Expert: Martin Meyer - 12/27/2009

Question
We just bought a Ridgeway model 9102, and its running good but the strikes got off, so we adjusted the hour hand and fixed the time, but it will stop after a few hours.  It has been moved and I was wondering are the gears and springs sensitive?  Could the bumps and movement messed it up?  We think is one of the gears is off a little from what we can see.  What would make it stop after awhile?  we got it fixed the other day and it ran great then the strikes got off again so we had to adjust the time, thats when it will stop running after we do something like that.  What kind of oil would you recommend oiling them with?

                                     Thank You Melissa  

Answer
Hi Melissa,

Moving the clock probably did not cause the problem. It is also very hard to tell from the outside if a gear is damaged unless it is really smashed.

There are many possible causes for a clock's stopping. If the clock is over 15-20 years old, the most likely cause is wear in the movement's bearings, which would require a movement replacement. Need for lubrication can also cause this problem. The most common cause of a clock's stopping is the pendulum being out of beat, but this usually makes the clock stop after a few minutes, not several hours.

I do not recommend that customers lubricate their clocks themselves unless they are experienced in this. If you do want to oil it, you MUST use only a good synthetic clock oil, and apply it in very small amounts to each point where a gear shaft goes through a hole in the front and back main plates. Never use any household oil, spray lubricant or penetrating oil (like WD-40) as this can seriously damage the clock.  http://www.clockmasteronline.com