problem with weak striking is that the hammer is not contacting the bell correctly. The hammer wire is made of soft metal which can be easily bent to adjust it. The wire should be bent so that the hammer strikes the bell square-on, not glancingly, and the at-rest clearance between the hammer and the bell should be 1/16" to 1/8". If the at-rest clearance is too great, the bell will sound faint; if it is too small, the hammer will come to rest against the bell and the bell will make a dull "clunk".

One other possible, but less likely, cause of the problem is that the hammer is not lifting enough. If the hammer barely raises at each strike, an internal part called the "hammer tail" may be bent out of correct alignment, and is not being lifted enough by the internal star wheel at each strike. I do not recommend attempting this adjustment yourself, as you might make the situation worse rather than better. If this seems to be the problem, you should take the clock to a professional clock repairer for adjustment.  http://www.clockmasteronline.com