Expert: Martin Meyer - 10/8/2009

Question
Hello Martin,

Hope you are well.  Two nights ago, I wound up the three weights that were almost to the bottom of my parent's Sligh Grandfather clock as I have done numerous times before.  But now, the clock won't work at all!  The weights are properly to the very top ( I did not overwind) but the only time the chimes go off is if I manually move the clock hands myself.  Also, the clock doesn't work either anymore.  Any ideas?

Answer
Hi Joanna,

If the clock is not running, that is, the pendulum is not swinging and the hands are not moving, then the clock will not chime unless you manually turn the hands.

Although there are some unusual technical problems that can cause a clock to fail to run after winding, by far the most common is that the pendulum was knocked out of beat during winding. The weights are inclined to move around quite a bit during winding, and if they bump into the pendulum the slightest amount, the pendulum can be knocked out of beat and the clock will stop. If the pendulum is swinging (running) during winding, and there is a lot of weight movement, the pendulum may lose its beat even without contacting the weights.

First, start the pendulum swinging with as wide a swing as possible. If it has auto beat setting, it will reset itself and the clock will run. Not all clocks have auto beat setting, and this feature is not always reliable, so the wide swing start may not get the clock running. If this is the case, please browse my previous answers about setting the beat. However, setting the beat can be difficult, so you may need to have a professional clock repairer do a service call to correct the problem.

There is one other occasional possible cause of this problem that you can correct. Look closely at the pulley which holds the center weight. The weight cable must be on the pulley, that is, in the groove around the circumference of the pulley. If the cable has slipped off the pulley and is jammed down near the pulley's center shaft, then you must put the pulley back into position.