Expert: Martin Meyer - 1/7/2009

Question
Dear Mr. Meyer,
 I have the Howard Miller 610-572 and have become aware that it chimes out of sequence, failing to drop the last hammer (note) until the beginning of the next sequence.  I'm unclear how long this has been true but don't think it came that way (although a service man who looked at it insists it must have come out the the factory that way).  Any suggestions?  (Try a different repair man?)
   Thanks,
                    Lee Hyde


Answer
Hi Lee,

This problem can definitely be corrected. It may have come from the factory this way, but it is more likely that it got out of adjustment at a later time.

The remedy for this problem is one of those things that are referred to as "simple but not easy". Look at the back of the movement. You will see a large pinwheel, similar to the ones in music boxes. This pinwheel is not correctly adjusted, so that the last note in each sequence does not strike. You will observe a large gear on the back movement plate which engages a gear on the pinwheel. This large gear is held onto its shaft by a set screw. To make the adjustment, the set screw must be loosened and moved a tiny bit counter-clockwise, then retightened.

The best way to do this is to turn the minute hand until the clock strikes first quarter. If your clock is a triple chime, set it on Whittington or St. Michael before you do this. The first quarter sequence should be 8 notes in descending order. In your case, the 8th note is not sounding. Now, loosen the set screw on the large gear, and turn the gear counter-clockwise JUST until the final note sounds, then retighten the set screw. This will correct your chime.

The things that make this adjustment difficult are: 1)your working on these parts is likely to make the clock chime again. If it does so, you have lost your known chiming position, and will no longer be able to know where to set the gear. To prevent this, very gently hold the fan, which you will see inside the movement at the very top above the chime gears. This will prevent the clock from chiming. But the part is very delicate, so do not exert pressure on it. 2)The large gear is mounted at a precise point on its shaft. If you push the gear farther onto its shaft, or farther out, it will no longer contact the pinwheel gear for every different chime. When it slips off the pinwheel gear, the pinwheel will move freely, and all settings will be lost. So you must be very careful to keep the large gear at exactly the same position (depth) on its shaft, while you are at the same time turning it a tiny bit to adjust it. (This is a bit like patting your head while you rub your stomach.) 3)the adjustment of the large gear is VERY small, almost less than you can see. If you turn it too much, either the chime will stall and not function at all, or the chime will miss the first note in the sequence and play that note at the end of the previous sequence instead. The key to this is to turn the large gear JUST until the last note sounds, then tighten it in that position immediately.

If all this sounds too daunting to attempt, any professional clock repairer should be able to make this adjustment for you without difficulty.  http://www.clockmasteronline.com