Expert: Martin Meyer - 3/9/2009

Question
I have read some posts that shy away from recommending the oiling of a clock. My Piper clock is a 3-way wind mechanism. It keeps good time and the 1/4 hour chime works fairly well but the hour gong only works when that spring is tightly wound. The butterflys seems to slow effecting primarily the hour strike. What are my options if oiling is not recommended. And if oil is OK how do you suggest doing so?  

Answer
Hi Frank,

Opinions about oiling vary greatly among clockmakers. However, if a clock is clearly dry of oil, and/or the chime or strike operates slowly or stalls, then oiling is essential.

Need for oiling more often appears in the chime train than in the hour strike train, and usually shows up as very slow chiming or chiming stalling altogether in mid-sequence. Slow chiming (or striking) is likely to continue through most of the running cycle, rather than to chime or strike only when the mainspring is fully wound, then stop altogether. For these reasons, I would consider a second possibility, that the strike mainspring is worn out and needs replacing.

At any rate, you should start with oiling the movement and see if that corrects the problem, before considering more major repairs. You will need to access both the front and back plates of the movement, and this will require removing the hands and dial, and possibly removing the movement from the clock. Methods of assembly vary so much that I can't give you any specific guidelines on removing the dial or removing the movement from the clock.

As far as the actual oiling, you must use CLOCK OIL only, no other kind of oil, and put a tiny drop of oil at each point where a gear shaft pivot (end) goes through a bearing hole in the front and back main plates of the movement. There will be an oil sink, a slightly chamfered ring around most holes, and this sink will hold the drop of oil so that it stays in the bearing and does not run down the plate.  
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